Charter Square – Raleigh Architectural Photography

Two blogs two straight days, why not? I’ve been working with JDavis Architects over the past nine months (no-kidding) to photograph their downtown Raleigh, North Carolina project, Charter Square. This is the first location I’ve photographed three projects in a row – not chronologically but literally – in a physical row. Charter is adjacent to 421 Fayetteville Street which is right near (aw c’mon everybody kinda knows where this is by now).

This assignment I made use of my 9-foot tall tripod, which I like to use to hover above obstacles in my camera’s view. This works especially well in parking lots as seen below, looking down Fayetteville Street.

Street level along Fayetteville Street. This was a composite, and not a particularly easy one to grab. Pending time of year, there’s a 15-30 minute window in which the Wilmington street facade can be photographed where the sun is low to get a decent exposure, yet not so low that shadows are cast onto Charter Square from buildings across the street or the sun is brightly reflecting in the glass.

That principal was likewise used photographing from the Marriott across the street.

I had only one interior to capture, had fun setting this up.

Using that 9-foot tripod again, this time on the other side of the building at the intersection of Wilmington and Lenoir.  A higher point of view is an efficient way to get the entire building in frame, life yourself above vehicular traffic and pedestrian yet still feature them, and maintain a dramatic angle.  This is my favorite look at the exterior.

Further along down Wilmington with the Duke Progress Energy center in the background.  See what I mean about that cast shadow across the Marriott to the right?  I certainly didn’t want that on Charter Square if I could help it.

Finally is a long view during what turned out to beautiful sunset.   I was lucky to get it when I did as its no longer to be had as Raleigh’s growing so fast there’s now a new building blocking it!  Time to say goodbye to Raleigh for now and hit the road to some other towns. One of them we’ll go to downtown Durham for another project that’s near two others I’ve photo-documented.

 

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