May 23, 2025 - I recently discovered an intriguing black and white photo competition hosted by the Decode Gallery in Tucson, Arizona, via my Facebook Feed. Their business model, which involves ongoing competitions with entry fees, caught my attention. As a submission-based photography gallery, Decode aims to provide fine art photographers with opportunities to showcase their work. I submitted 10 images ($45 total) and am hopeful to have my photography featured in the upcoming show taking place in July. I commend Decode Gallery for their ability to sustain a business while promoting international photography. Entries close May 23, and 26 images will be selected for the show, with results announced by June 6. Here is one of the images I submitted.
May 20, 2025 - For many years, I worked in the Doctors Building at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It was an old, tired, industrial looking building along McCallie Ave. I was on the 3rd floor and usually entered on the back side of the building. But there was one intriguing thing that always caught my attention - its windows! For some reason, they decided to put cement sills under each window, which created a symmetrical pattern that cast long shadows in the bright afternoon sun. Though this image was taken on an overcast day, I took this looking up from the street and love how the window sills create not only a pattern, but have a weathered look about them. It’s creates a unique texture against the brick. Building stories one frame at a time!
May 16, 2025 - Sitting along West Main Street in Belleville, IL (where I live) is the The Harp Pub. It’s easily recognizable from a distance because the building is painted bright, vivid yellow. It’s a fantastic structure that’s been undergoing renovations for some time (due to open in late Spring 2025?). Click here for a history of the building and the latest update. I’ve visited The Harp many times to photograph its unique character from the street view and sides to capture every angle. However, with the image below, I wanted to zero in on the contrasty yellow and black colors complimented by the brickwork, shadows, and electrical line running across the image. It’s a simple photo with clean lines, but compelling with all of those textural elements combined. Building stories on frame at a time!
May 12, 2025 - So I’ve been thinking about architectural photography (AP) and why it’s so compelling. Architectural photography is interesting because it doesn’t just show buildings, it really shows them off. It’s like seeing a building’s hidden personality through its details, angles, lighting, and of course textures, making everyday structures look amazing. Plus, it’s a way to remember how a structure looked historically at a moment in time. Also, architectural photography can make you feel something, whether it’s the grandeur of a huge building or the simple beauty of one of its tiniest details. Basically, architectural photography is about making a portrait of buildings. That’s what makes architectural photography so worthwhile.
May 9, 2025 - The tagline for Architexturefotos.com is ‘building stories one frame at a time’. I use that because I truly believe buildings and structures have a story to tell. As noted on the homepage of the site, buildings tell compelling stories, not only through their architecture, but also through the textures etched into their surfaces. I created the site to be a visual celebration of the captivating world where architecture and textures collide. This notion was reinforced in a recent blog post I read from SleekLens - ‘Getting an understanding of your subject will innately add more meaning to your photographs and allow you, as the photographer, to appreciate your subject more as well. A lot of these buildings hold historical meanings within their walls and have made their fair contribution to history.’ Our photography should help convey the stories buildings tell with a deep appreciation for the textures etched into their surfaces.
