City Walk + Christmas + Architectural Photographer = Insight

Birmingham City Walk Architectural photography

Christmas Eve in Birmingham

I found myself walking around downtown Birmingham on Christmas Eve. I realized that I neglected to really pay attention to how the city changes around the holiday season. There are always the obvious changes when it comes to decorating for Christmas. You have your trees, snowflakes, string lights, wreaths etc. I personally have only celebrated Christmas 3 times in my life so far. I was raised Muslim but deviated from the faith when I was a teenager. I didn't grow up watching Christmas movies, making cookies and giving out gifts (at least not until Eid). As a result, Christmas was always just a time of year and it passed rather quickly. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas lights, and a stunning Christmas tree leaves a big impression on anyone, but I never appreciated this time of year fully. If you have read any of my other blog posts, you'll know that a big theme is observing and appreciating what is right there. I specialize in architectural photography. As an architectural photographer in Birmingham, I should have been paying more attention to how spaces transform during the holidays, and found ways to appreciate it. City Walk was the perfect place for me to think about this. 

City Walk + Architectural Photographer = New Perspective

I was actually downtown to scout different locations in winter light. That was when I realized small differences in many locations. Apartment buildings had changed the color of their logos, local business had wreaths and lights adorning their exteriors, and City Walk had a quiet and sincere feeling to it. I had parked by City Walk to get to the Birmingham Museum of Art (check out my last post on it). I always wanted to, and still do, want to make a series on City Walk. When I was walking back to my car I thought to myself "As an architectural photographer, why not just try and get one photo during Christmas Eve?". The timing was nearly perfect. As an architectural photographer, you learn the constraints of twilight photography very well. The window of opportunity to get a good shot is not a large one, and you usually have an idea of what composition you will use prior to taking a shot. I had none of these advantages for this shot except for the knowledge that twilight was nearly over and I had no idea what I wanted to shoot. Rushing to find a subject, I noticed how quiet it was. There was nobody there except for a city worker taking out the trash. I walked over near the skate park and the scene felt obvious. Empty benches, an empty booth and the curving road above, allowing the sky to peek through. As an architectural photographer, I am not very happy with this photo, but I do think it is worth talking about. I learned to take things in, not to shun different looks, and above all, not letting perfect be the enemy of good. I was able to grow from taking this photo despite the fact that it was just okay. Not every photo can have a production look to it if it isn't being produced! 

So What Will You Do With This?

I think it would be worth it to take photos of the same spaces at various times of the year. An architectural photographer will sometimes hone their skills by choosing a subject and conducting a light study. That means observing the space in various lighting conditions, at various times of day and really paying attention to how it transforms your subject. I have never thought to do this, but we have plenty of public spaces in Birmingham that I could do this same thing for at various times of day, at various times of year. It might not lead to anything, but I do believe that the way we decorate our spaces inform our feelings, and architectural photography is all about capturing those feelings that permeate through concrete, light, wood and tile.