Benson Photo's Blog

Twilight, the time just after the sun goes away and before the sky goes black makes for dramatic photographs.

On February 17, I shot exterior photographs of the Rock School of Dance, which trains classical ballet dancers, is located at a busy intersection in South Philadelphia.

My client, JJ DeLuca, is a commercial construction company who renovated part of the building that was vacated by the Pennsylvania Ballet Company who moved to another location. JJ DeLuca changed the second floor from offices to a cafeteria and study rooms. In addition, the exterior facade was updated and signage added.

This building was a challenge to photograph during daytime hours because one side faces north, so the sun doesn’t light that side; and the low winter sun starts to cast shadows from adjoining buildings in the mid-afternoon on the western side. Twilight created more visual interest and minimized visual distractions in a very urban setting.

Another obstacle during the shoot was waiting in the February cold for the busy flow of rush hour traffic on both Broad Street and Washington Avenue to be at a stage where the cars didn’t overpower or block the building.

Coincidently, I used to live four blocks from this building. Back in my old neighborhood I was able to have lunch at a Middle Eastern eatery, Bitar’s, where the lamb gyro with yogurt was very tasty. Two blocks away, we had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, Viet Huong, where the summer rolls and beef with lemongrass were delicious.