San Antonio, TX - not the Alamo

Dixie · January 17, 2007

Just before leaving San Antonio and Imaging USA 2007, I decided to go take some shots of the Alamo. The temp was a cool 28 degrees F and it was early. Street lamps were still on as you can see. I did take a couple of shots of the Alamo, but as I was walking back to my car I saw this unusual building. I don't know the name, but I plan on looking it up when I get home. The building isn't square and the nearest corner is somewhat less than the normal 90 degrees. That made it look like a wedge pointed directly at me. It was so unusual that I took one shot of it with the 24-70 set at 24 mm. I could barely get it all in. I did correct the perspective using skew.

EDITED TO ADD: The building is the Emily Morgan Hotel built in 1926.

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Click image for EXIF info.

jdryan3 · January 17, 2007

I like this all the way around -color, the flag on top, perspective, the whole bit.

Tommyboy · January 17, 2007

For an "architecture" photo, this is really quite dramatic. It's an exquisite picture, made more so by your description of it being nearly a snapshot. Nice work.

ian408 · January 17, 2007

"A ship in the night" is what I'm reminded of

It sure has that shape to
it.

I like the subject, perspective and the coloring of the shot.

Dixie · January 18, 2007

jdryan3 wrote:

I like this all the way around -color, the flag on top, perspective, the whole bit.

Thank you, Dave. Your comments are appreciated. The color is a result of post processing in CS2. Nothing elaborate as I just used a photographic warming filter and punched it a tad which I thought added a dynamic look to what was basically a grey stormy sky. It was early in the morning and the building faces pretty much to the west so I had to do a little dodging near the base of the building to bring detail out of the shadows since what light there was came from behind the building at that time of day.

Dixie · January 18, 2007

Tommyboy wrote:

For an "architecture" photo, this is really quite dramatic. It's an exquisite picture, made more so by your description of it being nearly a snapshot. Nice work.

Thanks, Tom. Yes, it was definitely something which caught my eye. I liked the comp in the preview after taking the shot and the histogram was right on so I stopped there. Now I wished that I had taken a few more detailed photos - particularly of the tower and some of the ornate detail work on the building. ...but you know what they say about hindsight.

Dixie · January 18, 2007

ian408 wrote:

"A ship in the night" is what I'm reminded of It sure has that shape to
it.

I like the subject, perspective and the coloring of the shot.

Thank you, Ian. You are right about the "ship" look, but I didn't think about it at the time. In fact there is a cruise ship graphic that I've seen a lot of travel agents use on their business cards which has the same look.

I did look the building up this morning and found out that it is the Emily Morgan Hotel which was built in 1926.

saurora · January 18, 2007

What a marvelous old hotel! I looked at this earlier and came back to see if you found out what it was. I sure like the colors in the sky which really compliment the beautiful building. This hotel was built the same year my mother was born. Nice find!

Seneca · January 18, 2007

I don't remember that building...and I've been to SAT hundreds of times.

Perhaps I'm just having a "Senior-ita Moment".

Swartzy · January 18, 2007

Now that's a cool shot!
I can see why you had a hard time framing that up! Nice job and the color reflects an interesting mood. Texas huh? Guess I need to come down there

Elaine · January 19, 2007

What a beautiful building! You captured and treated it so well. Are you going to see if the hotel would like to sell your shot in their lobby, as a postcard at least? Who wouldn't want to remember their stay by purchasing such a lovely picture?

Elaine

Dixie · January 20, 2007

saurora wrote:

What a marvelous old hotel! I looked at this earlier and came back to see if you found out what it was. I sure like the colors in the sky which really compliment the beautiful building. This hotel was built the same year my mother was born. Nice find!

Thank you, Susan. I was enthralled by the building when I first noticed it. As stated in an earlier post, I wish I had taken more time to explore it in more detail photographically. I just don't think that well in the wee hours of the morning at 28°F knowing that I had a 950 mile trip in front of me in bad weather. I will be back in San Antonio in May and hope to do it justice at that time.

Dixie · January 20, 2007

Seneca wrote:

I don't remember that building...and I've been to SAT hundreds of times. Perhaps I'm just having a "Senior-ita Moment".

I haven't been to SA that often, but over the years I have been there a number of times and I had never noticed it before either. I believe it is because we never tend to look up. We tend to look at what is around us, but not what is above us that much. At ground level, it was just another building, but this particular morning I happened to look up and see the building in its entirety and it just grabbed me.

Dixie · January 20, 2007

Swartzy wrote:

I can see why you had a hard time framing that up! Nice job and the color reflects an interesting mood. Texas huh? Guess I need to come down there

Thank you. I had a little more room to back up, but I was standing in the middle of the road and even though it was early I didn't want to press my luck. When I go back in May, I will go prepared with my 24 MM Tilt/Shift lens. That way I will be able to correct most of the perspective right in the shot.

When you come down plan on hitting the Alamo which is right across the street from the Emily Morgan Hotel, Riverwalk (commercial as all get-out, but some good photo ops there at the right time of day/night), and there is the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park which has four great old missions to photograph. There is much, much more as well.

Dixie · January 20, 2007

Elaine wrote:

What a beautiful building! You captured and treated it so well. Are you going to see if the hotel would like to sell your shot in their lobby, as a postcard at least? Who wouldn't want to remember their stay by purchasing such a lovely picture?

Elaine

Thank you, Elaine. I have to take that up with the hotel when I go back in May.

BTW, I loved your galleries. I made a comment on the lighted train engine. The first attempt I accidently added it to the gallery comments instead of the photo itself. The second try I placed the comment with the image. You may want to delete the gallery comment because the words don't really fit for the overall gallery. Sorry.

System · January 20, 2007

neat shot and treatment-

known as a flatiron, I believe after the one in nyc-

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/4650/satscurk.html

erich6 · January 20, 2007

Dixie, this is an excellent picture. Way to go! The lighting, perspective, composition are all spot on. Good job!

Erich

Awais Yaqub · January 20, 2007

Beautiful shot loved it ! great building

Dixie · January 21, 2007

gefillmore wrote:

neat shot and treatment-

known as a flatiron, I believe after the one in nyc-

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/4650/satscurk.html

George,

Thanks for the great link. First, I had no idea just how severe the angle is on the corner until I saw the diagram that was provided. Second, it was neat to find out that it was originally built as a medical arts building. Third, now I know that the song The Yellow Rose of Texas was inspired by Emily Morgan. All facts which make the photo mean even more to me.

Thanks again.

Dixie · January 21, 2007

erich6 wrote:

Dixie, this is an excellent picture. Way to go! The lighting, perspective, composition are all spot on. Good job!

Erich

Thank you, Erich.

Dixie · January 21, 2007

Awais Yaqub wrote:

Beautiful shot loved it ! great building

Thank you. Your comments are appreciated.