Thursday, July 29, 2010

Skyline: Charlotte, NC

I remember the very first skyline I shot about 25 years ago. It was a summer night, hot but clear. I was a student in Atlanta, GA at The Art Institute and I was looking for the ultimate spot to catch the city known as The Big Peach. Hotlanta.

After a couple of hours of driving around, I finally found THE spot. A bridge just out of downtown with the interstate running beneath. It seemed like a perfect place. On the night in question there were about 20 other photographers standing by tripods. The bridge was famous for catching the right shot.

I jockeyed for position. Set my tripod in place and put my new 35mm FM2 on top of it. That night I must have shot 4 rolls of film (Remember film). It was gorgeous and somewhat reminiscent of a recent attempt here in Charlotte.

Same sort of night - hot, but thankfully clear. My position: a bridge just out of the city with an interstate running beneath. Among a few of the obvious differences, such as I'm 25 years older, on this night I was alone on THE bridge. Oh, and I shot not with my trusty FM2, but with a Hasselblad outfitted with a 40 megapixel back tethered to a laptop.

Though many things have changed, one thing remains the same, a gorgeous shot of a skyline can always excite.