Visual Acoustics

Back in high school and the earlier parts of college, I had ambitions of becoming an architect. I loved creating and designing spaces as well as drafting and building models. However, I ended up changing majors and schools to pursue other goals. And even though it's not my particular field of study these days, I still have a fondness for architecture.

An interesting film (documentary) that I saw recently was "Visual Acoustics: the Modernism of Julius Shulman." As far as architectural photographers go, Shulman was one of the most well known, creating some of the most memorable photographs of modernist style buildings, particularly in Southern California. The photograph of the Case Study House 22, pictured below, is one of his most iconic.

One of the aspects I enjoyed most about the film was Shulman's steadfast vision for how best to capture architecture. His understanding of composition was extraordinary, but even better was his comprehension of how to relate people to the spaces. Also underscored in the movie was his relationship to the modernist movement and direct connection to progressive architects, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Frank Gehry.

So if you enjoy architecture, photography, and especially architectural photography or if you're just a modernist at heart, I think you'll enjoy "Visual Acoustics."