For a city relatively close in proximity, I certainly don’t spend enough time in Charlotte! In March, I visited a few friends, had a commercial shoot, and during my spare time got off some snapshots downtown. I roamed around the city scoping future skyline shots for future visits and walked downtown a bit, focusing on the museum district, especially the Mint and Bechtler Museums.
This is looking up at the wall of the Mint.
I’ve attempted the shot below three times and am still trying to perfect. I really need to be there at the right time of day and year…whenever that is. I bet it’s during the dead of winter.
I’m unsure who the architect for the Mint was, but the Bechtler is by Mario Botta, who apparently never met a piece of terra cotta he didn’t like. I admit, it’s a really fun area to shoot, particularly at night. You can see the Bank of America building tucked away in the background.
A Charlotte Welcome (2011)
The firebird sculpture in front of the Bechtler makes a nice transition/juxtaposition between the two museums. Behind the Mint and Bechtler is Charlotte’s new skyscraper, the Duke Energy Building (I love that one) and the Knight Theater.
And this is the Duke Energy Building versus the Mint at daytime. I’d eventually like to properly shoot the skyscraper and the Harvey B. Gantt African-American Museum across the street. The architects and urban planners did a masterful job with this area – even the NASCAR Hall of Fame is pretty swoopy. If you’re ever in Charlotte, you can’t afford to miss it!
Convergence (2011)
