Buffalo City Hall at Dawn

Buffalo City Hall is one of those architectural wonders that calls me back often. At sunrise, it's illuminated by the warm rays of the rising sun. However, those rays also cast shadows across the building's face. While that makes the texture of the building stand out, the left wing also casts a shadow across the center of the building. This particular morning there was no sun and no rays. The overcast sky kept the light diffuse, allowing me to capture the building differently, literally in different light.

One thing to note though, even on a day like this the diffused light is still directional. While the sky looks featureless here, it did not get blown out and stayed within the dynamic range of the sensor. In the evening, with the light coming from behind, the situation would have been different and the strong backlight would require a strong overexposure of the sky. The details in the building would have been more difficult to capture. Alternatively, some color might find its way through even the thickest clouds giving the whole scene a whole different mood.

Have fun exploring different light!