Initial Thoughts

In this unit, I want to explore the charism of structures. The special features of every building highlight its uniqueness, and in this project, I want to capture these details that are often overlooked. In my photos, the viewers will find the beauty and charism of architecture. To achieve my goal, I will use different compositions to emphasize the features of the building in my photos. Additionally, I will capture different patterns in architecture to make my photos more outstanding and eye-catching.

 

Researching the Starting Point 

Ernst Haas, Jeanette Hägglund, and Berenice Abbott are photographers who have worked with architecture photography. However, the ways they captured structures differed, each with its own characteristics. Thus, each photo created a different visual effect and conveyed different feelings to the audience. Here are three photographs from the three photographers:

Ernst Haas is a famous Austrian-American photographer, also known as the innovator of color photography. He likes to explore cities with color in his photographs. In this image, he captured the window reflection of the building and compared it to the actual view. The repetition of the similar view created by the reflection in the photograph emphasizes the main objects. In addition, the small areas of orange and blue in the window reflection make the picture eye-catching. Together, by using reflection and colors to capture architecture, Haas conveys the energy of the city through this image.

Jeanette Hägglund is a Swedish photographer with experience across many fields, including architecture photography. In this photo, Hägglund captured the vibrant color of the structure. By using a unique composition, she creates an exciting perspective of the architecture, letting the audience focus on the details and the design. Her use of color makes the photo visually appealing, catching the audience’s eyes at first sight.

Berenice Abbott is an American photographer. She is also the critical bridge between photographic circles and the culture hubs. In this photo, she captured the building from a low angle, emphasizing a sense of oppression, implying the new life in the flourishing New York. In this picture, she included a foreground that blocks some of the views of the main object, but it also creates a unique framing that draws the viewers’ attention to the main object.

 

Mind Map

 

Vision and Statement of Intent

In this project, I want to convey the message of the charism of structures. I will explore the details in structures using different compositions. Each building has its own highlights designed by the architect, which are often ignored by people. Every day, we walk past many buildings and have no time to stop and appreciate their beauty. Hence, I will reveal the beauty of architecture in my photos. By looking at my images, my audience will feel a sense of vitality and delighted. To achieve my vision, I will work with different ways of compositions and different patterns to make my photos visually appealing. By capturing the unobtrusive details, I will delve into the aesthetics of architecture.

The working title of my project is “Architectural Aesthetics.” I want my audience to feel a sense of vitality and charm. I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs by Jeanette Hägglund and Gabrielle Aquadro that show the utilization of patterns and unique compositions.

 

Mood Board

 

Reflection

From my research about the starting point, I learned how different photographers express the topic of “structures.” Some photographers, such as Jeanette Hägglund and Tekla Evelina Severin, like to use vibrant colors and pattern in their photos to create a sense of energy in their photos, while others, such as Berenice Abbott, like to take pictures in black and white to convey a different sense of feelings. However, they both include contrast in colors to create visually appealing photographs. Additionally, some photographers capture details in architecture, whereas others capture the whole view of the building. Berenice Abbott inspired me to reconsider the effect of compositions and lighting in photos. Although her photographs are primarily in black and white, she uses special lighting to highlight the main object, creating an interesting visual effect in the image.