It may seem I’ve spent a lot of time at the Walton Arts Center lately, well, you’d be right, but every minute was a pleasure. To be a part, in my small way, of something so great for NWA and Fayetteville, was such an honor. Part of being a photographer is the privilege to go and see things that I would normally not have the opportunity. The Walton Arts Center took on a huge task in 2016 of renovating the facility to give more people the opportunity to be a part of it’s shows and events. One way they did this was to expand the front ‘lobby’ considerably with large window walls so that not only could the people inside enjoy the view but that the people enjoying Dickson St could be a part of the events by simply passing by.
Twilight photography is my favorite for architecture. It takes considerable more time but so worth it and rewarding with the results for the client and myself. The building pops and gives a surreal feel through transforming the reality of what is normally scene. The colors are more vivid the contrast of the interior against a dark sky gives for a very inviting feel. This accomplishes the goal of making the viewer want to visit the location and be a part.
Now for the technical side. This particular twilight photo of the exterior was one of my favorites but also the most time consuming. I have included below a “normal” view (what it looks like in normal view) compared to my finished image compiled of several photographs and eliminating distractions, how ever minor they may be. Remember those pictures in the paper that challenged you to find how man differences you could find? Just to name a few things, reflections on glass walls, proper color temperature of building and sidewalk, replacing bare trees and grass, images showing proper exposure of interior, cleaning shadows and marks on sidewalk and sky background properly exposed. To say those things in one sentence is easy, but many hours of dedication were put into the final image. I enjoyed the process because I knew what the final image would represent and be viewed and enjoyed by thousands of people across the country.