Week 6 of the Intro to Architecture Series Class was the final class where we went out to shoot. Week 7, the final week, wrapped up with an image share/critique, post-processing and printing of images made during the previous 6 weeks.
For this final location, we headed to the James R. Thompson Center. A super challenging location to shoot. It’s extremely chaotic, so pushing yourself to create a series of images that works together can be a bit tough.
I started by focusing on the least chaotic area in the building; the tile floor on the lower level. I shot from the first floor and focused on the floor’s pattern. While shooting, I had in mind that during the editing process I would take the image and flip it horizontally to create a diptych. A very basic, yet effective, way to create a series of two when working with the right subject. That’s what you see as the header image and below.

The next series of images I headed to the second floor and did a few look-up shots of the balconies. Two images show the reflections a bit stronger and the other two are a bit less reflective. Yet, they all play off of each other. I also felt like the underside of the stairs looked like lego blocks, so I wanted to focus on the stacking feeling of the balconies.

This has been a fun class to teach; seeing the students progress each week is exciting. I love how, despite all of us shooting from the same location, we all come away with something unique.
You definitely see what each person is drawn to and aspects of their personality come out through their images. It’s especially fascinating when a student ends up creating work in a similar style from week to week. Which is exactly the point in pushing yourself to create series, even in this basic way – one location at a time.
When you do this, you really do start to notice themes and styles from one week to the next. It’s far easier to begin picking up on this when you’re consistent in getting out to shoot. Some of us are disciplined enough to do this on our own, others find taking a class like this helpful. Plus it’s fun to see how others captured the same space.
If you feel the same way, I’ll be teaching this class again in the spring, beginning March 10 – click here for all the details! Would love to see you there!