TITLE: Walt Disney Concert Hall - Los Angeles

I had only two hours to photograph the iconic Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was not nearly enough. Typically I lean toward a high key or color but this series felt darker to me as I was going through the images.

The dark vs. light showcases the lines and curves that Gehry loves. I also had to work with a very bright, cloudless sky, this made some of the reflections become more pronounced. These reflections help add dimension and depth to the steel surface of the structure.

Utilizing the light on the building and the shadows helped me create images with interesting shapes and a mood that would have been different any other day.

AUTHOR: Lauri Novak (United States)

Lauri Novak is an award-winning fine art photographer, mentor and author based outside of Chicago. She has an eye for photographing architecture, traveling as much as possible and just wandering in nature with her camera.

Having grown up within an hour of one of the most architecturally rich cities sparked an interest in architecture early in her life that has been a recurring theme in her work over the years. The camera was ever-present in her life growing up in one form or another, including the many family vacation photos that were taken by her mother. Lauri received her first camera when she was a child. Since then the world has opened up to her through her view-finder and has brought into focus many of the details in life that are often overlooked.

Traveling was also a big part of her life. Her family went somewhere new every year which allowed Lauri to see different parts of the country, different cities and landscapes across the United States. This opened up so many opportunities for photographs and the wandering spirit which is part of who she is to this day. On her own, she traveled overseas and discovered different cultures, amazing historical architecture and the incredible beauty that is everywhere in this world. All the while capturing what she saw with her camera.

One of the questions Lauri is asked most often both by viewers of her work and other photographers is, “How did you see that?” She works hard to show different perspectives, unique angles and the everyday details of a wide variety of subjects.

Lauri also has a passion for helping others and offers mentorships and photo tours. She also shares her inspiration and motivational tips for photographers as an author at Photofocus.com.

Her work has been featured in Our USA Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Kane County Chronicle and on WGN-TV. She has had images in several galleries in Chicago and as part of an international exhibition in Barcelona.