THE Link/Calder on the Plaza

Now that The Photographer Magazine - The Photographer Online is up, I'll let you navigate to the story.

Something intriguing occurred as I was describing the photos in the article. I had never before needed to articulate in writing what I had always intuitively known about a particular piece.

In doing so, a different part of my brain began to process each piece. It was quite an eye opener. Describing a finished photo completes the circle. To go back and remember the environment and thought process that gave life to an image is motivation to get out and do it again.

Calder on the Plaza

Chicago's Federal Center on Dearborn Street was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1974. It is the home to a huge orange sculpture by Alexander Calder entitled 'The Flamingo" (even though it's not pink!)

I wrestled a lot with the cropping, from far away to up close and more personal. I went the later.

The section photographed here is just a small portion of the entire sculpture intentionally. The contrast between the couple and the vibrant orange color creates a dilemma for the observer. Should the focus be on the couple or the partially hidden sculpture? As you scour the image for the rest of the sculpture, you find pieces of it in the building reflection. It poses a challenge for the viewer!

This is what I began with.