An Evening of Architectural Abstracts in Coventry

Twelve photographers, a summer evening and a mission to find abstract beauty in Coventry's architecture.

Three of a Kind - Photograph by Catherine Knee

Photography clubs are dangerous things. You turn up expecting to photograph one thing and come home with memory cards full of something completely different.

This week's camera club first summer walk was centred around architectural abstracts, a genre I rarely shoot. Portraits, fantasy work, emotive imagery... those are familiar territory. Concrete, steel and geometry are not usually what tempt me to pick up a camera. Which is exactly why I went.

Aperture Photograph by Catherine Knee

The walk was organised by Martyn, who introduced us to some of the ideas and techniques used by architectural photographer Angi McMonigal. Rather than photographing buildings as buildings, the challenge was to look for shapes, patterns, leading lines and small details hidden within the larger structure.

Easier said than done!

We started in Gosford Street Car Park, a location that initially felt about as welcoming as a dystopian film set. Grey concrete, shadows and the ever-present Coventry ring road don't exactly scream photographic inspiration. Yet once we started looking properly, possibilities began to appear everywhere.

Concrete Recession Photograph by Catherine Knee

Triangles formed between supports and staircases. Curves emerged from places I would normally walk straight past. Lines converged and disappeared into the distance. What had seemed cold and uninteresting suddenly became a collection of abstract puzzles waiting to be solved.

Our route took us beneath the ring road and past the Sports Centre Elephant before winding towards the Cathedral.

At times the weather seemed determined to test our commitment. We experienced several brief outbreaks of rain, resulting in photographers mysteriously gathering beneath sheltered overpasses. Officially, of course, we were all there because the location offered fascinating photographic opportunities. Any resemblance to hiding from the weather was purely coincidental.

Zed Photograph by Catherine Knee

The reward came whenever the clouds briefly parted. Shafts of warm evening sunlight would suddenly pour through gaps between the buildings, transforming ordinary concrete into something far more dramatic. For a few moments the city glowed.

One of the joys of these walks is seeing how differently people respond to the same environment.

While some photographers focused on architectural details, others found themselves drawn to entirely different subjects. Robert and I were both distracted by a wonderful patch of wildflowers growing near the Elephant. They were untidy in the most beautiful way, spilling colour and texture into an otherwise urban landscape.

Elsewhere, photographers could be found in increasingly unusual positions. Andy climbed a bank for a higher viewpoint. Alex positioned himself at the base of the Elephant shooting almost vertically upwards. Lee discovered a strong composition by photographing through the opening of a steel bin, using it as a frame.

At the Corner Photograph by Catherine Knee

Penny and I independently spotted the same potential image beneath one of the underpasses. We both waited hopefully for a bright red car to drive through the scene and provide the perfect splash of colour. The universe, unfortunately, had other plans. Not a single suitable red car appeared. The city clearly hadn't received the memo.

One of my favourite moments came near the Cathedral, where we met a couple of lovely people who stopped to ask what we were doing. Far from being suspicious of a group of photographers wandering around with cameras, they were genuinely interested and even volunteered to pose for photographs. It was a lovely reminder that photography can sometimes start conversations that might never otherwise happen.

By the end of the evening we had accumulated plenty of photographs, plenty of steps and a growing appreciation for a style of photography many of us don't often explore.

Pointing Down Photograph by Catherine Knee

We eventually finished the evening in Wetherspoons, comparing notes over coffee, while a few members of the group exercised their right to enjoy something slightly stronger. (I confess, it was me!)

Will architectural abstracts become my primary photographic passion? Nope! But I left with a few images I like, a few new ideas, and a renewed appreciation for the simple act of slowing down and really looking at the world around me.

Sometimes the most interesting photographs are hiding in places you would normally ignore.

Between Floors Photograph by Catherine Knee

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