The Well, Toronto: Moody Architectural Photography by Patrick Kilburn

We asked Greater Toronto Area photographer Patrick Kilburn to talk about his process with these photos of the newest gem in Toronto’s architectural scene, The Well. The following text explains the process and artistic intent. and is from a direct message exchange with the creator.

Photography at The Well by Patrick Kilburn 

When I first discovered the newly minted The Well downtown, the first thing that struck me was the intriguing mix of organic, Art Deco, and contemporary architectural design elements there.   

As a photographer, I quickly began to visualize a myriad of composition choices, and I also thought about how light, shadow and colour tones would present themselves during different times of day. I knew I’d be back several times. And so I have. And I’m not done yet! 

So far, I’ve leaned mostly towards editing for monochromatic frames. I just love how the absence of color in a photo helps to accentuate and draw the eye towards the shapes and details more, as well as the light and shadow elements of a composition. The things that make BW images special, I guess one could say. 

For my more recent edits, I’ve tried to introduce a softer aesthetic by using luminosity masks and blur filters to achieve a selective glow effect for daylight shots.

Why? I guess I just feel that the curvier organic features at The Well are right in there with ‘harsher’ urban straight lines and angles. So what’s next? I think probably golden hour and blue hour captures for me. Not that I’d avoid any other time of day or night – especially as the weather improves with the arrival of spring. Soon! 

Follow the photographer @pkphotography.ca