Architecture

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.”- Frank Gehry

Oh gosh, where do I start with this….this is architecture and sculpture at the same time. I was thoroughly intrigued by this… seat, mirror,…what ever it is meant to be. I took a few photos but really liked how this one work.  The hard lines and angles contrasting against the curves of the landscape that surrounds it. The reflections, adding to continuation of the pathway and the lock gates, add to it’s sense of optical illusion, but also how the disappearing lines merge it with the sky making it one..

and here it is in colour… I personally prefer black and white but it still works well. I came upon this when at the ‘Neptune’s Staircase’ just outside Fort William, Scotland on the road to Malaig. Glad I stopped.

AR2 & AR2 (B&W):     Norwich, UK.       SS: 10sec, f/10, 24mm ISO:250

Norwich is so lucky to have two Cathedrals, and this is the Roman Catholic one. It is commanding and beautifully situated for shots like this.. particularly when you want to get the cool headlight look. I love any opportunity to get my wide angle out as well. This building is beautiful at any time of day, night, weather or season. When I try again, and I will I may try increasing the ISO to see how I can then adjust the SS and F/stop to see how it changes things. I have given both the colour and black and white version for you to peruse. 

And now for the other Cathedral. This is situated in the centre of Norwich, UK and has been at the heart of the community since it was built in 1096. Unlike the Catholic cathedral which is actually much younger. Another night shot and I have had to play with the white balance in editing as I had forgotten to change it. The original colour photo had a bit too much orange. Norwich is beautifully lit at night but one can have too much orange!

Trawling the streets in the evening to search for a beautifully lit building in Norwich is a real pleasure. We have so many to choose from. This one is a great example, even managed to get a little star in there. I used a wide angle which helped give a sense of height.

I really enjoy night photography and this was an image I purposively travelled to get.  This Water Activity Adventure at Whitlingham Broad, is amazing to take photos of at any time of day or night. It has such amazing angles and lines, I am always finding something new. The colours are incredible in this so quite happy with this one.

This is Norwich Prison and on a bright day really lends itself well to a black and white makeover. I wanted to emphasise the gothic feel and love the fact the the bare branches look a little like skeletal finger clawing over the photo. Whilst the main focus is the prison itself I have made the perspective focal point way down the road so your eye is drawn along the whole length of the building.

This place offered some amazing perspectives of passageways and stairs. The eyes are drawn on a journey. This one leads you into the darkness but the contrasting light hits you before you really disappear into the shadows.

Whilst I prefer black and white, some photos work better in colour. I think this is one of those. The Mediterranean  colours are just so rich. I have posted the black and white one for you to compare. Let me know what you think..  

Here is another example of where I think that colour works better than black and white. This is what I love about photography.. that your preferences don’t always matter. Photography demands that you go away from your preferences sometimes and go with what is best.. however having said that… the colour version allows you to immerse your self in the atmosphere of the moment, the heat, the clarity of colour, the horizon… now go to the black and white image.. what happens, I am drawn to the density and strength of the stone, the background landscape is of no importance. My whole attention shifts…now I am not so sure about my preference.

This is the roof of the Whitlingham Lake water activity centre. this structure bring together great curves and angles, textures and contrast. Simple but really effective.