A Year in Photos

Photography, fiction, and personal essays form my three primary creative outlets. For this blog's first 18 months, I used it primarily for photography. As I've returned to creative writing, I'll use this blog for fiction, too. Sometimes, when reality needs to be discussed more than truth, I write personal essays.

This blog will continue to showcase as many above-average photos as I can muster. Hopefully my written work will be as good or better than the visual. Whichever drew you here -- photographs or fiction, I hope you enjoy both.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

I have an Infinity Complex

Admitting it is the first step. Actually, this post is a study of The Infinity Complex in San Francisco. This is a neat complex with two spears and two shorter structures. I think it's residential, but I'm not certain. Stick around at the end for a couple of added bonuses. For many of the building shots I used lens distortion correction to bring the building back to proper proportions and unsharp mask layers (made somewhat transparent) to correct for the foggy, rainy day. The weather on Friday was awful and I spent a lot of time taking the UV filter off the lens because it had gotten rain on it. That's what a UV filter is for though: keeping rain and dirt off the lens so you can shoot clean.


Stepping off the Muni at Fulsom, I decided to open the roll with a Bay Bridge shot. It was shrouded in fog, like sleeping in on a winter day, wrapped in a comforter. The Bay Bridge's best public vantage point along Embarcadero is at Fulsom. From the Muni stop I also took a quick establish shot of the Infinity Complex.


The brick building in front, next to or perhaps part of the Hills Brothers Coffee building, is a wonderful structure with great angles and a simply great design: nothing unneeded, and nothing left needed.


Arquitectonica has designed some of the most visually appealing buildings in the world. The United States Federal Courthouse in Miami, The Gate in Abu Dhabi, and the Westin Hotel in Times Square are three notable examples. Arquitectonica and Heller Manus Architects designed The Infinity Complex and it is a striking addition to the San Francisco skyline. It would have been interesting to learn their design intent for this project, too.


I am not super thrilled with the coloration here. Very brown. And the photo isn't noteworthy enough to bend over backwards adjusting the curves. Included here to show a shorter side of The Infinity.


A nice example of barrel distortion in this shot. Interesting Infinity Complex factoid: During foundation excavation the construction company discovered a 19th-century whaling ship. I imagine that did the construction schedule no favors.


I removed a couple of light poles from this shot, but other than that it's pretty close to straight off the negative. Probably the best shot from a technical perspective on the roll. I was able to get it by climbing on top of a fence, holding my camera way above my head, and pointing it at the building. It was almost level, too. And sharp considering it was f11 or f16 and a fairly long exposure time (1/30th or 1/60th.)


Even when shooting a building, it's important to take time to photograph some flowers.


Have a good weekend!

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