The Community Center Photo

Photographer’s Note

My first posted night photo is of our community center. There is a lack of things of TE subject matter that would be photographable at night. But this in a way fits into showing a bit of this part of the world. It also matches with a recent post of Norbert's which shows how similar needs are met in two centuries.

The official name of the facility is Dearborn's Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. It was built only a few years ago and was a expansion on the original civic center complex. The addition doubled the floorspace and added several new features and became one of the largest community centers in the United States.

The original civic center had meeting rooms and a large "dome" room for large gatherings. The addition added a large recreation center that includes a large leisure pool, a lap pool, two gymnasiums, two full sized basketball courts and two vollyball courts. There is also a dance and aerobic area, a weight and fitness area, a 30 foot climbing wall and a 3 lane track that is 1/11 of a mile around. All of which is indoors.

On the exterior are soccer fields, a large pond, a baseball diamond and a walking track.

In this near end of the building, under the large glass box is a 1200 seat theatre that is able to host all kind of productions and musical events. A smaller theatre and the old "dome" room and meeting rooms complete the center making it a multi-purpose structure. Anything from birthday parties and weddings to large scale shows to working out can be found happening here.

It was a 43 million dollar project and money was donated by the omnipresent Ford Motor Company whose headquarters is a quarter mile down the road. It has become the latest thing stamped with the Ford name here in Henry Ford's hometown.

In connecting this to Norbert's photo "The Opera" one can see how theatre construction has changed over the centuries. The fountain and pond reminded made a link for me even though how the performing arts needs were met in two totally different types of designs. From a very elegant building we have come down to generic glass boxes.

In the workshop I'm placing a photo taken about 40 minutes earlier to show it in more light.

Zanni, jhm, Endy, elihesamian, renatombat, kajenn, ale, jhonny_blue, supereira, orme, mdchachi, bpelvan, ChristianS, nwoehnl, pulezan, rabani, efimoore has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

cyril (2748) 2004-09-21 13:01

Hi Paul,
You did a great for the first one.
I like the composition.
Colours are beautiful and the reflections work well.
Nice work
Cyril

Zanni (5885) 2004-09-21 13:07

Scrivo in italiano, Paul. Che fotografia iperrealistica. L'assenza di persone accentua questa impressione. Le linee architettoniche sono rigide ed essenziali. Ma l'erba in primo piano e lo specchio d'acqua contrastano fortemente l'impatto con il freddo rigore architettonico. La fantastica esposizione notturna completa il quadro. Veramente ben fatta.

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jhm (81817) 2004-09-21 13:14

A great for the first one nigt shot, Paul, the reflections are extraordinarily, excellent depth with great light. De colours for a night photo are great. My compliments.

Ebbe (9571) 2004-09-21 13:25

Dearborn, MI, Venus? This building and the light - a very fine composition and good light but is it really on Earth. Or should this picture be on TV, TrekVenus?

Endy (1025) 2004-09-21 13:42

The effect is amazing, we have the impression that this photograph is a painting. There are multiples nice reflections in your picture created by the lamps. The aligned buildings created also a beautiful perspective with the lake.

Nice work Paul!

renatombat (75) 2004-09-21 16:30

Y yo te escribo en español Paul :o). Es una bellisima imagen donde me impresiona la nitidez de la foto siendo esta una toma nocturna. Los reflejos de las luces en el agua son estupendos y la composicion excelente.
Felicitaciones!!!!

papagolf21 (56044) 2004-09-21 17:12

Cher Paul,
Vous avez réussi une superbe photographie de nuit ! je ne puis qu'admirer et vous complimenter !
Magnifique.
Superbes détails et une excellente définition. Tout est bon !
Chapeau bas, Paul !
Dear Paul, You made a success of a superb photography of night! I then qu'admirer and to compliment you! Splendid. Superb details and an excellent definition. All is good! Low hat, Paul!

kajenn (2323) 2004-09-21 18:21

It's a spectacular building, Paul, in many aspects. And I believe it's best shown in your night shot, which is making it even more spectacular. Your photo has the look of a computer made image, showing how something 'will look in the future'. It's really something of 'Brave New World' over the whole scene - which stands in a nice contrast to your 'Metropolis' images (or Norbert's). As a night shot it's brilliant - lights, colors and sharpness are perfect - maybe I would have liked to see a little more of the fountain, but that's a minor detail. Your composition is also great, well chosen POV and adding the high grass in foreground gives an organic touch to the image, showing this is reality. I hope you'll be able to enjoy this fantastic community center. Very well done!

maphoto (8076) 2004-09-21 21:32

Excellent picture for your first night shot, beautiful light and colors with a good choice of foreground, nicely composed, well done.

ale (1819) 2004-09-22 4:03

Ciao Paul,
I love the light and the great sharpness of this shot, the reflection in the water is a beautiful touch. Very well done!

jhonny_blue (4938) 2004-09-22 4:29

Very beautiful composition Paul !
Great nightshot, very well exposed. Perfect !
Congratulations

supereira (9576) 2004-09-22 4:57

Nice picture!I like very much the colors and the contrast between them.Good framing and prespective.Great reflections!

elihesamian (26091) 2004-09-22 5:58

WOW,Paul!...really well done,Very beautiful,and full of visual attractons for a night shot,...soft,neat,sharp,vivid,...with really a great harmony between colors,..amazing soft reflection,a great cropping in bottom with notice to grasses,...very pleasance for eyes,...and with a PERFECT composition.
I love it,Paul.
great info,too.sure, Norbert will like it.

It's my 8th favorite,Paul:)

ma-tibou (4566) 2004-09-22 7:09

Bonjour Paul, une bien belle première de nuit , bravo, une très belle composition, de beaux reflets, un très joli travail.
Amitié.

bpelvan (3786) 2004-09-22 7:37

I can imagine how wonderful is the full size of this image. Grasses and the green at the surface of the pool looks beautiful. A very good shot. Congrats.

harold (2271) 2004-09-22 9:02

Une très belle réussite, bien réalisé pour une première chapeau!

sn00zie (2384) 2004-09-22 10:26

glorious night shot you post here..

Yannick31 (913) 2004-09-22 10:26

Superbe, féerique les couleurs le ciel tout est splendide.
Bravo j'adore cette photo,
Yannick

wilkinsonsg (8644) 2004-09-22 12:13

Cool modern building fringed with a foreground of grass, with great colours - nice composition - I like it :)

ChristianS (2997) 2004-09-22 14:32

Very clear and sharp photo. You did very well with the night exposure. The composition is good and I like the fact that the sky is still blue and not dark. Well done!

hdl (6735) 2004-09-24 6:24

Normally I'm not such a fan of modern buildings, but here in your picture it comes out very good. Good, straight lines and colour "blocks". I like how the light of the lanterns is reflected in the water. If this is your first nightshot, then I have to congratulate you extra because it is very good.

nwoehnl (118) 2004-09-24 9:57

I'm arriving late, Paul, but now I'm here ;-) The time of day you took it lends it a unique color and light setting that is captured in perfectly handled exposure. The composition is also well chosen, with the view across the pond and fountain towards the community center which also adds some subtle reflections on the water surface. And yes, it does look like the very modern cousin of Stuttgart's State Theater (thanks a lot for building the link; I'll be happy to do the same in my opera photo). Great photo, and way to go for your first night shot.

Hanssie (9133) 2004-09-26 7:41

Very modern, very nice night-shot, clear and sharp, spectacular light everywhere and some nature in the foreground, good work, Paul !

pulezan (763) 2004-09-27 3:24

your picture remind me to architect drawings, only with much more natural light. i like this many different blue colours divided by a stretch of green. reflection on the water is nice also.

rabani (9421) 2004-09-28 2:02

I just don't know what to say here Paul. It looks futuristic, almost alien like in a different world. Thankfully, you have included the reeds/grasses in the foreground. I also would say, your exposure is just perfect for this. I guess when you don't have much to say, the only thing you could do is to enjoy the view. Thanks Paul.

efimoore (2126) 2004-10-03 23:36

Excellent night shot of the Community Center. Nice colors of the building and very nice reflection on the lake. I think the long exposure made the lake reflections more soft, almost like a painting --> Cool effect!

Kenny10pin (19301) 2004-10-25 19:22

very ncie night shot here, I like the building and the reflections too

Quink (156) 2004-12-27 10:11