Powell Library's front facade faces north, which means for most of the year it sits in shadow — this angle only works because it was shot in summer, when the sun swings far enough to actually light the front of the building instead of leaving it flat and dark. Show up in the wrong season and this exact shot isn't there to take.
I also shot from a low angle, camera near the ground looking up, which sets him against the full scale of the building's towers and arched windows rather than just a slice of it. That angle reads as more powerful and commanding, which is the direction I gave him — chin up, hands in pockets, shoulders back, a confident stance that holds its own against the size of the architecture behind him instead of getting swallowed by it.
Knowing that timing and season affect which side of a building actually gets good light is part of what goes into a graduation portrait like this — the same low-angle, high-drama treatment can fall flat if the light isn't cooperating that day.
Location: Powell Library - University of California, Los Angeles.
