Open House Perth 2019 - Day One

Last year I decided to volunteer as a photographer for Open House Perth, a two-day showcase of some of Perth’s most interesting residential and commercial properties. It was a fantastic opportunity to gain otherwise restricted access to architecturally designed buildings and interiors, which was a perfect platform to gain experience and further improve my abilities. It also presented a challenge in that we were required to capture not only the architecture and design of the properties but also the visitors and volunteers in more of an event style of photography that I was not really used to.

I knew I would want to use my 14 mm prime to get the best viewing angle possible, especially for interiors, but admittedly it is not the best choice for portraits and doesn’t allow me to apply background compression for more detailed shots. However, as time was scarce and I didn’t want to complicate things by stopping to change lens several times per location, I decided to just keep the wide-angle prime on the whole time.

During our morning briefing, I elected to cover the CBD area which only required me to provide photos from four locations. However, there were dozens of great places to check out along the way. My first target was Barracks Arch, a remnant of the Pensioner Barracks which was demolished in 1966.

Barracks Arch

The Arch is particularly difficult to photography from the outside as its position between two converging roads provides limited viewing angles. I couldn’t spend too long at each location, so I didn’t worry too much about getting that perfect shot. After all, this was shortly before midday on an incredibly hot day with almost no clouds, so conditions were not ideal.

After a quick tour of the poorly-ventilated interior, I went across the road to the Channel Nine studio. We had been instructed not to take any photos of this location as they already had more than enough, but I still wanted to experience it for my own personal benefit.

Channel Nine

I continued down St Georges Terrace, which was lined with various commercial spaces to explore - and a welcome relief from the heat. I gladly ducked into the Charter Hall office at St Georges Square, a building I had passed countless times but never entered. Owing to the warm weather, there weren’t as many people walking about as expected, which gave me a chance to slow down and pay more attention to setting up compositions rather than taking snapshots.

225 St Georges Terrace

I still had a lot of ground to cover and the day was still getting hotter, so I made my way further down the terrace and briskly as I could manage towards Brookfield Place, the second tallest building to grace the Perth skyline. It was within the smaller Tower 2 building, however, that I would find refuge from the sun as well as a moderately more active crowd, allowing me the opportunity to incorporate people into my shots.

Brookfield Place Tower 2 Conference Centre

On the sixth floor of Tower 2 were the offices of the law firm Coors Chambers Westgarth, whose conference room had a stunning view of the esplanade and the Swan River. As there were a lot more people perusing these rooms, I tried to switch into event mode and capture the people more than the architecture. The angular style of the lobby made it especially hard to determine and correct for perspective correction as I didn’t exactly have the time or the equipment to capture it properly.

Coors Chambers Westgarth

Having completed the locations I was required to photograph, I decided to take a break and catch up with some other volunteers for lunch in Northbridge. After somewhat recovering from mild starvation and moderate heatstroke, I had a look around a few of the locations nearby, starting with The Rechabite, a recently restored dance hall converted into a modern bar, restaurant, and performance venue. The moody ambient light made it challenging to get sharp, noiseless images, but in retrospect, perhaps it’s better to show the darkness for what it is.

The Rechabite

To cap off the day, I headed out to Mount Lawley to check out some residential locations. This quaint apartment was tucked away in an unassuming building and is the epitome of essential living. Being surrounded by wooden panels greatly enhanced the feeling of coziness as opposed to standard plaster wall or exposed brick, however the compact space made it very difficult to find flattering angles while respecting the wishes and generosity of the owner. I would love to have had a couple of hours to myself to really explore the possibilities.

Plywood Box on Hyde

A couple blocks away was another hidden gem nestled amongst the typical suburban architecture. The elevated cuboid structure is completely distinguished from its neighouring houses and projects a simplified, modern way of living. Buildings such as this are a gold mine for lovers of the single point perspective and, with the appropriate styling, offer endless opportunities for arranging minimalistic compositions.

Clarence Street

There were many more locations on offer, but I decided to get some rest and leave those for the next day. Stay tuned for day two of my experience as a volunteer photographer for Open House Perth.

Thanks for reading.