Earlier this year, I resolved to improve my photographic vision by slowing down, seeing what was around me, and incorporating more photographic design elements into my images. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do just that.
Recently, a couple of co-workers and I traveled to Austin, Texas, on a business trip and, figuring I would have time to do some photography in the evenings, I made sure I took my camera with me. When I checked into the hotel, I began looking around for interesting photographic subjects and soon noticed the steel beams in the lobby’s ceiling. More specifically, what I saw were the lines and patterns the beams were creating.
To shoot this image, I needed a cloudy day because a sunny day would create reflections on the glass windows. Finally, on my last morning in Austin, Mother Nature cooperated with me and provided the cloud cover I needed for the type of subdued lighting I was wanting, and I was finally able to photograph those beams.
By converting the image to black and white, I was able to emphasize the lines and patterns of the beams by eliminating the blue tones contained in the original color image.
Settings: Canon 5D Mk II, 170mm, 1/250 sec, f/3.5