This project spans from New York City to Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco and Valencia, Spain. Sergio Calatrava is well represented here from the City of Arts and Sciences to the Bridges in Dallas. All of these images share a sense of positive and negative space through clear blue skies or dark shadowed area. They show form over function. That was my goal with this series. 

I have always been interested in shapes, design, composition and the use of negative space.  This began in school where I studied design and photography as a fine art and has continued through my life.  Architecture is an art form that allows the viewer to see in these terms.  Architects design in an empty space, they create a solid form that fills the air above us, the land around us and in so doing each building is a unique shape and form that fills space and leaves the sky, the ground, the areas between the buildings to allow their design to be seen.

I look at these forms as abstract constructions that give you monumental structures yet still have individual areas that create interesting designs, leaving negative space to work with.  These images all have a sense of shape and form and although you know they are constructed architectural forms I have looked at them and isolated areas that form new designs, new ways of looking at the forms and space they create.

I concentrate on composition and use the camera lens, light and shadow to create a new vision of the image I see. You can find design in the normally overlooked aspects of any object or a scene. I focus on the elements that make up a vast architectural structure.

I produce what my mind sees yet remain true to the architect’s intent. There is design in everything I see; it is the eye that finds the right angle and composition to make what is presented to us an image of art. I look around, I set the camera for a shot and then look behind me, I look up, I look forever. There is always another way to look and another image to find, the next image to capture. If I can see it with my mind’s eye, I can create it. If I can’t see it then the best camera and lens will not be able to capture it.

About Jim Riche

After graduating from R.I.T. with a degree in Photography as a Fine Art Jim went to Washington DC and began a career as a freelance photographer. He was a part time teaching assistant at the Corcoran College of Art & Design. Soon there after he was invited to be a Director of Photography on a stop motion film. This led to a 40 year career in the film/visual effects business. Jim has been an Executive Producer with many of the best VFX shops in the country, Digital Domain, Blur, Ntropic, Reel FX and others.

For the last 6 years Jim has been developing his photography once again and is now devoting all his time to the Fine Art Photography world. Jim and his wife recently had their book, “Mod Mirage- Mid Century Architecture of Rancho Mirage”.  Jim did all the contemporary photography.

Jim’s interest in photography as a design tool has led to many shows, awards and assignments. His work is about design, composition, abstract shapes and space. Light is primary, especially in black & white work. He has been traveling to capture images from Patagonia to Los Angeles, Barcelona, Valencia, New York and many other places. 

Jim has been working on two nature series, Patagonia and Salton Sea which both depict a part of the world that has either been forgotten by man or where nature is dominant. These two series have been published and won awards. [Official Website]