Salt Lake Horizontal
The Salt Lake Temple has such great vertical lines that it's easy to get preoccupied with vertical compositions. I wanted a nice horizontal composition and had to scout around quite a bit to find one I liked. The Temple is surrounded by buildings, trees, and other obstructions that make any composition difficult. The ideal image in my mind's eye was one where the Temple stood out alone, solid and strong, without any major distracting elements.
I spent one evening shooting from near the west side of the south Visitors' Center. While relatively unobstructed, the view is behind the front of the Temple and some of the spires cover up the other ones. I knew I had to include the front of the Temple and capture all six of the major spires if I wanted a powerful image.
The only other view with those elements was to the northeast of the Temple, close to the Relief Society building. It's not totally without obstructions, but I was able to find an area to set up. Getting there was a major task unto itself. Everything has to come and go at the same time. I'm not able to leave equipment and run a block or so back to the car to ferry another load. Image me walking/trudging down the sidewalk with a 50 lb. pack of gear on my back, a 30+ lb. foldable ladder over my right shoulder, and a 15 lb. tripod in my left hand. I ended up almost right underneath a security camera, and I think whoever was watching was mildly entertained.
Once set up and ready, I answered a lot of questions from people walking by, mainly Sister missionaries leaving Temple Square for the day. The big camera always seems to elicit curiosity.
I shot a lot of film as the light changed over more than an hour. At first warm and contrasty, it changed to soft and even as the sun set behind thin clouds at the horizon. Though not dramatic, a few clouds added character to the sky. While the Temple looks strong and peaceful, in actuality cars were constantly leaving the parking garage in front of me and whizzing by on the street behind.
Here's a snapshot of my setup. You can see the tight confines; the building and tree to the left of the Temple, the light pole to the right, and the trees and parking garage below.
I spent one evening shooting from near the west side of the south Visitors' Center. While relatively unobstructed, the view is behind the front of the Temple and some of the spires cover up the other ones. I knew I had to include the front of the Temple and capture all six of the major spires if I wanted a powerful image.
The only other view with those elements was to the northeast of the Temple, close to the Relief Society building. It's not totally without obstructions, but I was able to find an area to set up. Getting there was a major task unto itself. Everything has to come and go at the same time. I'm not able to leave equipment and run a block or so back to the car to ferry another load. Image me walking/trudging down the sidewalk with a 50 lb. pack of gear on my back, a 30+ lb. foldable ladder over my right shoulder, and a 15 lb. tripod in my left hand. I ended up almost right underneath a security camera, and I think whoever was watching was mildly entertained.
Once set up and ready, I answered a lot of questions from people walking by, mainly Sister missionaries leaving Temple Square for the day. The big camera always seems to elicit curiosity.
I shot a lot of film as the light changed over more than an hour. At first warm and contrasty, it changed to soft and even as the sun set behind thin clouds at the horizon. Though not dramatic, a few clouds added character to the sky. While the Temple looks strong and peaceful, in actuality cars were constantly leaving the parking garage in front of me and whizzing by on the street behind.
Here's a snapshot of my setup. You can see the tight confines; the building and tree to the left of the Temple, the light pole to the right, and the trees and parking garage below.
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