Mar 30, 2025 - Recently, I did a walkabout in my hometown, Belleville, Illinois, to capture some of its unique architecture. It was one of those days when the midday sun created really challenging, high-contrasty shadows. While I was out shooting, I stumbled upon the Cathedral of Saint Peter, which is located near the city center. It’s an amazing building with so many unique and rich architextural characteristics. I took this image of a side entrance and love the way the light filtered through its archways and illuminated the side wall of the building. It was truly remarkable, a moment of unexpected beauty during my walk. 

Mar 28, 2025 - Today is the official launch of Architexturefotos. I will be sharing the new site on my social media and with all of who have helped to support my photography over the years. I’m really excited about this project and the possibilities it will bring. Architexturefotos gives me an outlet to share my photographic passion and serves as a visual intersection with others who also enjoy architectural photography. I have big plans to grow the site and add more images that feature the intersection of architecture and textures. Here’s to the new site focused on building stories, one frame at a time!    

Mar 22, 2025 - Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about the items that run through my head as I’m taking photos of buildings and structures.  For me, it boils down to four “L” words - Look, Level, Light, and Lines.  I plan on making a short video about this, but wanted to comment on each one here.  First up is LOOK.  There is something about the building that initially caught my attention.  What is it?  Take a moment to look around the structure to zero in on the details.  Keep in mind, the building is stationary and isn’t moving anytime soon, so really look at what you’re shooting so can you capture the structure’s character.  Next is LEVEL.  As you pull the camera to your eye, is this a landscape/horizontal photo or will it be a portrait/vertical shot?  If the building is wider than taller, it should be a landscape.  If taller than wider, then a portrait.  All of this is true unless you’re honing in on a particular feature of the building (doors, windows, etc).  Next is LIGHT.  Consider the time of day/year, where the light is coming from, natural or man-made, and whether the light is above, behind, on the sides, in front, or behind you as the photographer.  All will have implications for how the light illuminates the structure.  Finally are the LINES.  All images have lines that lead the eye through an image.  Are they straight, curvy, vertical, or horizontal?   Do they create some sort of pattern or symmetry?   Try and capture how the lines accentuate the character of the building.  The four “L”s are a framework for shooting architecture that rattles through my mind and I look forward to discussing and exploring them in greater detail here on the site.  More to come!  

Mar 15, 2025 - I’ve been working on the website continuously for the past month or so, but I still have plenty of loose ends to take care of. However, I’m traveling over the next week, which will give me a good break and a pair of fresh eyes when I return. That will allow me a couple of weeks to make the final touches before I ‘officially’ communicate about the site’s existence. Speaking of which, if all goes as planned, I’m eyeing March 28, 2025 (my birthday!) as the ribbon cutting date. I’m excited to see how the site has taken shape, the many people I’ve interacted with already, the ideas that keep flowing, and the future plans I have for Architexturefotos. Stay tuned! Much more to come and will update the blog once I return from my travels.

Mar 12, 2025 - I created Architexturefotos because I love taking portraits of buildings and capturing their character. There’s something about this type of photography that resonates with me.  So what are my goals and what do I hope to achieve with the site?  (1) To capture the character of buildings showcasing the textures etched in their surfaces, (2) To connect with fellow photographers igniting a passion for architectural photography, (3) To create tutorials with tips, tricks, and techniques for photographing architecture, and (4) To cultivate an appreciation for architectural photography as a distinct and creative niche.  All of this is underscored with the tagline … ‘building stories, one frame at a time!’