The eighth image in my abstract architecture series is called Ribs (see THIS post for series intro). I saw this building while driving to a friend’s home in downtown Phoenix to deliver a print. I wandered around on ground level trying to find a composition that I liked and I couldn’t figure it out; there were just too many other structures that I couldn’t find a way to exclude from the shot without losing too much of the building. I wanted this one to be clean so that meant I had to find a way to exclude everything but the building and the clear sky behind it. I ended up climbing the stairs to the very top of a parking structure (approximately 4 stories) to get a clear vantage point.
The thing that drew me to this building was the symmetry of the bold diagonal lines. The building surface also had great contrast with the dark tinted windows and light concrete surrounding them. For exposure I went with the old “sunny 16” standard which gave me a beautifully graded, contrasty sky. In hindsight the square frame may not have been the best choice for this vertical structure but I was trying to keep the series unified in case I ever have the opportunity to display it somewhere.
5D Mk III with 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens. ISO 100, f/16, 1/100 sec.
© 2013 Johnny Kerr Photography