The Cultural Center was another stop for the Intro to Architecture Series class I taught at Chicago Photography Classes last month. I’ve photographed most of my class locations many times, which can make it challenging to come up with something new. As I’ve mentioned in other posts related to this class, I find it far easier to see in a new way when I set restrictions. On this visit I used my 70-300mm lens and drew my attention to the details of the space, on both the north and south sides of the second floor. It helps that the Cultural Center is filled with so many intricate details and each side of the building has its own unique atmosphere.
I tend to prefer the south side of the building, it’s a little lighter and I like the whiter marble and the greens and blues in the mosaic. I wanted to create images centered on the building’s details, as well as create a layering effect within each frame.



 
The north side of the building has a bit of a darker atmosphere and more golden hues. Here, I focused on the stained glass dome and ceiling detail around it. This time my compositions were shot straight on, in a very direct manner.