The Art of Architectural Photography 6-16-2014

I have felt the romantic allure of trains since I was a small child.  Trains symbolized travel and the unknown adventures that unfold as the tracks and miles are eaten up by the Iron Horse.  I was quite young when I began taking the train around Brooklyn by myself: 7 or 8.  I had to visit the dentist and assorted other "fixers" on my own because my parents worked during the day.  Even more mysterious than the trains themselves where the train platforms.  Mysterious and I might add scary: dark tunnels that held only pinpoints of light and mystifying sounds.  These elevated wooden see-the-street-from-above or black-hole-subway stations were far more frightening surely that the Horror movies I dragged my younger brothers to. 

However, the elation of a train ride was probably all vastly increased by the chilling aspect of my perceived danger at the prospect.  The one constant that enabled the waiting for the trains was the wonderful signage signaling the station and architecture of the platforms.  The elevated consisted of huge metal stanchions that were riveted with large shiny bolts.  Although I was terrified when I sneaked peeks through the wooden slated platform, the elegant patterns of light and shadow fascinated me.  But above all travel experiences for an 8-year-old Brooklynite was descending to the underground and the very real prospect of a deserted station.  On these occasions, I fixated on the subway tiles.  These are magnificently crafted and put together in stunning designs.  Still I am transfixed when I see the old tiles today.  The Deco numbers and letters; the elegant arrangement of parts to form an announcement of place.

NYC has updated and repaired many of the subway stations.  Thankfully, the subway tiles are close replicas of their former selves.  The tiles echo the enchantment of train travel for me and tell of exciting places that are just beyond the turnstile.

NYC Subway Tiles: Black and White Photography

To learn more about NYC subway tiles visit:
http://forgotten-ny.com/2006/01/the-original-28-part-2-a-look-at-the-artwork-from-the-nycs-first-28-stations-opened-october-27-1904/
http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/who-made-those-subway-tiles/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0http://online.
wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703858404576214492061190946



  

The Art of Architectural Photography 6-8-2014

In a way, architecture is the structure of any design.  When designing a work, one is building it based on  the principles of art.  Nature, the master architect, designs nature based on structure and form, essential to any building project.

The genre of still life is composed of objects, frequently including but not necessarily flowers, placed in juxtaposition to each other to form a pleasing arrangement.  This concept also is integral to architecture in the sense that elements must compliment each other and work well together to create a well balanced and appealing building.

At a French restaurant in NYC on a frigid night this past winter, I was delighted with the single bloom on my table.  In photographing the flower, I incorporated part of the crystal candle container for a wisp of romance and to show that it is night.  Nature has structured the petals of the rose into a design that is endlessly intricate and beautiful.  How lovely to study architecture in this way!

 Sepia still life as architectural photography: NYC

To learn more about still life and architecture; nature as architect please visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/02/arts/art-tracing-the-flower-in-american-painting.html
http://www.mcalpinetankersleyblog.com/2014/05/15/still-life-lessons/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2707899/



  

The Art of Architectural Photography 6-1-2014

Architecture can be as simple as a cube.  A box that is functional and will stand the test of time.  On the other hand, architecture may be devised as an elaborately detailed statement by the architect.  Of course, a cube is a statement in itself and the modernists of the Bauhaus certainly presented cubes as a most beautiful design form.  The clean lines appeal to many as a conceptualization of clear and uncluttered space.  Bauhaus architecture greatly appeals to me, but I also love architectural eye candy that more ornate genres of architecture incorporate into design .

Architectural eye candy are the embellishments of glass, stone carvings, brick patterns and the like.  Visually metal architectural jewelry delights me.  The fanciful or bold uses of iron, steel, copper, bronze and even precious metals like gold and silver add an ornamental aspect to interiors and exteriors of buildings that creates another dimension to the architecture. 

In this hallway, the wrought iron railing carries the eye down the stairs yet punctuates the space with a complex and open design.  The repeating curves and swirls of the iron compliment the round and arched window frames.  The many elements of architecture in this sepia architectural photograph are enhanced by the emphasis on lights and darks.

Architectural sepia photograph: NYC

To read more about ornamental railings visit:

 http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/24/garden/where-to-find-it-iron-shows-its-flexibility.html

 
http://www.theforgerofny.com/iron_works/ironwork_history_and_glossary.html

The Art of Architectural Photography 5-26-2014

There are many facets of an artwork.  The work may be visually pleasing; commemorate an event or person(s); promote a belief; advertise a product.  The connection of the artist with the viewer gives an image the different meanings and elicits the responses from each.  Many examples of architecture, photography, painting and other arts evoke memories.  Perhaps these are some of the most powerfully effective works because they may be viewed on a deeper level.
Photography is a medium that expressly is used to record and chronicle.  Events, people, art, anything that can be viewed is subject matter for the lens.  The images taken by the camera can conjure memories in a way that is immediate and graphic.  In many cases photography is a deliberate medium for just that: bringing forth the past for present and future considerations.  A photograph that can provide a key to the past, in any context, is an impressive tool as well as a vehicle to provide beauty and aesthetic gratification. 
The two entrances of a school in NYC brought back many memories of my childhood.  Although many buildings are being replaced or updated in NYC, these remain just as they were years ago.  I can visualize clearly children entering the doors for a day of school in the 1950's as easily as I can see these portals today.  The architecture is at once straight forward and complex.  The combination of building materials blends together in the recognizable school facade.  Bricks, limestone, metalwork, and marble create a feeling of substance and worth.  The decorative capitols on the columns, archway, doors and brickwork add notes of grandeur as do the artfully mounted globe lights.  The signage and religious symbol of the cross are forthright and dominant in the appearance of the building.  The most influential signs are those which are not embellished and clearly identified.  The worn steps note the passage of the many children who have entered these doorways.

Boys

Girls

Black and white architectural photography: Two School Entrances, NYC

To learn more about school architecture visit:
http://schools.nyc.gov/community/facilities/PublicArt/Architecture/default.htm
 
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/77D644D7-3301-44BF-A94B-1E8249432625/59042/TourYourSchoolBrooklynHistoricalSociety1.pdf

http://www.nycsca.org/RESOURCES/OURWORK/Pages/HistoricSchoolBuildings.aspx
     

The Art of Architectural Photography 5-23-2014

So much of photography involves seeing and the personal connection to that which is seen.  Throughout my life, I have been captivated by many sights, some familiar and some new to me.  Frequently I notice these in passing.  Other times I seek out certain buildings or structures. For example, when I am in Manhattan I never fail to take time to admire the Empire State Building.  It appears as a sentential, rising from midtown to announce its presence over NYC.  Other architecture, such as the Royal Swedish Opera House in Stockholm or the Villa Borghese in Rome, were marvelous to see while I was traveling and their magnificent architecture remains fixed memories of beauty and grace. 
As a child, I repeatedly accompanied my Mother to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Perhaps it was there that my seeing was honed. I return to this day to see the  genius architecture of nature in the many flowers, trees, leaves and the McKim, Mead & White magnificent design for the main BBG buildings erected in 1917.  The Japanese Gardens, rose gardens and other wonderfully planned spaces of the gardens still draw me to Brooklyn. There are other attractions at the BBG, too. The Children's Garden, which celebrates its 100 year was where I learned to plant and to appreciate the earth's bounty. The lessons that influenced so many aspects of my photography were cultivated early on in Brooklyn. I am grateful that currently my family also includes the Gardens as a source of inspiration and tranquility, as well as a font of learning just as I did and still do. 
My family and I are delighted to be referenced in a Wall Street Journal article about the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens' Children's Gardens.  

Sepia photograph: Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Brooklyn NYC
 

 To learn about my and my family's relationship with the BBG, especially the Children's Garden visit:
 http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303409004579562232711084704?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303409004579562232711084704.html

The Art of Architectural Photography 5-13-2014

One note design is wonderful in its simplicity and purity, but I also appreciate a mix of materials and aesthetics in capturing an architectural image.  Every element of a photograph must be carefully considered if it is to represent the subject.  The more components there are to the exposure, the more they must integrate to form one perception.
On a night in Munich, I saw this entryway illuminated and majestic. The lacy wrought iron gates provide a lovely counterpoint to the carved stone column capitals.  The ribbed arches bring the eye around the image, while the hanging lamps provide punctuation and glow.  Finally, the cobblestones and slates on the ground add the textural elements to balance the elaborate upper portions of the photograph.  I used sepia for this architectural photograph because it heightened the romantic and somewhat mysterious atmosphere of the night. 
The many elements of design, texture, light, architecture and form create an image of intrigue and beauty.  I was glad to be there to capture my impression of this enchanting place.

Sepia architectural photography: Munich, Germany

To read more about materials in architecture visit:

http://www.flanderstrade.com/site/internetEN.nsf/0/9a8f71976e742cefc125726c0073a55f/$FILE/English.pdf

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/query/mixed-material-exterior

http://www.higgins.org/WermielHAM.pdf

The Art of Architectural Photography 5-2-2014

In all of us there is a bit of the voyeur, in the sense that we love the unique and intriguing experience of seeing things indirectly. The idea of viewing the subject through another dimension is enormously appealing.  It is the essence of movies, literature, and other arts: we observe vicariously or second hand.  Photographers, especially, like to look through the the camera lens and see their subjects "in" the camera so to speak.

The concept of looking at something via the imagination is even more appealing and is an extension of voyeurism.  The American painter, Edward Hopper enthralls us with his paintings that invite the viewer to come inside a window or door.  The Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico, whose works that take the eye through arches and around corners,  was a student of the philosopher Nietzsche who said:
"Art is not merely the imitation of the reality of nature, but in truth a metaphysical supplement to the reality of nature, placed alongside thereof for its conquest."  In other words, art surpasses reality in its presentation of the artist's conceptualization.

Both Hopper and Chirico involve the viewer in seeing through one component into the next and further, as did Alfred Hitchcock in the film Rear Window.  These caused me to realize the importance of adding the appearance of  beyond in my photography.  Doorways, portals, arches, windows are pathways to journeys of inventiveness.

Black and White architectural photograph: Munich, Germany.

Art is not merely an imitation of the reality of nature, but in truth a metaphysical supplement to the reality of nature, placed alongside thereof for its conquest.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/friedrich_nietzsche_8.html#7z6bVFHiYAsUD8Tk.99

To learn more about seeing through and beyond visit:
lhttp://www.alfredhitchcockgeek.com/2009/11/alfred-hitchcock-and-art-edward-hopper.html

http://www.doubledialogues.com/archive/issue_twelve/walker.html

 http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/02/26/photos_document_paris_modernization_in_the_exhibition_charles_marville_photographer.html

Art is not merely an imitation of the reality of nature, but in truth a metaphysical supplement to the reality of nature, placed alongside thereof for its conquest.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/friedrichn159174.html#2lQfkWYebltiHH3s.99

Art is not merely an imitation of the reality of nature, but in truth a metaphysical supplement to the reality of nature, placed alongside thereof for its conquest.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/friedrich_nietzsche_8.html#7z6bVFHiYAsUD8Tk.99