2 Architectural Views — and a bonus

It isn’t often that I find a synergy between two different weekly photo challenges. I like to grab my camera and go on a hunt for the perfect photo, but when that isn’t possible — on days like today — I always find it fun to search through my archives for a photo that I might look at in a different way. Today, I found something that fit not one weekly challenge, but two.

When I saw that Ailsa’s Travel Theme this week was Architecture, I had no idea what I would find in my poorly organized archives, but knew that I shouldn’t have too much difficulty as I like taking photos of buildings, bridges, and sculptural monuments.  When I started to browse, I was thinking of some shots I took a few months ago of Bethesda Terrace in Central Park and an older building with a broken window that I took near The Cloisters.  But, before I even found photos from that trip to NYC, I stumbled across some shots I took a while ago at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Florida.

While this might not be many people’s idea of “architecture“, it is an architectural structure.  When in a wildlife refuge, one would like to not see such signs of modern life, but Sanibel — even though half of the land is devoted to wildlife preserve — is a populated island.   There was long line of these utility poles that stretched out into San Carlos Bay towards the mainland.  On one hand, they are a scar on the face of the natural beauty of the islands.  On the other hand, I find them fascinating to look at, especially up close.

It was fun — though not physically very comfortable — to sit in the gravel at the base of this pole and lean backwards to take this photo.  I have no idea what all of the gadgetry on the pole is for, but I think it makes for some interesting, artistic lines.

Out of Reach

Of course, those artistic lines begged for a close-up.  Since I had wandered out on this deserted service road looking for birds, I had a zoom lens with me.  While the birds weren’t very cooperative, at least the pole wasn’t about to fly away.

Mystery Lines

While I was choosing these images this afternoon, I saw that the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge was to take two views of the same subject.  The two shots I had selected for Ailsa’s challenge fit well with the WordPress Challenge.  I love shooting things from different perspectives.   If you don’t do this routinely, I encourage you to  do this with everything you shoot for the next several days.  It’s a great exercise that will make a big impact on the way you compose your shots.

And the bonus?  The rusted patina of the bolts on the utility tower were intriguing.   Though functional,  I wouldn’t call them architectural.   As for two views, this photo is too detailed to give a hint of the entire subject, so I thought it didn’t really fit into the Two Views theme.  These could have been anywhere; they just happened to be at the base of the tower.

Bolts/Patina

Both of these fun challenges are open to anyone.   Be sure to check out the contributions others have made to these week’s challenge.   Here are just a few:

One Shot, Two Views:

weekly photo challenge: one shot, two ways (plaridel.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: One shot, two ways (travel-monkey.me)
Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot, Two Ways (wordswewomenwrite.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot, Two Ways (ambitiousdrifter.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: One Shot, Two Ways Part II Philadelphia City Hall (iseebeautyallaround.com)

Architecture:

Travel Theme: Architecture (suzie81.wordpress.com)
Travel Theme : Architecture (annarashbrook.wordpress.com)
Architecture Two Ways (canoecommunications.wordpress.com)
Travel Theme: Architecture (beyondpaisley.net)
8-9-13 Travel Theme: Architecture (quotidianhudsonriver.com)