Manchester
15th May 2013
My great passion in photography is obviously landscape but I do try my hands at a few other things from time to time.
Architectural record photography is an exacting discipline and if I was working on somebodies payroll then I would take more trouble about correct perspective and converging verticals, I used to do it all the time with my old 5x4 camera.
Having said that I do enjoy a slightly more pictorial approach to photographing buildings and having seen some pictures of John Ryland’s Library in the centre of Manchester, I had been thinking of a visit for some time when I was invited by Stockport Photographic Society to a model shoot in Castlefields not far way.
A little research before my visit flagged up the fact that while photography is allowed the use of tripods normally is not.
A little rooting around turned out a bean bag that I made some time ago for just such occasions and off I went.
A very helpful member of staff, by the name of Wayne, kindly allowed me escorted access to the upper balcony which produces some very good viewpoints and there were many architectural details that I could have taken better shots of with a tripod but the windows were bright enough to hand hold of course.
My favourite shot of the day came from the stairwell with the camera lying on it’s back in a very precarious position while I set up the image using my 6D’s WiFi connection to an iPad.
It’s not often that I say that a particular cameras technology is essential to the making of a shot but I’m really not sure how I could have made this image any other way.
For the Architectural purists I doubt if there is a correct vertical to be found but to me it captures the Victorian Gothic madness of this building perfectly.
It’s a fabulous place which I’m sure I will visit again but hopefully I can negotiate my way in with a tripod next time.
Sadly the model shoot was plagued with poor weather but I did get this shot of Laura in a sheltered position on a bridge which I was quite pleased with.
