East of Cobo Center
Polk Penguin Conservation Center at the Detroit Zoo
The Corner Bar at Ford Field, Detroit
Studio Control Center at the Detroit Art School
Chene Park Amphitheater, Detroit
Atrium at La-Z-Boy World Headquarters
Renaissance High School, Detroit
Northfield Health Center, Northfield
Lobby at the Detroit Heart Hospital
Detroit Art School
Riverside Apartments, Detroit
Lobby at Agro-Culture Headquarters, St. Johns, MI
Boardroom at Agro-Culture Headquarters, St. Johns, MI
La-Z-Boy World Headquarters, Monroe, MI
Detroit Medical Center Heart Hospital
Parking Garage at the Detroit Medical Center Heart Hospital
Detroit skyline from the Detroit Medical Center
Beaumont Hospital Center for Natural Birth
Parking Garage at the Detroit Medical Center
Quicken Loans, Detroit
Shed Three at Eastern Market, Detroit
Jefferson Science Center at Eastern Michigan University
Gerald R. Ford Internation Airport, Grand Rapids
Madison Building, Detroit (renovation project)
Madison Building, Detroit (renovation project)
Innovation Institute at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit
Jefferson Science Center at Eastern Michigan University
Brody Hall at Michigan State University
Romulus Athletic Center, Romulus
Brody Hall at Michigan State University
Rosa Parks Transit Center, Detroit
Clarkston Medical Building
GG Brown Engineering Building at the University of Michigan
Student Center at Wayne State University
Atrium at La-Z-Boy World Headquarters, Monroe
Haworth World Headquarters, Holland, MI
Haworth World Headquarters, Holland, MI
Haworth World Headquarters, Holland, MI
Detroit skyline at twilight
These images from the Agree Realty photography project that I did for Biddison Architecture are two of the more complicated interiors images that I produced as part of the overall project. This very stylish kitchen and dining space presented a couple of technical challenges. Number 1 was the blue LED lighting strip that runs the length of the far wall. When exposures were made based on the ambient light level of the room, the LEDs were well beyond the dynamic range of any camera sensor or film. Also, the intensity of the LEDs cast blue spill light throughout the room. While this looks very natural in person, in photographs this blue spill is exaggerated and becomes overwhelming, filling the space with blue light. The second challenge was to maintain detail in the dark wood on the refrigerator, lower cabinets, island and stools.
In order to properly expose the LEDs and avoid blue spill light from contaminating the neutral colors of the space I used multiple captures. First the room lights were turned off and captures were made for the blue LEDs. Next, the blue LEDs were turned off and captures were made with the room lights turned on. The final captures were made using flash to light the dark wood paneling and stools. A Gossen ColorPro 3F color meter and a color checker were used during image capture to insure accurate color rendering. All captures were color balanced in Adobe Lightroom before final compositing in Photoshop. In post production we restored just enough of the blue reflections and spill light to provide a realistic look.
Biddison Architecture did a great job in transforming a tired and dated building into a beautiful and comfortable headquarters for Agree Realty. Biddison Architecture received an AIA Detroit Honor Award for the Agree Realty headquarters project.
Agree Realty kitchen
Kitchen at Agree Realty Headquarters.
I photographed the Ann Street Parking Deck in Ann Arbor, Michigan in early November for Walker Parking Consultants and the SLAM Collaborative. This parking deck sits on the north side of Ann Street with the entrance/exits on the south side of the building. Across from the parking deck on the south side of Ann Street is the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building.
My clients needed the photographs as soon as possible and could not wait until summer. In November there is never a time when the entire south face of the parking deck illuminated by the sun; there is always some shadow from the Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building.
This made the twilight photographs even more important than usual.
Had there not been a rush for the photography I would have scheduled the shoot for a sunny day in June or July. Arriving 45 minutes before sunrise to do the morning twilight photographs, I would then shoot throughout the day as the sun moved across the sky. My 18-hour day would end with the evening twilight photographs.
Architectural photographers are often called on to produce photographs under less than ideal conditions. Being able to do this is what separates a professional architectural photographer from the amateurs.
Ann Street Parking Deck at twilight
Detail of the Ann Street Parking Deck.
November afternoon sun with shadows on the east end of the building.
Two interior photographs of the of the reception area at One Haworth Center in Holland, Michigan. Both of these photographs were shot on the same evening during a three-day interior and exterior photography shoot. The 2 photographs were taken about an hour apart during a period when I was exploring the reception area for interesting images. This was a great project for an interior photographer! It is a beautiful and interesting building and I was given full, unrestricted 24-hour access to the space during the three days that I was shooting there.
Because Haworth is know for the quality and design of their office furniture, it was only natural that the design of their new facility reflect that same sense of high quality and cutting edge design. Turner Construction and Perkins+Will Architects worked together to produce and incredible workspace that is as beautiful as it is functional. Photography by architectural photographer Curt Clayton. ClaytonStudio.com
The Chene Park Amphitheater photography project was part of a multi-building architectural photography project for along time client. I was given a list of seven buildings that had been completed years before but that, for some reason, they had never commissioned photography. Any architectural photographer in Detroit is familiar with Chene Park and the Chene Park Amphitheater. Built in the late 90’s, the Chene Park Amphitheater is a popular concert venue and is also used for graduation ceremonies by many Detroit High Schools. I wanted to provide my client with an architectural photograph that was visually arresting. I scouted the site to determine the best vantage points and then returned on a sunny Saturday morning to do the sunlit photographs. While I felt that these would be nice I knew that night photographs would capture the true feel of the amphitheater. I checked the Chene Park theater schedule of concert dates and then watched the weather. The forecast looked good for the evening of June 25 when Marcus Miller & Jose James would be performing. With sunset at 9:15 I arrived at 9:00pm to set and wait for the best light. About 30 minutes after sunset the sky took on a purplish hue and I watched while the stage lighting cycled through reds, oranges and blue. The blue looked best and contrasted well with the green grass and the orange sodium vapor lamps at the far left and right of the scene. Just before the sky lost its color I made the final digital captures. I think that that my Night Photography of Detroit’s Chene Park Amphitheater project was a success.
Detroit’s Chene Park Amphitheater at night
