Rock and Roll Hall of Fame UneditedRock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio, as captured Welcome to the first in a series of Before and After images, where I share my thoughts on why I took a particular photo and how I arrived at the final result.

On a trip to Cleveland with a friend—partly to see the Indians play at Progressive Field and partly to add another ballpark to my list—we made a stop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’ve always thought the exterior is almost as fascinating as what’s inside, so I set out to find an interesting angle or perspective of this famous building. That search led me to the photo on the left.

At first, I didn’t think this image was particularly exciting. Still, something about it lingered in my mind, even if I couldn’t quite figure out why. It felt like the image had more to say, but the message wasn’t clear. Eventually, I set it aside for nearly a year. When I came back to it, I saw it with fresh eyes.

Through some tinkering and experimentation, it clicked: the building’s basic shapes reminded me of the basic chords of rock and roll—simple, strong, and foundational. I decided to focus entirely on that geometry, stripping away the sense of place. Rotating the image to a horizontal format emphasized the shapes, and suddenly, it begged to be in black and white. Now it was speaking my language.

After a bit of digital darkroom work, I arrived at the final image you see below. For me, it’s a reminder that a camera doesn’t always capture the image you see in your mind right away. Sometimes, it takes time, play, and exploration to uncover the photo you were really after. If this piece of architectural minimalism speaks to you, the final image is available as a print—just click the photograph below to view purchase options.
The Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Ohio. Prints available, click on the image