On Wisconsin
Photographer: Ralph Grunewald, Düsseldorf, Germany
Getting the Shot: I am originally from Germany (where I live now), but I spent the last year in Madison, Wisconsin where I studied and taught at the University of Wisconsin. One of the must-not-miss spots in Wisconsin is the Milwaukee Art Museum right at Lake Michigan. One part of the museum, the Quadracci Pavilion, was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava and is a light and structurally compelling hall that faces the lake. The large window front provides for wonderful backlight that transforms whatever moves in front of the windows into silhouettes.
The Details: I have been to shoot at the museum a couple of times and my archive is full of people and photographers pointing their cameras in all directions. I got back to the museum in March 2006, and I knew I had an opportunity when a class of students got up and moved from one corner to the other. I waited until they were in my frame and pushed the trigger. I knew this would be intriguing because of all the tired students dragging their feet. However, it was pure luck that I caught the moment when the boy pointed his arm up with one of his fingers extended. I looked at the screen of my camera and immediately thought "On Wisconsin" - the first line of the official Wisconsin state song. If you look closely you can also see the light in the glasses of (I assume) one of the teachers.
We love how this shot makes the typical class trip into an artful experience. Want your own photo in Global Eye? Add your pics to the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool.
Comments