An Afternoon of Building Abstracts

I’ve long admired photographers who specialize in capturing abstraction, pattern, and color contrasts in architecture. Three of my current favorites among the photographers who actively post on Flickr are Hans-Wolfgang Hawerkamp, Jan van der Wolf, and Thomas Lottermoser. Their respective photostreams pop with vibrancy, show a mastery of light and shadow, and illustrate their keen talent for finding geometric beauty amidst man-made surroundings.

Being the photo genre dilettante I am, I try to emulate these kinds of images when visiting building-dense areas, especially when I’m in unfamiliar territory. This past week I was in downtown Pittsburgh with a few hours to kill before I had to retrieve my son from his return trip from the Peach Bowl. Though the densely overcast sky didn’t provide much in the way of dramatic lighting, there were plenty of opportunities to find interesting contrasts and reflections throughout the city.

While I was disappointed with some of the other non-architecture related photos I took during the day, the following abstract photos were among the shots I enjoyed the most after I finished my edits.