Bell Tower:
These pictures were taken at the Burton Memorial Tower, in downtown Ann Arbor. The reason I choose to take these pictures was really because of the brick detail of the structure, as well as the many possible angles you could take it from. On a more personal level, I remember when I went downtown for Top of the Park, looking up at the bell tower as I hung out on a picnic blanket. Taking these pictures was not only visually interesting, but brought a lot of childhood memories back. For the first picture, I took a more straight on approach but tilted the camera up a bit so I could still see the top of the tall structure. For the last two, I decided to get lower to the ground, and get closer to the building, to not only include a different angle, but to show the detail of the brick and the windows. In terms of mood, looking at these pictures I think I choose a very calming mood, because of the monotone of the building, as well as the soft pearly color of the sky. I would have to say, the biggest triumph that I had taking these pictures, was the amount of detail I was able to show while still using the three different angles, and getting three different parts of the building. One problem that I ran into while I was editing, was that because it was such a cloudy day, anything I edited to make the building look more contrasting, only made the sky appear more white.
First United Methodist Church:
These pictures were all taken at the First United Methodist Church, downtown Ann Arbor. From a visual perspective, the main reason I choose to do this place, was because of the detail and the antique feel that it shows from the outside. Also, I really wanted to document windows in one of the sets of pictures I took, and for this location, I ended up getting 3 different types. On a more personal level, this is the church that our family is a member of. It is where my parents got married, and is where my brother and I got baptized. That said, this is a very important building for our family that has a big part in a lot of our important life events. Not only is this building visually appealing, but emotionally as well. The main triumph that I found while looking back at these three pictures, was that they were all from the same building, but in terms of the colors and style, look amazingly different. I think that it is very important, because without that variety and combination of different elements, it wouldn't be as pleasing, nor would it be as interesting. Going back to the last photos, I also had the problem with the white sky. You can see it mostly on the first picture, but I think if it has been a more clear day, all of these photos would have turned out better. Overall, the mood I was trying to set with these pictures was peacefulness and content, which I feel when I enter a church or go to a service.
Lurie Engineering Building:
These pictures are of the University of Michigan Lurie Engineering building. The reason I choose to take the pictures here was because of all of the variety in the structure. For example, I wanted to include all of the windows, as well as the interesting layout and the bricks. Although I do not personally have a connection to this building, it was where my dad went to graduate school so he had a lot of memories to share with me as we walked around. Although I have to admit, it was not intentional when I was taking the pictures, I not notice that there is a lot of reflection happening in the windows, which I think adds a sophisticated aspect that really helped to make the pictures more interesting. The one thing that I was having problems with while taking the pictures, was trying to get the lighting right, making sure there wasn't too much glare coming off of the windows. Overall, the mood I was trying to show in these pictures was a very professional look not only because of the purpose of the building, but because of the important look given off by the windows and materials used in the building
University of Michigan Art and Architecture Building:
Although most of the buildings that I took pictures of were planned, this one was not. As I was driving on my way to another building, I saw this building and thought it would be perfect to take a picture of. The main part of the building that caught my eye was the pattern of the brick, as well as the unusual texture and color of it. Another think that I thought added to the interest level of the picture was the large windows, because especially in the blueprint picture, you can see other buildings reflected in the windows. The mood that I was trying to convey in this picture was a sense of uniqueness, and difference. I don't think I have ever seen a building with the same materials or structure as this building, and I definitely wanted to show that. Also, I wanted to have variety between the locations that I choose, and I knew this would definitely bring it. One success that I had during this process was definitely how the blueprint turned out. I really liked how clearly the outlines of each brick added to the picture, as well as the depth of the windows. One challenge that I had while taking these pictures is that every time I would try and focus in on the brick, the angle I would use made the building look very two dimensional and boring. I have to say, that this building took me a lot of chances and trial and error to get it right, but overall I like the angles that I choose, and I think they look pretty good overall.
Zion Lutheran Church:
Again, I don't have any personal ties to this building, although I often pass it on the way to other places. When I heard that we had to do architecture pictures, I knew that this would be the place to do it, because of how sophisticated the visual appeal was. The main thing that drew me in to this building was the detail on the columns. Personally, I really like columns, because I think it brings a lot to the front of a building, and makes it look very architecturally sound. I also think that it makes the building have a older vibe, which I really like because it makes it stand out more and be more memorable. Another thing that I really liked about this building is the doors. I think the bright red brought a lot of contrast, and the handles brought a little more pop. Also the fact that there are three sets of doors made it very fun to take different angles, because I could make the pictures look so different so easily. The overall mood that I was trying to give off with these pictures, was the grand and sophisticated feel, because to me, this felt more like an old house or mansion than a church, which I think is interesting because it tells a story. The main success that I had was including a lot of detail to my pictures and finding many angles to take them from. The main challenge I had was trying to take the pictures without getting the road in them, but I think I got passed that for the most part.