Documenting American Mid-Twentieth Century Architectural Wonders

Shoot what's around today that won't be tomorrow for a historical record.

Do you appreciate clean lines, organic forms, and timeless elegance? By focusing your photography on this architectural style, you can create a valuable visual record that resonate. sFinding the right type of architecture for you to photograph depends on your interests, the places you like to visit, and — most importantly — what you would like to see preserved.

All photos by Matthew Bamberg Copyright 2000-2010

As a baby boomer, I can recall days of flower children and roadside motels with neon signs — both recollections that explode with color. I travel often, so I encounter a good assortment of colorful objects day and night. Whether I’m shooting in Shanghai or Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, I look for colorful blasts from the past or objects that shine (no matter their condition) with every color under the rainbow. Many of the objects I discover are of the here-today-gone-tomorrow sort, so capturing them on my sensor is a form of preservation.

I chose signs as my specialty because, day or night, the neon and bright colors awe and inspire. Creating a crisp, clear image day or night requires that you get to know your camera and are aware of the following: