Baltimore, MD House Original Design by Robert Greene
A different side to a FLW teaching. Photographed for PAI by © CBI
On a sunny day in August a chance to photograph one of the classic modern designs of architecture. I spent the entire day with the structure to note the subtle changes in light and form. Patience and timing were the major tools in the gadget bag this day. Due to the difficulties in reproducing a most difficult choice of siding. The choice of a metallic surface for the facade presented a complicated set of issues. Achieving an even tonal scale over the entire façade area proved most challenging. Using the sun as my main light I added fill lighting to accent over hang areas just enough but not disrupt the natural look. Contrast within the structure was key here. I required areas of dark but not black to empower the structure, while minimizing highlights with out losing them entirely. Choice of camera position was also well thought out. I wanted to render the structure with a strong grace of power and yet floatability. Like a battle ship might move across a sea of land. Fitting well within its natural environment yet achieving a sense of motion that at any given moment it may just move.
Old GE Building Restoration
Photographed for CHM by © CBI
A NY NY early spring day was chosen for this architectural photograph. The logistics were mind bending for me on this one. Days of planning went into this one. I finally determined an isometric was the only way to fully express the scale of the structure. Location, location, was key. To high up and the structure dwindles, to low and it becomes stretched, proportion was key here. By spending hours watching the light fall on the structure I found the exact moment I wished for, where the highlight areas would hold on the facade and the shadow areas of the isometric would open just perfectly. As timing would have it the period for the commission could not have been better. Spring time in NY was just perfect to capture the subtle greening of the tree leaves in Bryant Park. Combining the natural beauty of NY with the man made is a very rare occasion in midtown. I felt humbled by the chance to do so.

Olympic Pool Restoration
Photographed for LCI by © CBI
The subtle complication of 7 different light sources combined with a neutral painted color palette, created photographic color reproduction challenges here. The challenge was to mix the sources in such a way as to render the scene accurately while still providing the overall look. First choice of day. I choose a cloudy day for all exterior light bleed thru, then set up for sodium vapor, and adjusted color balance to combine with the incandescent / track light temperatures. Finally shutter speed was extremely tricky, to long and the color would fall into reciprocity, to short and likewise, changing the overall color balance. Just the right shutter and filer combination and then click. By the way do not forget the reflective color wash from the pool water.