The Symmetry of Sutton Station
Symmetry, leading lines, perspective… these are all concepts that appeal to me in photography. I enjoy seeing them in the world around me, so when I’m looking through the lens or viewfinder of a camera, I naturally try to compose my image to bring the patterns I’m looking at into sharp relief.
So there’s this… I’m not even sure what to call it?… restaurant/office/apartment complex? just a few minutes from my house that exemplifies everything I love about symmetrical construction. Sutton Station, as it’s called, features four quadrants, each lined with columns that are built around a sort of “town square”. And right in the middle of this town square is a weird fountain-looking thing with lions’ heads. What I mean is… it ought to be a fountain by the look of it, but it actually ends up being a planter for numerous colorful flowers. It’s a bit odd and quite wonderful all at the same time.
The whole place has a faux neo-classical vibe to it with its white columns and those fierce-looking lions’ heads. One of the restaurants at Sutton Station is the Nantucket Grill which features bright red umbrellas and string lights for its outdoor seating area. I suppose, if you stood next to the “non-fountain” and squinted real hard at the umbrellas, you might imagine yourself in a quaint Italian piazza. Or not. Ok, that would be a bit of a stretch!
To Sutton Station’s casual visitor—say the person wanting to get real estate services from the Classic Carolina Realty Group or the person with the sweet tooth who’s heading to Dulce Cafe and Gelato (awesome pastries!)—the place probably seems unremarkable. It’s yet another group of cookie-cutter buildings made up to look fancier than it actually is.
Not to me though! What I see when I walk through Sutton Station is glorious symmetry, wonderful lines, unique perspectives, and funky details (lions’ heads!) that beg to be photographed.
One cloudy, dismal morning a few weeks ago, I needed to go deposit some cash at my bank. My bank happens to be right next door to Sutton Station. The quality of light outside my window looked interesting, so I grabbed one of my digital cameras figuring this would be a good opportunity to snap some shots while it was quiet.
On this particular morning I used my venerable Nikon D3200 that I’ve had for a few years now. I had just gotten a new and rather versatile zoom lens for it that I was anxious to try.
The new… and the very old
It was a fun and very quick photo shoot. Maybe 20 minutes tops. The place isn’t that big, after all. Below are some modest examples of the results.
Addendum
Oh, and then… I actually went back to Sutton Station some weeks later (last week) because I wanted to test another film camera I’ve recently picked up that I’m quite excited about. At the end of this post are just a few photos I took with the Kodak Retina III c. I’ll have lots more to say about this beauty in a future post. In the meantime enjoy the clarity and beautiful colors produced by this 64-year-old marvel of German engineering.
Shooting with Nikon D3200
This is the my first DSLR and the only camera I’ve ever purchased brand new, back in 2012. The Nikon D3200 is unremarkable yet completely reliable. It’s a perfect grab-and-go camera because of it’s diminutive size and simple operation. Of course, I’ve compromised that benefit lately by pairing it with a large-ish zoom lens that adds considerable bulk and heft (see the photo above). In my defense, I’ve decided that this Nikon should only have one lens that’s always attached so I don’t have to think about it. And you can’t go wrong with a 18mm to 200mm zoom.
Shooting with the Kodak Retina III c
Joy. That’s the one word that describes shooting with this beautiful piece of kit that was manufactured in Stuttgart, Germany in 1957. I was so nervous because I had just purchased the camera the day before and I had no idea if the shutter was actually working at high speeds or whether the timings were even going to be accurate. I put in my cheapest roll of fresh film, Kodak Color Plus 200 (also my new favorite film stock), and hoped for the best. German engineering comes through yet again. The color! The clarity! Oh my!
