Institute Double Take
Browsing through my archive of photos, I was struck by the inherent contrast both in and between these two images. The former, shot on a sunny July 4, depicts the North Court in a state of construction-induced disarray. The photo itself, on the other hand, is clean and crisp — almost frozen.
The second image provides a starkly different view of the same location. The North Court sits clean on a cold winter evening; no signs of the construction remain. However, Stata and the Koch Institute feel changed. Gone are the dark and lifeless windows of daytime, replaced by bright squares of light that lend this image its contrast and life.
My favorite contrast, however, is not between the two images. It is how different this view is from any I typically see walking through campus. I am never able to wrap my head around Stata from the ground; it always feels disjointed and disconnected, like a model that wasn’t put together quite right. But from above, the pieces pull together, even meshing with the landscape.
First Image:
Aperture: ƒ/9
Exposure Time: 1/800 sec.
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Effective Focal Length: 14 mm
Second Image:
Aperture: ƒ/3.5
Exposure Time: 1.6 sec.
Sensitivity: ISO 200
Effective Focal Length: 24 mm