One of my favorite architectural photos I've ever taken was actually done with zero forethought as I walked around downtown Chicago during a trip. I had never been there before and I had my Canon Rebel XT (with all six megapixels) and the 18-55 kit lens. I was very, very new to photography and was blown away with the abundance of architectural subject matter (this is Chicago, after all!)
Once I sat down at the end of the trip and went through my photos, this one really stuck out to me. It's of the Wrigley Building on Michigan Ave right next to the bridge over the Chicago river. The building was built in the 1920s with the skyway added later. I really liked how the new contemporary stoplight blended into the shot on the right side of the composition.
What is your most surprising shot where you weren't expecting a lot but were pleasantly surprised with how it came out?
I may have composed the shot a little, but I never thought much about the building. Kit canon lens on my Canon 1100D (12 mp - so you got me there). But, I turned out to love the details in the structure, and the composition of the balcony lines.
pretty cool! the texture and 90 degree angles of the building in the foreground contrast nicely with the electrical cables hanging down, nice off the cuff capture!