Department Of Water And Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters is a striking modernist building set within a reflecting pool and fountain complex that becomes genuinely spectacular after dark. The illuminated water features create strong foreground interest, and the building's glass facade reflects both the fountains and the surrounding cityscape, giving you layered compositions that work especially well with a wide angle lens. Shoot from the plaza level to incorporate the fountains as leading elements toward the building, or pull back to include the Downtown LA skyline rising behind it. Blue hour is the sweet spot here, when the artificial lighting balances with the fading sky and the reflections are at their most vivid. The plaza is publicly accessible and relatively uncrowded on weekday evenings. A tripod is essential for longer exposures that smooth out the moving water and bring out the full depth of the scene. (Los Angeles, California, United States)
