Infinite Ways to Photograph Anything

Geometric Black and White

There are many subjects in this world that have been photographed over and over and over again. Some of these include the Eiffel Tower, Millennium Park, Marina City, the Roman Coliseum, the Parthenon, and many more. 

It's easy to be fooled into thinking that because one subject has been photographed so many times that there's no need to photograph again or that one can't bring a new perception to said subject but I would argue that there is an infinite ways to bring a new vision to something that has been seen so many times.  

The building shown in this photo I have photographs so many times before but there are so many ways to photograph it that I am compelled to shoot it again and again.

I once posted, on Twitter, that sometimes the best shot is behind you. While walking down a street I've walked down many times, a building a shot many times, with the sun and light exactly how I've seen it many time, the green light changed and in one serendipitous moment, I turned and saw this familiar building in a very unfamiliar way. 

Shot on iPhone 6s

Metropolitan Correctional Center

MCC

It is a building that is oddly compelling given its function within Chicago. I have aspired to photograph the Metropolitan Correctional Center for some time and it hasn't been easy. What is in my mind for how to capture its design would require me to acquire permits and that, as it is a government building, sounds challenging.

Having gone out to photograph an entirely different subject, I decided to walk down to the MCC for a brief scout. I had no intentions of finding a shot I wanted but the light, like Shadow and Light (Art Deco Mountain) was just was what I needed to see.

It is funny how you go out, perhaps only partially successfully, to shoot one thing and end up finding something entirely different to photograph.

Shadow and Light

Art Deco Mountain

Certainly, one of the most important aspects in photography is learning how to control light and when to use shadow. These two elements can so dramatically change the mood and even the entire appearance of the subject to the extent that the subject may not be recognizable.

“It is the photographing of ordinary things, in extraordinary light, which results in extaordinary photographs.”

— David Young