The EY Tower and L Building in Downtown Toronto are two of the most iconic and recognized buildings in the city. Standing tall over Toronto, respectively, these two buildings dominate the skyline and can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. These two buildings have quickly become trademarks of the Toronto skyline.
I am on a bit of an architectural photography kick lately, photographing a slew of buildings in Toronto. I came by architectural photography almost naturally some years ago. I had started photographing landscapes which gave me some basics.
A few years ago, I regularly worked with a client photographing residential real estate. This gave me the basis to get a good education on how difficult architecture can be to photograph. To do it well I should say. I then moved on to commercial projects, and the buildings just seem to be getting bigger and bigger.
The EY Tower (above)
The building was completed in 2017. It is 188 m (617 ft) tall. The building has a total of 42 floors, and I might be a little biased, but it takes one heck of a photograph.
The EY Tower is located at 100 Adelaide Street West in Downtown Toronto. This architectural image was licensed to the building designer Kohn Pederson Fox. The building is LEED Platinum certified and managed by Oxford Properties.
I really wanted to take advantage of a slower shutter speed to create light-blurring effects in the foreground of the image. I think it really compliments the tower in terms of framing. The red lends contrasting colors to make this architectural image really pop.
I enjoy these types of building photographs because they lend themselves to such strong images that really grab the viewer’s attention. I always want to show the building as a fixture of the built environment.
I tend to shoot these later in the day. I use the vivid blue colors of the evening sky to add dramatic effect. The windows of the building reflect the colors of the sky giving a cool blue tone in contrast to the warm colors of the city.
L Tower. Toronto, ON.
L Tower
L Tower is a residential and office skyscraper in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was completed in 2014 and is currently the tallest residential building in Canada. It is located at 1 Bloor Street West, at the corner of Yonge Street and Bloor Street. The L Tower stands 673 ft tall and has 59 stories. The building has a total of 600 units, comprising mostly residential units.
The L Tower is connected to the PATH network of underground pedestrian walkways, making it accessible to office workers and residents alike. The building has been praised for its unique design, which features a curved glass façade that reflects the nearby CN Tower. The L Tower was designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in Toronto’s skyline and has become an iconic symbol of the city.
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I am continuing to shoot a bunch of personal architecture work around Toronto. It feels like a new project I might continue with. It is like I have so many years photographing natural landscapes that now it is time to focus on the built environment for the next little bit.
The skyline of Toronto is striking, with so many caveats and new discoveries out there to photograph. I like the movement of the people and the cars at the forefront of the images. I should mention that architectural photography in Toronto is by no means easy. It is very difficult to keep everything straight and have the buildings look as they do in real life. I think I will go into a post about how to shoot giant buildings later, but for now, it shall remain a mystery.
You can find out more about architecture in Toronto here.
Full Disclosure: I removed the crane from the top of the building. I lacked the patience to wait it out 😉
Final Thoughts
Architectural photography is a great way to really show off the cityscape. I think it is important to have images that really capture the viewer’s attention and make them want to learn more about the city. Toronto has so many great buildings and I think it is important to showcase them in all their glory. Thanks for reading!
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