Spokane Night Scenes at the Fernwell building

Spokane Night Scenes at the Fernwell building

In 2011 I began shooting for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as the Spokane Preservation Advocates. This series of shoots began early in 2011, and started with a scheduled shoot from the rooftop of the Fernwell building.

The Fernwell building is easily one of my favorite locations in downtown Spokane, and it is also one of the rehabilitated old buildings downtown that is at the least, very attractive, and restored exceptionally well.

When I approached the management team at the Fernwell about shooting from their building to capture surrounding targets for NTHP, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the manager of the Fernwell, Michael Lee. Although I met some very nice property managers in 2011, Michael Lee stands out among all of them. Maybe it was his attitude, maybe it was his friendly demeanor, but Michael Lee provided me with multiple opportunities to shoot from his rooftop throughout 2011. Simply getting chances to hang out at the Fernwell, was a total blast with the help of Michael Lee. After my spending a career in police work, I had more than my fair share of chances to evaluate character, and Michael Lee has all of that, and then some.

The Fernwell building isn’t the tallest building downtown, and it isn’t the shortest that I have been on top of over the year in 2011. Yet the views from the rooftop of the Fernwell building are second to none. The views to the west, the south, and to the north are extraordinary during daylight. Later in 2011 I found that although the images captured in daylight from the Fernwell were good, just weeks ago I visited the Fernwell again, after dark. Simply put there were no bad views at all from the Fernwell.

My favorite views from the Fernwell are views of the Old National Bank building (US Bank) on Riverside. The character of that old building during daylight is easy to see, but when Mother Nature turns out the lights after dark, the ONB building is simply awesome from the roof of the Fernwell. With the assistance of Michael Lee at the Fernwell, I hope I have been able to capture images of downtown that visitors and residents can view, as shot from the roof of the Fernwell building.

Here are a couple of links to a few favorites of mine, taken in, and on top of the Fernwell building.

Daylight:

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/nthp37.htm

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/nthp47.htm

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/nthp48.htm

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/atriumtopaz1200.jpg

Evening/dark

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/onb1024.htm

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/onbfernwell.htm

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/wellsfapco.htm

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/boawide.htm

Another thing about Michael Lee at the Fernwell building. Although my primary goal this year has been to capture images of historic targets or locations specified by NTHP, I spent one evening on top of the Fernwell with 15 photographers that I invited to shoot from the rooftop. Rooftop shoots are few and far between, but none more difficult to work out than to do it at night. Not so for Michael Lee, as he and I discussed that possibility in April of this year, so he was far in front of the curve. So, 15 photogs got a once in a lifetime opportunity for a rooftop night shoot, courtesy of Michael.

This is an example of somebody going above and beyond to help a small group of my team of photogs visiting the Fernwell on multiple occasions for NTHP, and also for an invitation I was able to extend to 15 photogs that would have never gotten an opportunity if it had not been presented by Michael.

John D. Moore, CPP

Spokane Night Scenes

photos@spokanenightscenes.com

(O) 509 327 5627