Alejandro Ceruttii: "New York City Window"

Every year Rangefinder’s “Pictures of the Year” issue features the best photography competitions from all over the world. This year in our Take Your Best Shot contest, we gave our readers the opportunity to submit one signature photograph from their body of work for a chance to join our annual collection. Congratulations to our winner, Alejandro Cerutti, of Argentina.

This photo was taken in New York, from a hotel window.
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: Sigma 70–300mm at 120mm
Speed: 1/125
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Format: RAW
Retouched in Photoshop

The story behind this image:
“The loneliness of that one window with the light turned on inspired me,” says Alejandro. “I was preparing my stuff to go out downstairs to take some New York photos when suddenly, through my window, I saw this nearby building. I got my camera and took several photos. From other shots I did at that time, I can see that there were more than 135 windows, but only this one had the light on.

“The first version had the bricks with their original colors, which are kind of brown. Then one day in May 2009, I was reading an article about Ralph Clevenger in a magazine. I was overwhelmed by his photos and decided to send him an email.

“One of the photos I chose to show him was this one. He told me that the photo was well executed and had good composition, but that if everything around the window were blue, the photo would be much more conceptual; he reminded me that I was ‘making images, not taking them.’ ”
Alejandro continues, “My mind clicked and a revised ‘blue version’ was born. [Clevenger’s] feedback was one of the most important lessons I’ve ever gotten as a photographer.”

Why it’s his best shot:
“Because I feel it has soul, and it is very neat. I consider it simple, and because for some reason it gets the attention of the people who see it. It received an Honorable Mention at International Photo Awards 2009.”

A photographic journey continues:
“I was born in Argentina and into the photography world in 1972,” he says. “My parents owned and operated a photographic studio and store, which provided the beginning and foundation to my passion for photography. My studies also included cinematography and literature but I found I needed photography to control and exploit my artistic energy.” You can view more of Alejandro Cerutti’s work on his personal website at www.alejandrocerutti.com.