Greensburg, Kansas
This past weekend we attended a wedding in Garden City, KS, and on the way back we decided to drive through Greensburg. This is the town that was completely destroyed by an EF-5 tornado May 4, 2007, and instead of closing its doors became the “greenest” city in the world. They have rebuilt using the LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) program set by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) as the foundation for any new building. So far Main Street has been developed with retail shops, a bank, the school, City Hall, and the Kiowa Community Center. 
One of the best stories behind a building in the town is the Arts Center that was named in honor of the day that changed the town forever 5.4.7 Arts Center. This building was designed and built by students at the University of Kansas through the Studio 804 program. Overall it was a very positive experience to drive through the town that has come up from the ashes, and see new building happening all around keeps the growing town looking ahead instead of behind. This year the former Twilight theater will be rebuilt and re-open showing first run movies, and the “Big Well” is just about finished, and it will re-open the deepest hand-dug well in the world on May 26th.
Boulevard Twilight
In Kansas City, the Boulevard Brewery is just enough off the beaten path that you probably wouldn’t just stumble upon it, even though it is no more than 1/4 mile off the highway on Southwest (Boulevard). It is a place that locals love to brag about to their out-of-town guests, and the tours are so popular that you have to make reservations months in advance in order to secure a spot. The building itself is the old Santa Fe Railroad building, where sheets, table linens, napkins, etc. were cleaned for the passenger cars. It has since been added on to once already in order to accommodate the demand in new markets accross the country, and is currently undergoing further rennovations for the same reason. Boulevard is a big part of the Kansas City community, and is one of the founders of the ripple glass program in the city that recycles all shapes, colors, and sizes of glass. If you are ever in the Kansas City area make sure you book a tour and enjoy some locally made craft beer.
Chicago
Chicago is one of my favorite places to visit, and this time we went over one of its biggest holidays(St. Patricks day). We took some time to enjoy the lesser known parts of Chicago, at least by tourist standards, but I actually really enjoyed the little neighborhoods we explored. That being said, I only really captured a few little pieces from Chicago, and it may epitomize the tourist spots, but here is the first batch of shots from the weekend.
Australia (Sydney)
We made a brief stop in Sydney, Australia and it rained pretty much all three days we had there. We stayed in the middle of the CBD near George Street. Sydney has a larger city feel, and almost everything you would want to do is accessible by either train, bus or ferry. We explored the main tourist areas as well as some off the beaten path places. I think our favorite find was a little brewery in Manly Beach called Four Pines. We spent a rainy afternoon trying out some craft beers and enjoying some sweet chili and sour cream wedges.
Nelson Atkins Art Museum (Bloch Building)
With fall color right around the corner, I have been searching out spots that may have the best ‘fall’ potential. One place that quickly came to mind was the Nelson-Atkins art museum. Unfortunately the trees in the front lawn do not show signs of the transitioning season. Although I was a bit disappointed I decided to focus more on the Bloch Building designed by Steven Holl. It turned out to be a beautiful night to be outside shooting.
Kauffman Performing Arts Center (Entry)
With the opening of the Kauffman only a few weeks away, the site has started to open up little by little allowing me to explore more than I have ever been able to. This week I wanted to focus on the front of the building because I already have so many shots of the shell. I also focused on the backlit sign on the corner of 17th and Broadway.
Holy Family Shrine
Presidents day weekend is always a time for me and Katy to disappear somewhere for a mini-vacation. In the past we have been visiting different national parks around the country. This year we decided to something a little different and stay a little closer to home. While it may not be the most exciting vacation we have ever taken, there were definitely some interesting things to do and see in Omaha, NE. Just West of Omaha, and just off of I-80 on the South side, rests a quaint, simple chapel. It’s the kind of architecture that ,during the day, becomes a part of its surroundings before one has a chance to even notice they have passed it, and at night becomes a glowing lighthouse on the prairie. I was lucky enough to be able to experience it through overcast, sunny, and twilight. It really is amazing how your impression of a place can be drastically altered by the proper light. I think you will find that this place is made only more beautiful by the different light that passes through or eminates from it.
Union Station Kansas City (Twilight)
Union Station
Sitting at the base of Liberty Memorial on the outskirts of Downtown Kansas City is a place still used as a transportation hub of the midwest. Although its primary function may not be to ship eager passengers along the winding railroads of the nation, it still breathes life into the cultural heritage of Kansas City. There are events, exhibits and restaurants that still thrive in this mammoth neo-classical building. I have been photographing Kansas City and its icons for about three years now, and I cannot believe I had not added this shot to my portfolio. I have fallen in love with exploring the light that exists between light of day and the darkness of night. The name used to define this astrological time is Civil Twilight. The thing that makes my photographs explore the contrast between the electric blue dwelling in the sky and the manmade sodium hallide lighting that washes the hardened paved surfaces that cover our urban landscape. I hope that you enjoy my interpretations of this hour that drives my passion for photography.
St. Lucia (Jade Mountain)
As many of my friends and family already know, I was recently married(thus the reason for such a long hiatus from this blog) and while the wedding was great and everyone had a blast, we could not wait to go on our honeymoon(see why below). We stayed at Jade Mountain on the western coast of the island. It is a beautiful little place located just to the north of Venezuela. Here are a few images to show what it was like. (I am so happy to try and get back to some semblance of a normal life again now that the main event has taken place).
Union Station (Denver)
I was at home for the Thanksgiving holliday, and I had a brief moment to capture the twilight falling over the iconic Union Station building in Downtown Denver. Hope you enjoy it.
Boulevard Brewing Company
Last week I met with a gallery owner to discuss how to push myself and make the most out of everything that I shoot. What came out of it was a discussion about strengths and weaknesses. He shared a little anecdote about artists saying, “Think about someone like Monet, and tell me what the first style that comes to mind.” Monet is most known for his landscapes, this isn’t to say that he never did anything else, just that this is where his strength was. I have been told by plenty of people that you should just stick to your strengths, but this simple phrase put it all in perspective for me, and so I will be focusing a lot more on Landscapes and Architecture.
Recently I was approached by someone to take photos of one of the local breweries in Kansas City. Its a little place on Southwest Boulevard (aka the “Boulevard”) just off I-35, that started small just serving a local market, but has grown to a national market. The most famous beer the produce is an unfiltered wheat beer that is typically served with either a lemon or orange slice. They have plenty of other good beer, but they are just known more for the Boulevard Wheat. I took this series of images about twenty minutes after sunset, and got that beautiful twilight blue sky. If you are in Kansas City or ever come through they have tours, and I would recommend seeing the space designed by the local 360 Architects.
Architecture
For this post, I thought I would let you know a few tips on how and this is the key, when to shoot architecture. Obviously I am stating my preference, but I will tell you why this is my beilief. When you shoot architecture, you should always at least try to inclued something that gives you scale(people, cars, lightpoles, trees, etc.). If you are shooting for details, then just make sure you use your compositional rules, but other than that have fun. The best shots for architecture show depth which means high contrast light, small aperture, and again contrasting light. For the past couple of shots I have done I have chosen to shoot at twilight. This is because most street lighting, or building lighting has a natural orange or yellow hue to it, and given that the sky between night and day has a very strong, rich blue you get a natural pallette of complimentary colors. Also, lengthened exposures give you the ability to have car trails and things that give your image movement. Here are a few examples of what I am talking about. 
Downtown KC
I just recently moved into the downtown area with my girlfriend, and since I have been here the weather has been flaky at best. There is a long hallway in the entry that needs some new artwork, so this past weekend I went out with the intention of capturing some abstract architectural details that are distinctly Kansas City. It is great to see the downtown so alive at the moment, and it keeps growing everyday. The few pictures I have included in this post show the contrast between some of the historical buildings, contemporary buildings and future builidings.
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- The club in the President Hotel
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- Kansas City’s Downtown Arena
Ryan Estes Photos 