Juxtaposition At The Plaza

In some ways ESP is as much of an architectural mess as it appears in my busy little photo. Actually it is more of a mess, and when I go back and shoot the final version of this shot, you'll get the point!

Why a final version? Well on a day when winds were gusting to 40+ miles per hour in the valleys, the Plaza certainly saw 50+. The prominence of the Plaza over the surrounding city makes it seem like a wind tunnel! Let’s just say, wind, long lenses and small apertures don’t mix in the late afternoon light! This shot is actually pretty good, but it could be just a bit sharper through the range. I think I had to settle for F/8 on the 200mm
lens.

On the other hand, considering our state capitol building took decades to build, and is molded from the architectural styles of 3 different architects the Plaza fits right in when you really think about it.

People either love or hate the New York State capitol building. I look at it as being unique, and have always loved it. There is absolutely no other state house in the US nearly as unique.

The Empire State Plaza on the other hand is an acquired taste. Built by Nelson Rockefeller after he was thoroughly embarrassed when Princess Beatrix from the Netherlands visited our state capital, this was a no expense spared public works project of the 1970s. Everything in the Plaza is built with marble, and the towers themselves are covered in marble. The Plaza and capitol building form the largest state capitol complex in the US. Corning Tower is the tallest building in New York outside of New York City.

The total cost of the Empire State Plaza was $1.7 billion, and it required 9,000 families and businesses to be removed from the land using eminent domain. The Plaza was paid off around 2006.

If nothing else, the Nelson Rockefeller Empire State Plaza makes for an interesting place to skulk around with a camera and see just how bizarre an image you can put together. With that being the case, I’ve got to say, I haven’t even scratched the surface of the capitol complex over the years.

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