Art of Building Photography Competition: The Hidden Ballroom

I was so pleased when I learnt that I had won the Art of Building photography competition organised by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The CIOB contacted me to say that I was the judge’s choice. My picture is called The Hidden Ballroom and was taken from the Secret Garden balcony at the Library of Birmingham.

Looking down in between the outer steel circular rings that surround the building, a hidden ballroom appears. This is a trompe-l’œil, where the eye is deceived into thinking there is a room present. My photograph creates art from a building that has already won many awards for its design.

Announcement of the “art of building” winners.

When I took the picture, I was searching for a novel view of this often-photographed building. My pictures of the library vary: I have used reflections from the windows or looked to enhance the external geometry. For this view, I held my camera over the balcony, ensuring I had a tight hold of the body. This enabled me to point the camera downwards to the balcony below. The view made the struts that hold the outer circles in place appear as ceiling supports, and the floor of the lower balcony adds a colourful touch.

The picture was shortlisted, and then I received the email to tell me that it was the judge’s choice. I was a winner, and the news took a while to sink in.

The press release includes quotes from myself and the judges.

The EXIF details for the picture are as follows: aperture f/8.0, shutter speed 1/250 and ISO 500. The focal length was 30mm.

Finally, I will use the prize money to upgrade to a new, faster Mac that will help with processing my pictures more quickly. On to the next picture!