Larkin Filling StationLarkin Square, Buffalo, NY It was the Filling Station, it's brick facade, and its clock that brought me to the Larkin square this night. It was also my interest to observe, experience, and capture all of the great things happening in and around Buffalo, NY. I've had many posts about the waterfront and specifically the Outer Harbor where the last ten years witnessed huge improvements for the public.

Larkin Square is another area in the historic industrial heart of Buffalo that has seen quite a few changes in the last few years. With all of the events held at the square it can be a rather busy scene during summer.

Arriving well after sunset, I wanted to focus more on the architecture surrounding the square and the lights it had to offer to break up the darkness. I went black and white with several of the photographs to trigger a though about the industrial past of Buffalo. In my opinion, black and white photography has the unique quality to do that without words.

As you can see, the Filling Station and its patio were rather deserted at this hour as it serves its purpose at lunch time on weekdays and closes at 3 PM. I was glad some lights were left on inside to balance out the lights above and beyond the Filling Station and to help the patio chairs stand out.

Nostalgic Hydraulic HearthLarkin Square, Buffalo, New York So where does a hungry soul go later in the day? It's not too far, actually, it's just across the street. The Hydraulic Hearth restaurant is there to serve its purpose from happy hour and on, attracting steady crowds flowing in and out all the time. And what's even better, those crowds flow in and out on foot!

For the first photograph of Hydraulic Hearth I am sticking with the classic black and white to complement the Filling station photo. I really liked the light and shadow contrast in this head on architectural portrait of the building, and the black and white presentation carries the mood over so much better!

To close today's Larkin Square series I am going to leave you with a photograph in color, diagonally across the intersection from the restaurant. This one with a whole different purpose in mind. Leaving the old days and the classic black and white look behind, I wanted to highlight the re-development of historic buildings around the square and bring you to the present, and hopefully great future.

I included a wider scene to place the restaurant in the square, not isolated on its own, and left the shutter open for an extended period of time to capture the car traffic passing by.

Hydraulic Hearth CommotionLarkin Square, Buffalo, NY