Technique: Architectural Details

For whatever reason, buildings are really cool. And where I live, there are a lot of tall, fantastical buildings that make for great photo subjects.

Huntington Library and Gardens. Again.

What I Do:

• Look for the un-obvious
• The photo is more unique when it presents something new
• A documentary photo of a building or detail can get stale
• Get close and/or walk around the building to get different angles
• Get down on the ground
• Yeah, I'm one of those people
• Upward angles can reveal interesting perspectives and hidden details
• Play with exposure
• Specifically shutter speed
• Long exposure can yield really cool light effects
• Short shutter speeds can get the shot you want while you're in an awkward position
• Can get all artsy with it
• Wait for the right light
• As usual, a critical aspect for photography
• In cities, darkness helps highlight the details of architecture
• A lot of buildings are up-lit and some have cool neon lights to shoot
• Passing cars and people make for good light/shadow contrasts

Stories

Shooting with Jesse again. It was a few months ago now, but I remember it pretty well. We went down to the Miracle Mile, hoping to get some shots of the LACMA. Of course, I'm an idiot and suggested we meet at 2 PM--with horrible, bright light--so we ducked into some coffee shops to chat until golden hour arrived.

As we walked back toward the LACMA, we noticed there was some construction going on. It was really annoying and pretty ugly, but I wanted something for having waited three hours, so I took some shots.

I had to lean against Jesse to get enough stability to take the shot. Thanks, Jesse!

The sullen coldness of the bars and their repeating patterns were pretty hypnotic. I remember the shot being a bit off-center because I didn't have the best angle, and it was the very first time I ever said, "Oh well, I'll fix it in post." Made all the more ridiculous because I didn't have post-processing software at the time.

Because we couldn't go into the museum, Jesse an I contented ourselves shooting the famous lights outside. I went a bit crazy there and shot a bunch of up-angles, many of which had pretty perfect symmetry. But that got boring, so I went for something else a little more upbeat.

Details of stars captured in lamp posts

The asymmetry made the lights look more like constellations in the sky: still in a recognizable pattern yet less ordered. I also found the warmth of the city glow as the lamps illuminated each others' posts, and the details really stood out.

Neon lights

After taking photos of the streetlamps, I saw a building across the street all lit up and wanted to shoot it. After taking some photos from far away, I moved closer to the building and looked up. Yeah, another upward angled shot, but it was the only way to capture the swooping cement facade making this beautiful contrast with the straightness of the red lights.