He has amassed a collection of hundreds of images and shared them on Instagram, which necessitates that all photos be posted into a square format.
That geometric restriction has proven to be a benefit, rather than a detriment, to Rosas, whose images clearly are the work of someone who understands construction, in the first place, as well as pictorial composition, to document these buildings in a visual social-media platform.
Having a degree in architecture may have something to do with his ability, but a love for old-school Hollywood glamour, believe it or not, has also influenced his eye for determining what makes an engaging photo of a building.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Screen-Shot-2016-09-30-at-5.02.28-PM.png” credit=”Photos courtesy Rafael Rosas” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”Local architect Rafael Rosas has turned the lens of his iPhone toward the buildings that capture his eye in Long Beach, Signal Hill and the surrounding area. He has posted hundreds of these photos on his Instagram account in the last few years.” captionposition=”right”] The 44-year-old architect, who was born in Queretaro, Mexico but now lives in Long Beach, began taking the pictures a few years ago. It started as somewhat of a hobby but eventually became something more purposeful as he photographed structures that caught his eye in Signal Hill, Long Beach and the surrounding area.
“First, it was purely aesthetics— buildings that I liked and could be photographed well,” he said. “Later, I began to notice there were certain architectural elements that I wanted to photograph for personal record— kind of an archive of inspirational images.”
Previously, he had been inspired by something altogether different.
“During my college years, I was obsessed with fashion photographers of the Golden Age of Hollywood, like Horst P. Horst, Cecil Beaton and Edward Steichen,” Rosas said. “Their photographs were not only perfectly composed, but the subject’s striking personality was at the heart of each image. Such idea is what I learned to seek every time I take a photograph— the personality of a building. I also feel like I’ve become, not only a photographer, but a historian surveying the architecture and urbanism of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.”
[aesop_image imgwidth=”300px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Screen-Shot-2016-09-30-at-5.03.09-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left”] When asked what it is that strikes him about a place and compels him to stop and snap its photo, he said, “Everything implicit about its existing aesthetic conditions. By that, I mean reading instantly its shapes, order, light, colors, plants, materials and/or its urban context— and how these elements harmonize so well, which makes me visualize a great capture.”
Others have taken note. EIS Design, an exhibit designer in New York City, contacted Rosas about his photos.
“They wanted to exhibit Instagram accounts that reflected the city of Los Angeles, and they liked mine,” Rosas said. “They wanted me to let them use photos so they can digitally display them. I said yes.”
What began as a social-media-centered pastime has resulted in a permanent exhibit in the lobby of One California Plaza in downtown L.A.
Rosas can be found on Instagram as @mmeviolette.
