ARTUR SIKORA PHOTOGRAPHER: architecture

Showing posts with label architecture. Show all posts

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

New blog...

A few months ago, I decided to continue the blog as part of my website and completely forgot to announce it here. So here is the link just in case you will be looking for new posts: www.artursikora.com/blog
There is already a number of articles so please check some of them.

Thank you!

Sunday, 10 November 2019

Addicted to concrete...

Last weekend I returned to Arts Building once again. This time I got a chance to spend some time in Lecky library. Place I visited for the first time a few weeks ago during Open House, architectural festival. I knew that I wanted to get back there one day and such an opportunity just happened recently.

Here I just wanted to thank John McManus from TCD library who is also a great photographer (please check John's Instagram here - LINK). It wouldn’t be possible without his help.

Saturday morning, very few students there so plenty of space for me and my camera ;) This time Fuji GS645w for wider shots and Rolleiflex T for anything else. All loaded with Ilford Delta 400 Pro. I added yellow filter for slightly better contrast.

Before shooting I had some time to walk around, scout the place and figure out the best possible shots. Then about 30-40 minutes to go through chosen areas.

Structure of this building is fascinating. Wonderfully exposed, blended with all bookshelves and beautifully opened to the external part of the campus though broad glazing.

All three libraries are connected though underground corridor perfectly illuminated by large rooflight.

And yes… I ended up getting a few quick photographs in Berkeley Library ;) I couldn’t miss this opportunity. Even if I made quite significant documentation of this building already.

On the way back I repeated below photograph. I made it quickly last year... handheld with 400 film exposed at 6400. This time slowly, with tripod, without loosing any details.

My name is Artur Sikora and I am addicted to concrete ;)

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

Arts Building revisited

Arts Building, designed by ABK Architects and completed in 1979, was the second structure I visited with my cameras when I started to work on ‘Unfulfilled Dreams’ project in 2011.
A week ago I got back to Arts building during Open House 2019 festival. As all of you already know I have soft spot for well designed concrete buildings, especially these from 60s and 70s.

There was a few beautiful new buildings on my list this year but I had to change plans and eventually ended up with Arts Building only … Fantastic tour with lots of interesting information and possibility to capture bits and pieces in my black and white squares.

Lights was beautifully dim. Exactly as it have to be in such objects. I had Delta 400 loaded in my Rollei but all was exposed at 1600 which was absolutely enough.

Photographs taken back then (2011) are different and like it. I can clearly see how my approach to project and vision how it should looks like changes I probably would photograph again every single building I visited since 2011 but it will stay as it is with small updates every now and then. Like this time…

You can read my blog post about Arts Building in 2011 using this link: Art of concrete .

Here is also link to 'Unfulfilled Dreams' project so you can see more photographs I made in there back then: Unfulfilled Dreams .

Thank you!

Wednesday, 12 June 2019

Convert – world of photography and ... cameras

There was a long time with no posts. To be honest not sure if people still read blogs… They probably do but whole attention has shifted to fast changing images rather than anything else.

I also have to admit that I had not much time to write about anything for the last half a year or so. All my projects are on hold due to work and family related duties. One can say that there is always a moment for casual photography… well, that really depends on circumstances .

So ... first post after over 6 months will be mostly about cameras for a change rather than photographed subjects ;) but there are a few photographs to look at as well.

Let’s start from the beginning. Couple of years ago I decided to switch my photographic equipment which I am using for professional purposes to mirrorless system. It was all about weight, outcome quality and other features unavailable in DSLR world (at least at the time when change has come).

This move took a while but I enjoy every single minute with it. My backpack lost about 40% of its weight and technical quality of work at the same time went up incomparably.

Weight was the main factor when I started to consider similar change with my film cameras I am using for personal purposes… personal projects and rather rare negative film based commercial assignments.

It was especially important due to my recurrent back problems and the fact that I cycle and walk most of the time. I definitely had to get portable analogue equipment .

I sold my Hasselblad 500cm with its two lenses at the beginning of this year. 10 years with this wonderful but relatively heavy system came to its end. Shooting hand held, which is the way I work a lot when photographing for personal purposes, was limited rather to 1/125 with Hasselblad. Even 1/60 was very risky with its large mirror. It was also a bit awkward to carry around.

I needed more flexibility.

I decided to go for Rolleiflex T with 75mm f3.5 Tessar lens.

Very small and light camera. At the moment even 1/30 of a second is easily doable handheld. Completely different experience. Now this camera is often in my bag or over my shoulder and it is not a burden anymore. I could come back to my long forgotten routine of photographing Dublin. Of course as long as weather is good. Also thanks to easily accessible and affordable filters I could rediscover my way of photographing and getting stronger contrast which I love.

When sun is up which happens more and more often these days - Dublin is beautifully illuminated. I can see places I am passing by almost every day in completely different way. New perception, new way of seeing and completely new way of transferring this vision into celluloid material.

Chancery House designed by Herbert Simms in 1934 © Artur Sikora

Kiosk designed in 1934-35 by Herbert Simms
as part of the development of Chancery House housing scheme
© Artur Sikora

That wasn’t the end. I needed wider angle. Equivalent of Hasselblad 50mm lens.

Long research and I ended up with Fujica GS645w Professional equipped with 45mm f5,6 lens.

Extremely light camera, perfect ergonomic design and incredible optics. Also scale focusing system made it obviously point and shoot medium format camera created to photograph architecture or landscape :)

Miesian Plaza, Recently renovated building

originally designed by Ronnie Tallon of Scott Tallon Walker Architects

and constructed in two phases during the 1960s and 1970s

Glandalough © Artur Sikora

I am using both interchangeably and looking forward to get back at some stage to expand my ‘Unfulfilled Dreams’ project. I miss visiting modernist classics for pure photography and education purposes. I just need a time for it…

This is not the end of course. My very reliable and also heavy large format camera Sinar F2 has also gone. This was a camera which I wasn’t using anymore due to its weight and complexity of setting it up on site along with very heavy tripod needed for it.

I ended up with two excellent super light custom made 4x5 pinhole cameras with perspective correction.

Well, I am thinking about getting proper, small and portable 4x5 camera at some stage as well but that’s the future…

Former Saint Nicholas of Myra National School,
Carman’s Hall, Dublin (1936-39)
Building designed by John Joseph Robinson and Richard Cyril Keefe
© Artur Sikora

Achill Island © Artur Sikora

And that’s enough for now. I hope to prepare more substantial text next time. Thank you!

Wednesday, 26 December 2018

The beginnings ...

This morning I opened the box with collection of my old negatives. Some of them from 2008/2009. Yes, that was the moment when I started my adventure with analogue photography. About 2 years earlier this medium became my form of so called visual expression. Surprised?

No, I wasn’t born with camera ;) I got my first one (smena 8m) when I was about 8 years old but after exposing a few frames, film broke in the camera. It was never processed and I didn’t bother to use smena again.

It’s all started rather about 2007/08. Initially street mixed with architecture. Modernist concrete structures were always my favourite subjects since then…. approached in a bit different way than I do it now.

Here you can see short series of frames exposed around Berkeley Library in 2009. All mages on Fuji NCN400 black and white C41 film, Mamiya C330 Pro.

I didn’t process negatives myself back then. I decided to play with a few months later. And then it was like a flood …. Roll after roll, cameras, experiments and so on…

Below photographs are ‘remastered’ if I can say that. I rescanned all frames in higher resolution using much better scanner and software than I had available 10 years ago.

Thank you!

Saturday, 15 December 2018

Back to the East...

August 2016 ... 'Journey to the East...' (please use this link to read old blog post).
That was a very hot summer. Strong sunlingt, blue sky and incisive shadows from early morning. Perfect weather for Holga .
Last night I found a few more photographs from that time. As usually these images had to mature to be ready for presentation.
... 13 photographs which I decided keep in drawer until now.
Eastern Poland: Hrubieszow, Zamosc and Lublin once again... and its mostly old buildings sometimes typical for this particular region.

Lublin © Artur Sikora

Thank you!

Sunday, 9 December 2018

Destruction of architectural heritage

Couple of years ago I photographed two significant buildings representing influential movement in history of architecture… 'Along The Canal ...' (Please click this link to read described post and see mentioned photographs.)

Today these structures are gone, flattened , destroyed…

Dublin (and not only I am afraid) already has a record of treating valuable buildings in a shameful way in past century.

'Dublin Disappearing Over Night' ... Georgian Houses back then. Modernist architecture now.

Incredible, vital concrete structures are endangered being replaced by shiny glass blocks.

This time not overnight but on equally massive scale and it seams to be unstoppable.

...

Bord Fáilte headquarters designed by Robin Walker (of later Michael Scott & Partners) in 1961.

Fitzwilton House designed by architects Emanuel Shoolheifer and Don Burley and completed in 1969.

And some time before that...

Thank you!