BIG BEN
WESTMINSTER, LONDON
Image Number 287
Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben, is among London's most iconic landmarks. Technically, Big Ben is the name given to the massive bell inside the clock tower, which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg). The clock tower looks spectacular at night when the four clock faces are illuminated. Each dial is seven metres in diameter. There are 312 pieces of glass in each clock dial. Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike the hours. The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day. In June 2012 the House of Commons announced that the clock tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 20seconds and aperture F14. 45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.