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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty: Controlling perspective with the wideangle lens > Cityscape, Downtown Los Angeles, California, 2012
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16-AUG-2012

Cityscape, Downtown Los Angeles, California, 2012

The towers that soar over downtown Los Angeles are at their best late in the day. They rise here from the palm-lined street, reaching towards a rich blue sky streaked with delicate clouds. Two starbursts of light bounce off the highest of the structures, providing the focal point for the image. By using a 24mm wideangle lens to make this image, I am able to frame that skyline with the sign-bearing home of the California Jewelry Mart at left and the street light at right, which seems aimed at the highest of the buildings in the middle of the image.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
1/1000s f/8.0 at 5.1mm iso80 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis02-Sep-2012 22:39
You were standing right next to me while I made this image, Iris, so you can appreciate the challenge we faced. We were both amazed at the quality of the light, here in the middle of what is often referred to as "smoggy LA." It was anything but smoggy on this afternoon and both of us were in awe of what we saw rising before us. I am glad you echo what I was trying to say with my image -- the contrasts of old and new here are evident. The old Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel is across Pershing Square from us at bottom left, while a stately 1930s office building with a tower stands at lower right. A bizarre telecommunications center from the 1960s peeks out from behind the largest office building in the center. Meanwhile, several contemporary office towers dominate the scene, projecting LA's image as a city for the 21st century.
Iris Maybloom (irislm)01-Sep-2012 23:32
The light this time of day, on this particular day, was magnificent as depicted in this cityscape. The clouds, the starbursts, the colors are all wonderful. The architectural contrast of old and new is certainly a statement of LA's growing skyline.






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