Lines and Patterns

Normally, including a cloudy sky in a photograph is not advisable because it will normally record as a bright featureless area that is distracting and unappealing. But, there are times when that is exactly the kind of sky you need to make an interesting photograph. On a trip to Austin, Texas, a couple of years ago, I noticed these steel beams supporting the glass roof of my hotel in Austin, Texas. I was intrigued with the lines and patterns the beams created and thought they would make for an interesting subject. But, to emphasize those lines and patterns, I needed to photograph them against a solid sky.  While any sky of even tonality would have worked, I really needed a cloudy sky to help prevent reflections and glare from the surrounding buildings. On my final day in Austin, I finally got my overcast sky and was able to photograph this section of beams. To further focus attention on the subject lines and patterns, I converted the image to black and white to eliminate the blue tones contained in the original color image. I hand held the camera, and my settings were 170mm, 1/250 sec, f/3.5, 200 ISO.

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