This building covers an entire city block, designed by Murphy/Helmut Jahn architects and one of the weirder buildings in the city. Architecture buffs can find more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_R._Thompson_Center
This is HDR, three images, taken with a 14mm lens which is what causes the distortion. The HDR is not over-processed as the building actually looks like this. I'm standing on the lower lever in the atrium, looking up toward the dome. If you read the Wikipedia article, you won't be surprised, I suspect to learn that when it opened (in 1985), it had really mixed reviews representing the full gamut from wonderful to horrid.
Thanks for your lovely comments on the cathedral doorway image, and on my grandson's bowtie!
Your architecture images are truly unique,Taffy.The attention to detail and the post processing work ,give each image a sense of grandeur.Nobody does it like you.FAV.Also,I love your HDR look .Most HDR I have seen looks very....I don't have a word....like the texture of concrete maybe? Yours on the other hand just enhances the texture .
Your captures are always awesome, but this time, seeing a building I knew nothing about, I'm a bit like those people who first saw it in '85. I certainly don't think it's "horrid" but to my eye, it's not aesthetically "beautiful" either. One does have to respect the architect and builders for pulling all these bits and pieces together I have a lot of respect for artists who "stretch" and dare to be different. It's just that when architects do it, it's so "Big"! I really must see this for myself sometime!
Unique is the only word I can come with to describe the design of this building! Your POV and lens choice dramatically enhance and distort the lines and floor tiles. Yes, I agree it's weird and wild! Awesome shot!
Looks like there is quite a mixture of ideas in the building...very well captured with your wide angle lens. Lovely clarity and sharpness. (Being a night owl again, are you?)
Cool shot, I went there and remember finding it so difficult to know what to focus on or even to get enough of it in shot, but this composition works really well with the patterns on the floor leading the eye into the rest of the shot. Is that odd black and white sculpture still outside? I had fun shooting that.
Wow what an incredible building - I can imagine the shock horror there would have been in the '80s. Great architectural shot along with wonderful procesing makes this an awsome shot!! Fav!!
That is such an interesting building and must be quite a sight in person. I love your pov which shows the expanse of that beautiful floor and the person helps with the scale.
Really good. My eye is drawn through the image, all the colours and shapes work so well together and don't compete for attention but work so well to present a whole balanced image. Fav
@888rachel I prefer using a tripod, but most of the architecture shots I've done lately were in situations where I didn't have or couldn't use the tripod. I'm getting better at bracing myself and holding still, I think. But, given a choice, I'd use a tripod and remote shutter release.
I love all of the lines and the sense of the buildings immensity. It's kind of a peculiar building, and for whatever reason it reminds me of the Super Mario Bros movie from the early 90s, but I think that you did a really great job capturing its quirkiness.
Fantastic way to feature this place. Makes me want to visit soon. The person in the photo gives it the ideal sense of scale as wonderment as he gazes upward.
@olivetreeann I have to agree, Ann. It's not one of my favorites for looking at, but did it ever give me a lot to choose for photographing! i could spend a week posting the different POVs, except it's such an over the top building that it isn't one of my favorites.
Wow! This is a great POV! This is such a gorgeous building and it it's rarely seen in its totality on the inside. Wonderful and Fav! See you in June Chicago!
@pplutz Have a great time on your visit here! I hope you have time to do some photo walks. If you are here on a Saturday night, I just saw the most amazing fireworks over Navy Pier on our ride home from dinner tonight. If only we'd had time to stop!
@panthora Hi Osia! Thanks for the views and kind comments tonight! I always look forward to 'seeing' you in my feed and viewing your work. Totally behind at the moment, but will catch up over the next few weeks once on Beaver Island. And yes, this is an HDR shot using photomatix to combine them, and a 'natural' preset with some tweaks.
