Photographing The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia
The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia is one of the most unique places I have ever visited. I spent two months in Valencia this summer and I have passed by the structure many times before going to actually photograph it. It is an extraordinary location because of the various opportunities that if offers for arts and education, but for me it was more fascinating because of its architecture and general layout.
To photograph it, I chose a time in the morning because I thought that that could be the best time to catch some beautiful lights reflecting on the water. The morning hours were perfect because of the fresh air a and the beautiful sunlight steeping in through the trees in the park. I got on my bike and arrived to the place at around 9 in the morning. The sky was perfectly clear and there was a little fresh breeze that made my work easier. I started by taking some pictures in Turia park as I really like the morning atmosphere. The people enjoying the morning sunshine proved to be great subjects to my pictures and gave me a push to keep taking pictures. It also gave me an opportunity to experiment with the settings I was going to use once I arrive to my destination.
Once I got to the City of Arts I took advantage of the effect that the reflecting pools provided. It contributed to nearly all my shots. The complexes of the City of Arts and Sciences are made up of 7 major buildings with various works of arts exhibited in the spaces in-between. The buildings include:
· The Oceanogràfic, Europe’s biggest aquarium;
· The Hemisfèric, which as the name suggests, is a large, hemisphere home to a 3d cinema with various fascinating science movies on show
· The Science Museum is an interactive museum featuring various exhibitions and scientific experiments
· The Palau de les Arts, an impressive building that houses operas, concerts and ballet shows
· The Umbracle, an extensive open-air garden with all kinds of Mediterranean plants and various sculptures
· The CaixaForum Valencia building that is home to varying arts experiences, such as exhibitions, live music, shows and conferences
· The L'Assut d'Or, an impressive bridge crossing the former Rio Turia
In the center of these buildings there is an artificial lake where people can go and try all kinds of innovative water vehicles.
All these elements proved to be great subject to photograph. Although in architecture photography I tend more towards classical styles, I found the City of Arts and Sciences a really worthy subject and an interesting challenge.
To take pictures of this complex I had to consider many factors as to not get overwhelmed by the opportunities provided. There are many large buildings situated here, therefore it was essential that I bring a wide angle lens to be able to capture their scale. Due to the repetitive structure of some of the buildings, I could take very unique and visually pleasing pictures. The lighting in the morning allowed me to capture the play of light and shadow. But it wasn’t just a great location for large-scale architecture pictures. I managed to capture many interesting details as well and some abstract compositions.
What was more of a head-scratcher for me was the lack of color in the space. I usually seek out colors when I take photographs and try to capture interesting contrast and play of colors. The city of arts is very minimalistic in terms of color: most of the buildings are white with a touch of blue. Which in reality is a beautiful combination and it complimented really well the colors of the sky and clouds. However, I still found myself wanting to bring out more colors in post-production, which in the end gave me some interesting results.
The City of Arts and Sciences is a place that offers something to everyone. I believe it is a really good representation of Valencia as a whole. There is opportunity for education, entertainment, music and theater for children and grownups alike all wrapped in a very pleasing design. I would wholeheartedly recommend to any photographer and tourist visiting the city to set aside a day for just photographing the City or Arts and if you have the time, go back and try to capture it in different times of the day and different light conditions.
