Elements

This photo of the Arch was taken three and a half years ago, around the time my obsession began. Compare it to today's picture on St. Louis Daily Photo, shot earlier this month. This shows the reflection of the afternoon sun streaming down the plates of the north leg. There is some simplicity and purity that I've lost in recent pictures of the monument. Let us know what you think.

The Basics

A shot that couldn't be simpler or more straightforward (except it's an HDR - not immediately evident). Just an illustration of why I love it so much.

Apotheosis

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. There is way too much on my plate. This photo is a companion to today's picture on the St. Louis Daily Photo Blog. shot moments earlier. It's grandiose, I admit that. I have a soft spot for high quality bombast. For example: the Dies Irae from Hector Berlioz's Requiem (start this track at 5 minutes 30 seconds and crank it up). When I was young and stupid, I liked to make a tent out of two loudspeakers, put this track on a full volume and stick my head in the middle. Bliss. Now I make pictures like this.

Barely There

Sorry no posts here in so long - just too much on my plate. This picture was shot on January 3, 2009, in fog with a Lensbaby.

More Arch In The City

More of a series emphasizing the Arch in its urban setting. This is taken from the old industrial area a little north of the monument.

The Arch In The City

This is a companion picture to today's post on St. Louis Daily Photo Blog. I haven't done much about how the Arch looks in the city where it lives. This is looking south from North Broadway. That unfortunate bit of architecture to the left is the Four Seasons Hotel and Lumiere Place Casino.

A Warped Sense Of Scale

There are a lot of tricks the Arch plays on our eyes. For example, most people find it hard to believe that it is exactly as wide as it it tall. In this photo, it looks like the family taking pictures gives us a sense of scale. But the Arch is so tall and, viewed from the side, it recedes more and more sharply as it goes up, that we really can't gague what we're looking at. One of its many wiles.

By the way, there is another new Arch photo today on my St. Louis Daily Photo Blog.

Undisclosed Location

Looks like the entrance to a bunker. I don't think Dick Cheney is down there, though, or else the sign would say "Do Not Enter." This is the entrance to the underground museum beneath the Arch and the tram that takes you to the top. The other leg is immediately behind where I was standing.

Disappearing Arch

I enjoy the Arch on foggy days, when its great mass plays peek-a-boo with us groundings.

Today is a particularly auspicious day for Arch pictures. The Mildred Lane Kemper Museum houses the art collection of Washington University, as well as special exhibits. A biggie opens tonight: Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future. Saarinen was the visionary architect who designed the Gateway Arch, among other notable works. The exhibition traces Saarinen's career and achievements, with special emphasis on the history, design, engineering and construction of my beloved monument.

There is an opening reception tonight and I'll be there, getting my 15 minuted of fame: the muesum's director of education contacted me awhile back and asked if they could use some of my stuff on the exhibit's web site and printed materials. Why, yes, of course. The educational resources page of the exhibit's web site has links to my Gateway Arch photo blog and my big Flickr set of Arch photos. There's also a link to the American Institute of Achitects' web feature on the Arch; most of the photos in the slide show are mine. Lastly, click the link to the Eero Saarinen Connections guide and, um, scroll down to page 14, making note of the photo credits and the last quotation.

Feels good, doesn't it?

Winter Arch

I've taken a lot of pictures of the Arch like this, maybe because when viewed from this angle it reminds me of the monolith in 2001. I suspect that the Arch has similar powers.