26.08.2015

Architecture: the perspectives and spirals of my vision.

26.08.2015

Architecture: the perspectives and spirals of my vision.

“In the street, it seems to me as though everything is written. The city is the architecture of writing” JMG Le Clézio

photo 1

[Kupka lane or Japan Bridge in La Défense – Paris ]

Architecture, defined as broadly as possible, occupies a prominent place in my gallery, and also on Instagram.
I really became interested in architecture thanks to Instagram. I’ve always been fond of it, but really it’s Instagram that opened up architecture in its many forms and its international diversity. I’ve discovered on Instagram some incredible buildings that I dream about visiting now!
Early on in my account, I started to photograph Montpellier’s historic center under all its guises… Street perspectives have taught me to frame a shot and sharpen my eye. And I realized that I loved graphic and symmetrical photographs.

photo 2

[ avenue Foch – Montpellier ]

Then I started to take pictures in the metro … In Paris, Barcelona, Lyon and Marseille, for example, and this has become one of the common threads throughout my gallery. One more common thread.
Taking pictures of the ordinary metro and making it beautiful is really fun and people comment by saying, “hey, that’s my metro…I never thought of taking pictures like those! That’s what Instagram is all about too, transforming what is ordinary and showing its photogenic side. So open your eyes!

photo 3

[ with @ptiote21 Auber station- Paris ]

For metro photos, my favorite hashtag is #killtheunderground … It’s used around the world, particularly in London, New York, Stockholm, and Moscow. (They are the metro systems I dream of taking photos of!) For me, the metro is the ideal place to take photos, and between vanishing points and the special ambiance of the place, there will be plenty of options!

photo 4

[ with @mikejfox Châtelet station before construction work – Paris ]

There is a lot of architecture on Instagram, as we said above, and there are a lot of communities that have been created.
@archdaily @geometryclub @sky_high_architecture and also @rustlord_archdesign @ic_architecture @archilovers to name a few of the many and diverse communities I know.
The advantage of putting community hashtags out on Instagram is that it gives you more visibility. Some communities will showcase a lot of pictures, so that can give your photos more visibility. Then you’ll gain followers if those accounts are very popular, and you can discover accounts with photo styles that you really like.

photo 5

[ Saint Exupery train station in Lyon with @i_trema_a – architect Santiago Calatrava Valls ]

I follow a lot of architecture accounts because I love that type of photography… My favorites are @nathill @justtigaa @crisgravin @jabbourjoseph @mike_n5 @eskimo and lots of others.
Everyone has a different style, and I never get tired of their incredible photos. And as I said in an earlier article, it is very inspiring to follow their accounts with their unique views of the world.

photo 6

[ city hall of Montpellier with @romdilon – architect Jean Nouvel ]

Little by little, discovering new perspectives and new places has become one of my favorite games! And over time, after metro stations and street scenes, I began to take an interest in the architecture of beautiful buildings but also spiral staircases.
It all started more than a year ago, and I could never frame staircase photos, and then I went to the Living Architecture Festival in Montpellier, and that was a true revelation! And I haven’t stopped since! I was lucky enough to visit some magnificent places like the Hotel Martinez in Cannes and some very beautiful hotels in Paris, like the Royal Monceau. It’s magical!

photo 7

[ spirals in Paris with @nathill ]

I have shared this passion with two of my Instagram friends: @nathill and @mikejfox, so now when I get up to Paris, we set out on staircase commando missions!
In my opinion @nathill is the best by far in this area! As for @mikejfox, we let the relaxed side take over, and with people in the stairs, it’s the spiral revisited!

For spiral staircases, the absolute best hashtag is #theworldneedsmorespiralstaircases. It has some marvelous work, so I love to browse through and get my fill!

photo 8

[ spiral staircases in Paris with @mikejfox ]

I discovered hashtag #architectureandpeople and it is truly a hashtag tailor-made for me, because I love to add life to my architectural photos. It gives you a comparative scale and a context. Sometimes you can also create variations, like with #instagrammersdown #tired_portrait and others. It’s up to you to find out what you like. The creative side of Instagram is great … it’s the side that lets you play with everything around you!
That’s right. It’s not just about architecture, but it’s the Instagram take on architecture.

photo 9

[ Pierre and Marie Curie University with @nathill – Paris ]

To edit my architecture photos, I use the indispensable Snapseed, so with the shot, framing is very important. Aiming and centering the shot is of primordial importance. It’s especially important not to hesitate shooting from different angles, trying to see things differently.
Of course, now there are apps to correct the shot.
I think the best one is SKRWT. It lets you really line the shot up, whether vertically or horizontally. You need to try it out so you can figure out how it works, but once you’ve tried it, you’ll be hooked! It will let you correct any lens distortion, and when you love to take symmetrical photos, that is a must!
Snapseed’s latest major update also lets you do that.

Whether in France or around the world, every city abounds with architectural marvels. Architecture is a unique form of expression. Buildings, perspectives, staircases too will tell you a story, so you just have to listen to them…

photo 10

[ Hotel Martinez in Cannes with @mikejfox ]

Sigrid

My name is Sigrid, alias @ettisi on Instagram! I live in Montpellier, in the South of France…But I often have the travel bug. As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to take pictures. I discovered Instagram in 2012, and it opened my eyes to a new way to view the world around me…details from daily life, finding poetry in things that are anything but poetic, recreating my own universe…Instagram lets me express all of that. I can post pictures of the things I perceive and feel. It’s especially great to share them with my followers! Welcome to my little world!

 

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