Archives for Scottsdale Area Photography category

Photo of the Musical Instrument Museum

The MIM
Musical Instrument Museum – Scottsdale, AZ
f/9.0 – 1/40 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 90 mm

Photo of red buckets lined up in a row

Bucket Brigade
f/10.0 – 1/250 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 150 mm
Photo of the Soleri Bridge in Scootsdale, AZ
Soleri Bridge
Scottsdale, AZ
f/16.0 – 1/100 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 60 mm

The first built bridge designed by architect Paolo Soleri is a pedestrian bridge crossing the canals in Scottsdale, AZ.

Photo of jewlery shop windows in Scottsdale, AZAll that Glitters
Scottsdale, AZ
f/5.6 – 1/30 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 55 mm

Photo of the bicycle rack at the Musical Intrument Museum in Scottsdale, AZ

Repeats
Musical Instrument Museum – Scottsdale, AZ
f/11.0 – 1/160 sec – ISO 200 – Focal Length 90 mm
Photo of a church bell towerFor Whom the Bell Tolls
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
Paradise Valley, AZ
f/16.0 – 1/50 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

The Civic Center Library in Scottsdale was designed by Bennie Gonzales.  Although not generally well know, Gonzales’ other work in the Phoenix area include the Heard Museum in central Phoenix.

Photo of the Scottsdale Civic Center Library

f/11.0 – 1/100 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 28 mm

Photo of the Scottsdale Civic Center Library

f/11 – 1/60 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 28 mm

Photo of the Scottsdale Civic Center Library

f/11.0 – 1/100 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

Photo of the Scottsdale Civic Center Library

f/2.8 – 1/4 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 28 mm

This is the final set of images from Taliesin West in Scottsdale.  Be sure to check out the first and second sets to get the whole picture.

Photo of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Taliesin West

f/5.6 – 1/50 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

The roof of the drafting studio is made of canvas; a reminder that this was originally a desert camp.  In the off season the canvas was removed and stored to help prolong its useful life.

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Taliesin West

f/7.1 -1/100 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

In the 1930s the Taliesin West site was miles from “civilization.”  Materials to construct the buildings were taken right from the site which further tied the buildings to the site.  The early evening sun brings out the reds and oranges of the store used in the concrete form walls.

Photo of the dragon at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Taliesin West
f/3.2 – 1/200 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 50 mm

This fire breathing dragon originally spout out water but was later fitted with a gas line to make it more authentic.

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Taliesin West
f/6.3 – 1/30 sec – ISO 100 –  Focal Length 50 mm
Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Taliesin West
f/7.1 – 1/15 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm
Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Taliesin West at night
f/1.7 – 1/4 sec – ISO 800 – Focal Length 50 mm

Taliesin West on a desert night is a beautiful place to photograph.  The Night Lights on the Desert tour gives you the opportunity to see the school in both the golden hour and lit up in the dark of night.

One post of six images from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin West is not enough to do justice.  So as a follow up to my first post of images from Taliesin, here are six more photographs.

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin WestThe Iconic View
f/6.3 – 1/40 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

This view of Taliesin West is probably one of the most photographed of the campus.  The school has been served by natural ground water since construction began in the 1930s.  To this day it still in not hooked into the city water system.

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West

f/6.3 – 1/125 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

Many of the roofs at Taliesin are canvas.  The original intent was to build a desert camp making canvas a fitting material.  Today some innovative methods have had to been devised to prolong the life of the canvas in the harsh desert climate.

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West

Living Room Roof
f/4.0 – 1/15 sec – ISO 200 – Focal Length 50 mm

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West

The Drafting Studio
f/7.1 – 1/80 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West

Asian Art
f/2.8 – 1/40 sec – ISO 200 – Focal Length 50 mm

Frank Lloyd Wright had an infinity for Asian art.  There are hints of it placed through out the property such as these figures which Wright bought in pieces and had an apprentice reassemble.

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Logo at Taliesin WestI recently took the Night Lights on the Desert tour at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.  Taliesin West is the winter home to the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture and is located in North Scottsdale, Arizona.  If you are familiar with Wright’s style you will immediately recognize the buildings of the school as his architecture.  Work began on the school in 1937 when that part of Scottsdale was just open desert.  Today the suburbs have encroached, but the school’s 300 acres of land keep a buffer between it and urban sprawl.

The Night Lights on the Desert tour is a great tour for anyone, but it gives the photographer the opportunity to see the architecture of Taliesin at the golden hour when the light is prime.  The only way to photograph the grounds and buildings are with a guided tour so your photography prospects may be a bit limited.  But with a little preparedness you should not be impeded too much.  Here are few things to keep in mind:

  1. Try to hang out at the back of the pack.   You do not want to stray from the group or fall too far behind, but being at the back will give you a chance to get some “tourist free” shots once the tour group has moved out of space.
  2. Fidgeting with lens changes while trying to pay attention to a tour guide and stay with the group can be a challenge.  Pick one good universal lens and stick with it.
  3. Try not to rely too much on flash photography.  You will have enough natural light for most of the tour (in the summer months in particular) to capture what you need with ISO, aperture and shutter speed adjustments.
  4. Some photographers have ruined it for the rest of us.  Until not too long ago, photography for personal use, was allowed most everywhere on the tour.  But when images of Wright designed furnishings and other artifacts began showing up for sale on the internet the Foundation stopped allowing photography in the interior spaces.  Make sure you abide by the restrictions so that they are not forced to eliminate photography altogether.
Photo of rock art (petroglyphs) at Taliesin WestTaliesin Petroglyphs
f/7.1 – 1/40 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

This rock art was found in the McDowell Mountains on the Taliesin land back in the 1930’s and relocated to the site of the buildings by Wright.  The second image from the left on the bottom was incorporated by Wright into his logo design.

Photo of the Entry to Taliesin West

Entrance to Taliesin West
f/9.0 – 1/100 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

Photo of the roof line at Taliesin West

Taliesin West Roof Lines
f/11 – 1/200 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

The roof lines of the buildings at Taliesin West reflect the lines of the McDowell Mountains in the background while the stone used from the site reflect the color of the landscape.

Photo of the entry fountain at Taliesin West
Entrance Fountain at Taliesin West
f/11.0 – 1/30 sec 0 ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

Photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Office at Taliesin West

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Office
f/8.0 – 1/200 sec – ISO 100 – Focal Length 50 mm

Similar to the roof line image above, the slope of the roof of the building that served as Mr. Wright’s office follows the slope of the mountain behind it.  The colors of the rocks and concrete used in the walls further connect the building to the site.