A Trip to Ellis Island and Liberty Island

Last month I took a day trip to New York City to visit Ellis and Liberty Islands for the first time.  Living relatively close to the City and visiting as frequently as I do, you'd think I would have already accomplished this, but it's one of those things you keep saying you'll do someday I guess.




Before catching the ferry, I snapped a few pics in Battery Park.  Unfortunately, the area is undergoing a lot of renovations, so there weren't a lot of angles from which to take pretty photos.



After boarding Statue Cruises, away from one island we head, and off to another!



Forgive the excess of Manhattan cityscape photos in this post!  When I'm in New York, I'm usually in Manhattan, so getting off the island and getting to photograph it was a real treat for me.  The overcast skies and chilly temperatures weren't a lot of fun to experience, but led to real dramatic photos.



Lady Liberty is within reach!  My Canon 24-105 lens proved to be useful to photograph the landmarks from varying distances.  Normally I leave this lens at home when I'm heading into a city (I tend to stay ultra wide).



I love the view of Ellis Island with the New Jersey skyscrapers behind it (and was in the distance, you can see Manhattan).  A little playing around with saturation created a sort of sunrise esthetic.

This was sort of a last minute trip, so I didn't get a chance to go up into the Statue of Liberty, which requires more of an advances booking.  That said, strolling around on Liberty Island is a pleasant experience. 



The closest I've ever been to Lady Liberty.

Next, it was time to head to Ellis Island.  On the way, the Coast Guard seemed to be keeping a close eye on us.

It's so hard to decide which photo to share!  Do I like the closed in panorama, or the wider view with the ominous skies?

The museum is housed in the Ellis Island building that so many immigrants passed through.

Above, the famed registration room.  The flags are even 48 star flags.  Below, a detail of one of the windows.

There is a portion of the museum featuring miniature models showing the evolution of Ellis Island through the years.




Another interesting feature of the museum is a collection of artifacts found in the building when it was restored in the 1980s after being abandoned for several decades.

From within the museum, there are some unique opportunities to photograph the architecture outside through the windows.  Above, an area that was once accessible to guests, but is no longer.  Below, a view from a third floor window.

The staircase spiraling upwards seemed like a photo waiting to happen.



One more shot of the museum before heading out to wait for the ferry.



Statue Cruises cruises past the statue!  Try saying that ten times fast!



I popped on my neutral density filter to get a long exposure of the water and clouds moving past the city.



I love the old world boat and the new world cityscape!

As we pulled away, I grabbed a photo of the off-limits part of Ellis Island, which contains the hospital.

And back we are!


Next, a stroll through Bowling Green was in order.  Could those flowers be any redder?





The classic cab shot.



Trinity church, flanked by more modern architecture.



Passing by Maison Kayser was certainly tempting, but I didn't eat anything.



I'd rate the day a success!  I learned a lot about an important period in U.S. history and I got plenty of photos.