The challenge for week five of the 52 week photography project is called “ten shots: technical.” Take ten shots of the same subject from different angles, distances, and focal lengths. After taking the ten pictures of the same subject, I am supposed to choose my favorite to share.
I changed it up a bit for the fifth week of the 52-week photography project. I asked you to choose your favorite from among ten shots.
The subject that I chose is Buffalo’s City Hall. Here is a little information about the building that dominates downtown Buffalo. This 32-story building is one of the tallest buildings in Western New York. It is also one of the largest and tallest municipal buildings in the United States. This art deco building was completed in 1931 by Dietel, Wade, and Jones. John Wade was the chief architect, who designed the building, and George Dietel assisted him.
The building features an observation deck on the top floor. Tours of Buffalo’s City Hall are offered at noon on Monday through Friday.
Only two readers voted, and they disagreed on their favorite. I am breaking the tie and am voting for the fifth image. One of the readers, Cerebrations.biz, wrote a caption for me, which applies to the fifth image, and here it is.
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| So tall you can see Canada
Yes, on a clear day, you can see Canada from the observation tower on the top floor. The view from the observation tower is fantastic.
When you come to visit Buffalo, make sure to take a tour of City Hall. Tours are offered at noon every day but Sunday. The tour takes an hour, and it is not necessary to make reservations.
Here are readers’ comments about the photograph:
Alana: Once again I have no caption for you but I have a favorite – #5. I love Art Deco, and most of the other pictures really didn’t show it off. At the same time, I know how difficult it is to photograph a 32 story building – after all, I grew up in New York City.
Me: In this picture, my goal was to show the entire building while, in the others, I was looking for parts of the building to highlight. Yes, I agree that this is the most effective way to show off Art Deco.
Cerebrations.biz: Five makes it look taller. So, the caption would be, “So tall you can see Canada”.
But, I like the first. Because this New York city enjoys both the US and Canada.
Me: Buffalo is a border city. We are fortunate to have Canada so close. It helps us have a broader perspective on the world. Let’s not close borders or build walls. Let’s not divide people. We need other perspectives to grow and to flourish as human beings. Below is image number one.
Question to you: Tell me about some of the interesting buildings in your community.
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Why, thank you.
And, now that I live in Metropolitan DC, we have a slew of buildings that are famous. But, I also prefer those we don't all know- or wish to avoid.
Like the slave trader buildings I wrote about last week (in Alexandria), the various remaining camps that surrounded the District of Columbia (Washington, and Alexandria, ) that were critical to buttress the US capitol from Southern attacks, the homes that served as hospitals for both Northern and Southern wounder (you should be watching Mercy Street on PBS), the Masonic Temple that is officially OUTSIDE the borders of the original capitol (following the original design of the Washington Monument- or, as my middle child called it- the Washington Pencil…)
Binghamton? Well, there is the Stone Opera House, abandoned years ago and rotting blocks from where I work (thank you for reminding me of this; I am going to rerun the post I did on it in 2013 for Throwback Thursday). George M. Cohan, Edward G. Robinson, and Teddy Roosevelt, among others, visited or performed in that building. There's the New York State Inebriate Asylum, the first institution to treat alcoholism as a disease, which also sits empty. (Locally, it is called "The Castle") There is a lot of history rotting in the Binghamton area – as someone says in a different context, "so sad".
Nice pics. I too love capturing buildings and great architecture. There are very nice and unique structures in San antonio and now that we moved to Colorado, which is a scenic place, nature dominates buildings 🙂