The unassuming concrete exterior of the Hedrich Blessing building pays homage to the work that goes on within it's walls. Dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary architectural photography, Hedrich Blessing houses a wealth of photographic examples as well as functioning as a studio and gallery. Our tour guide (whom I will refer to by his old nickname, "Cuddles") did a terrific job making the world of architectural photography exciting. To an outsider, the topic can often seem dry and unappealing, but the individual accounts and stories of the ups and downs of the trade made it seem much more interesting. I can say that it helped considerably to have seen "Visual Acoustics" before attending, because it helped give me a reference point on a subject I am admittedly not that familiar with.
I enjoyed hearing about how the gallery/studio/archive made it's transition from being devoted to film to becoming almost entirely digital. I had no idea that they were 100% dedicated to large film photography until only a few years ago, but I can understand why they were willing to wait. It seems that architectural photography is an extremely disciplined and detail-oriented field. On numerous occasions I noticed how Cuddles would refer to the interplay of architecture and photography as the only "essential" art, as well as pointing out how being an accomplished architectural photographer is an extremely prestegious and difficult to attain position.
I also enjoyed the talk we were given in Cuddles' "Bunker", where he told the story of Frank Lloyd Wright and the public's love/hate relationship with his work. I never knew how fickle Wright could be about certain things, and how his large ego would often wear on the nerves of those who worked with him. However through and through Cuddles had a warm and entertaining personality which is what set this visit apart from the rest in my mind.
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