Time and Tide

I photographed this dusk exterior of an existing office building for a property management firm. One of the views I was asked to make was that of the building at dusk. The companion request was that the estuary river be at high tide. As dusk and high tide did not occur at the same time I was able to photograph the building at high tide and then an hour or so later begin my exposure sequence for the building's dusk lighting. With digital postproduction I was able to combine the two views into one for a believable view. When water is a factor in your photograph you should build your shoot schedule around the tide charts as well as the light.

Take the High Line

During a recent assignment in New York I paid a visit to the Chelsea district's "High Line". This is a repurposing of the old elevated train right of way into a pedestrian park two stories above the city streets. It is a breathtaking view of this part of the city and a great place to watch the sunset. If you have the opportunity visit the High Line which travels right under the new Standard hotel, for a leisurely walk above the city.

Put a face on it

I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Boston to photograph some of their projects in the Boston area. This year I have begun to photograph a new single family home site in Needham for Habitat's use on their web site and for fundraising. Mostly I have been photographing the progress of the construction and details of the site and volunteers. One of my best images is of the future home owners during a work break in what will be the first floor of their new home. They are very proud of what they have achieved. Sometimes the best image of a building is when you can put a face on it.

To donate to Habitat Boston or this specific project follow these links:
http://www.habitatboston.org
http://www.needhamhabitat.org

Your best view may be from the water!

As part of my recent photography of the Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium I needed to photograph views that focused on the landscape architecture. As a project that borders Boston Harbor the best view of this landscape design was from the water. The NE Aquarium provided a boat and skilled captain who was able to position the craft in many places for great views. This design by Halvorson Design Partnership was also a view that would have been compromised by the installation of a semi-permanent event tent. But I was able to make this compelling view even though this extension of the Boston Harbor walk was not yet open to the public.

Back to Black and White

When your subject is monochromatic and color would only provide a distraction, consider converting the view to a Black and White image. It is one of the great pluses in working digitally that you can photograph in full color then covert to gray scale when completing the final post production. It's the best of both worlds. I think this office view has more impact when presented in black and white.

Coordinating with Construction

Even with the best plans sometimes you have to adapt to a fluid situation. This is the new Marine Mammal Center at the New England Aquarium designed by McManus Architects, Cambridge, MA. They were faced with scheduling a photography shoot day that fell in between the contractor's final wrap up, the installation of a semi-permanent event tent that would obscure most preferred views and the grand opening of this fantastic new facility. With the cooperation of the NE Aquarium, its staff and the various contractors, many exciting views were able to be photographed. Digital post production resolved what was not possible or practical on the actual shoot day. When time permits always try to schedule your photography after the work has been done.

Preplanning for Limited Access

Sometimes the access to a temporary installation is limited due to constraints imposed by the venue or show management. In this case you need to adapt to the limitations. What is most helpful is a walk through of the site to design a plan to achieve your final photography objectives. What may be the right solution is to add more photo assistants and equipment so that you can progress from one view to the next as efficiently as possible. Preplanning can smooth out all the access limitations.