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Category Archives: Architecture

A Missed Opportunity…A Lesson Learned

I was walking downtown Roanoke recently and on a side street I spotted this interesting store-front and thought “photo op.” Out of the corner of my eye to the right I spot a bearded guy dressed VERY casually about to pass through the scene I was composing. I made a decision to wait until he’d passed from view, because my rationale at the time was that he’d mess up the composition by being a distraction. How wrong I was. Each time I now look at this photo I think how much more interesting it would have been had I captured this interesting person passing in front of this equally interesting store-front. I can see him being on the left side of the image, about to walk out of the composition; but alas, that’s not to be. A missed opportunity but most definitely a lesson learned.

 
 

The Roanoke Hotel in the Blue Ridge Mountains

This is not the first time I have posted images I made outside and inside the beautiful Hotel Roanoke, which is located directly across the street from the old Roanoke Norfolk & Western Train Station. Considering that in earlier times hundreds of train passengers arrived from places near and far, having this large, warm and inviting hotel within walking distance was most welcome. Today, the hotel is mainly home to the popular Roanoke Conference Center, and many come for a day while others come for several. You can see the hotel from a long ways off as you drive along the main highway through the city…and its unique design fits well into the Blue Ridge Mountain region. The hotel has a partnership with Virginia Tech and while I have not been there on a day when the football Hokies are playing in nearby Blacksburg, I bet the place is pretty lively before, during and after the game. Here are three images I made there recently, and each is the sort you will not see on a typical tourist postcard.

The stucco design of the hotel is beautiful.

As you come near the main entryway, there are these inviting rocking chairs sitting in a row.

And lastly, this is the scene that you will see as soon as you walk inside. That’s the registration desk at the right rear. I really liked the paintings along the ceiling.

 
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Posted by on May 22, 2012 in Architecture, Photo Stories

 

Spires to the Sky

These type churches always make for a nice photo.

 
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Posted by on May 7, 2012 in Architecture

 

Smokestack

Two perspective views of a very tall smokestack I saw recently. I liked the brickwork and the “shine” the sun put on them.

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2012 in Architecture

 

Under the Bridge

View of a early 1900s steel truss bridge from the top, and from underneath. I liked the way the sun shined through the bridge deck grating onto the river below. It’s always nice to get a couple of views of objects you photograph…might find something really different…as I did here.

 
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Posted by on May 3, 2012 in Architecture

 

Storybook House

I keep finding…and photographing…Victorian-style homes I find near where we live. This one is in Eden, NC and to me it looked like some sort of kids “storybook” house…full of nice people, pets and happiness. I really liked the colors.

 
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Posted by on April 19, 2012 in Architecture

 

Color or B&W?

While visiting the NC Museum of Transportation, I went inside a massive building originally used to perform maintenance on trains. It seemed even larger than it was because it was mostly empty, although visitors were limited to where they can walk. The steel beams and supporting structure, plus the large windows designed to let in as much natural light as possible were impressive. I can’t decide which version I like best…color of B&W. I lean toward the latter. How about you?

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2012 in Architecture, Transportation

 

Victorian Style Home Beauty

There are few homes in the United States today that reflect the beauty and architectural intricacy of the Victorian-style homes of Danville, Virginia. Many of these located in Danville’s Main Street Historical District have been or are now being restored to their original look, and being able to make photographs of them is a real treat…for me. Here’s a mix of close-up views in addition to a whole house view.

 
 

Which way does the wind blow

Here’s a small collection of weather vanes I’ve seen on tops of structures nearby our home in SW Virginia. The last one is definitely the best…but they all pretty much work the same way.

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2012 in Architecture

 

Brickwork

As an engineer I am always interested in architectural design, especially when churches are involved. Perhaps that’s because there are so many churches around to view, or perhaps it’s the spiritual value of what I see. Whatever the reasons, I like making photographs of churches. These two are located in Danville, Virginia and what I was especially interested in was the brickwork involved in the construction…especially the first. It was the narrow steeple that caught my eye with the second. I’m pretty happy with these two images and am again amazed at the detail my new Panasonic GX1 camera captures from so far away. Click each image to enlarge.

 
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Posted by on March 28, 2012 in Architecture

 
 
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