Architectural Photography the New Frontier
I have always been fascinated by Architecture. Chicago is a wonderful city to view and photograph architecture. With the heritage of such greats as Louis Sullivan, noted for the skyscraper, Frank Loyd Wright buildings in Oak Park, Johnson Wax in Racine Wisconsin, Ludwig Mies vander Rohe, at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, are just a few of the many famous architects, who’s buildings we can still enjoy.
The photograph of the Aquarium in Chicago was taken by me Stan Kotecki © 2016, several years ago on a summer day with a Hasselblad SWC 2-1/4 film camera, mounted on a gitzo carbon fibre tripod (known for stability and light weight, with a Arca Swiss mono-ball head. I used a 1 degree digital spot meter to calculate the exposure since the camera does not have a exposure meter built into it. The view-point I selected, at the bottom of the stairs draws the viewer up the staircase. The camera is perfectly level. The horizontal and vertical lines of the building are very straight. It is important to level the camera when photographing buildings, and landscapes to keep the buildings and horizon lines straight. I know this can be corrected in software, but I always try to get it correct in the camera so I do not have to spend that much time in front of the computer.
With the newer cameras, built in levels and image stabilization, it is easier to take photos of buildings. Software has allowed us to correct key-stoning in buildings ( the building comes to a point at the top and the sides are caving in. We can now emulate the features that view-cameras have in still cameras.
I also like to photograph showing simplicity in pictures and I search for graphic details, clear line, forms and structures to compose the image and guide the viewers eye.