May 22, 2010 – North Carolina Museum of Art

David Strevel and I served as leaders for the Capital City Camera Club‘s low-light architectural outing to the North Carolina Museum of Art. You may remember I scoped it out few weeks earlier. I’ll share some of the advice I offered the club in a later blog.

The session was scheduled to start at 6pm – but the formerly sunny day was greeted by storm clouds. By the time I arrived, around 5:45 the first droplets began to fall. According to the radar, the storm would pass quickly so we decided to wait it out in our vehicles and reconvene in an hour. Near the NCMA’s new addition, I spotted a photographer and her assistant shooting a newly wed couple.

And then it began to POUR. With thunder. And lightning. And the photographer and lucky couple kept shooting in those conditions. Even better, while the winds were gusting, rain was pouring, and periodically lightning ensued, they busted out the umbrellas. And then? And THEN? All four people ventured towards a 2 1/2 story tall metal tree sculpture, shooting photographs of the couple underneath the tree. I couldn’t believe my eyes and paused in jaw-slacked awe before deciding I’d be best served by hustling to my car and not witnessing the ” ’til death do us part” part. What possesses anyone to think that’s a good idea? And before you think I’m overreacting, wait until you see what they were standing under.

By 7:00 pm the sky cleared, providing an opportunity to document shiny new architecture against dark stormy clouds at SUNSET. You couldn’t ask for more interesting conditions (though I’m curious to see this thing in the snow).

There was some sort of event at the NCMA, with what seemed to be locally high-profile and political guests. Not sure what the event was for, but I decided to use them near the museum entry for a few shots.

This is the Rodin sculpture garden at night. I had only seen the area at daytime and thought the lighting was pretty good.

Remember that ginormous metal tree I was talking about? THIS IS WHAT THEY WERE STANDING UNDER.

By the way, the 17mm TS-E is super-sharp for a wide angle. How sharp? In the photo above, there’s a green exit sign located inside of the building. You can read it.

Until next time!

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