This month’s project on architectural photography was a tough challenge. Quite apart from the issue of converging verticals, architecture poses difficulties with light and reflections as well as composition.
There were a few really stand out images from my point of view. Here are my winners and special mentions.
Winner: Benjamin Jackman
Ben’s shot of Gdansk Airport Facade is a smart shot.
Absolutely pin sharp, and so presumably shot from tripod with a 1/4 shutter, the shot contains a stunning mixture of angles and lines, slicing through the frame.
The structure and architecture is such that the light streaming through the glass front and onto the structure within casts shadows which mimic the same shapes and tones as the structures in the facade themselves. This creates an intricate web of changing tones and satisfying lines.
Ben made the smart choice of converting to mono. It’s crystal clear and seems to go on for days as we study the image from top to bottom. It’s a shot that may well have been taken a thousand times in one way or another, but Ben has made it his own, his own comment on architectural form. It’s great execution paired with narrative/comment and that is precisely what I wanted to see.
Commendable mention: Ian Savage
A close call but I’ve chosen to mention this fantastic capture by Ian. Symmetry, reflection and wonderful colour are abundant in this shot.
I saw this composition on Instagram recently by a Manchester photographer. He’d converted it to mono and called it ‘Batman Returns’. Do you see it?
I love the colour here, and think it’s smart to leave it that way. On such a clear day the reflections from the sky just weave in and out of that curved glass facade and create all these different dimensions.
Commendable mention: Stephen Temple
Next is this shot by Stephen. Such wonderful clarity and a fantastic twilight capture. That vast, piercing angle, accentuating the height and magnitude of this piece of architecture. Almost like something from Gotham City!
Commendable mention:
And finally this shot by Wendy. Less drama, more class and delicacy. A wonderful, mesmerising capture shot from what seems to me like a near impossible angle, directly central and directly down! Wonderful detail as we follow the curves from top to bottom. A true example of the fibonacci ‘golden rule’ here!
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