Beyond the bricks and mortars, buildings are living works of art that reflect the timeless beauty and diversity of different cultures. The act of photographing buildings was initially done to document buildings but slowly grew into a distinct art form.
What is Architectural Photography all about?
This type of photography is about taking pictures of buildings and structures which can include interiors and exteriors of buildings, bridges, cityscapes and many other structures.
Do you know that architectural photography has a long history and “View from the Window at Le Gras” is the world’s oldest photo and dates back to 1820?
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Architectural photography is a captivating art form that attracts talented photographers, while some are driven by passion, others pursue it as a career by working for clients like architecture firms, advertising firms, and magazines. Irrespective of whether you are a beginner or a pro you need to have the right equipment to get started in your pursuit.
Pros and Cons of Architectural Photography
- The modern society is image-focused, often engaging with architecture through photographs rather than experiencing it tangibly. This type of photography is beneficial because we see buildings and structures that we may never get to visit in our lifetime.
- They also help expand our architectural knowledge and appreciate the beauty of various buildings and structures.
- The main drawback is that when people see structures through architectural photography, they can overlook the effort involved in creating a building and the impact of time, use, and weather on its existence.
- It technically freezes the building at that moment, providing a temporary escape from the inevitable changes that come with time.
Whether you are an aspiring architecture student looking to improve your architectural photography skills or a beginner trying to get the hang of it, then this blog is for you. Read on, to gain exposure to the right tips and techniques to finetune your photography skills.
These photography tips will enable you to craft an impressive portfolio that will enable you to stand out among your peers.
1) Shoot across the day and in different weather conditions: When it comes to shooting architectural marvels people look for dramatic lighting effects like sunset hours that offer long shadows and bright colours. This delivers vivid images of the building’s atmosphere in one specific timeframe. Shooting a series of images across the day and in different weather conditions can provide a narrative of the building’s association with its environment.
2) Prioritize good lighting: The background lighting should be good, irrespective of when you shoot because excellent lighting puts the spotlight on the space, specific structure or surroundings. This further provides your audience with insights into the remarkable features of the building structure.
3) Look for unique angles: While pursuing architectural photography, shooting pictures from different perspectives can be a delightful and rewarding experience. Take time and explore unique angles that can reveal minute details of the building that have been missed earlier. This can make your audience appreciate the beauty of the structure from a different dimension.
4) Include human presence: Architectural photography, in the past, often did not include people, it was as if including people took away the beauty of the structure. But of late architectural photographers are changing this trend, by including people in the pictures, which is becoming more popular.
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5) Explore as many details as possible: Most architectural photographers use wide-angle lenses to shoot the entire structure or room in one frame. Do you know that the structure may contain numerous intricate details and may not be visible when you use this technique? So, it’s always best to explore all these details up close, they usually enable your audience to gain fresh insights into the building’s history or construction.
6) Avoid taking pictures of the building from one perspective: Do you know that when you take pictures of the structure from one flattering angle, it can usually surprise your audience when they actually visit the site? So, it’s always best to shoot pictures from different angles to capture the entire spatial environment of the building, so your audience knows what to expect when they actually visit the site.
7) Enhance your images with post-processing tools: Post-processing software tools like Photoshop, with advanced functions like lens correction, can be used to enhance the natural beauty of your images to perfectly match the conditions you wish to capture and convey to your audience. This is an important step in photography and you should be aware of what kind of changes can be made and are acceptable.
8) Invest in appropriate photography equipment: To achieve high-quality architectural photography and advance in the field, you need to invest in the right equipment.
- Wide angle lens will enable you to capture buildings and interior spaces
- Tripod will allow you to shoot in low-light conditions
- Polarizing filter will add contrast and make your images look more vivid
- And that’s not all, you can even get a drone with a high-quality camera to elevate your architectural photography
By applying these tips and techniques you will be able to capture breathtaking images that highlight the splendour of our built environments. Additionally, researching the structure’s history and context, it will help you capture its true essence.
It’s essential to make it a habit of revisiting the same place over a period of time as it will help you uncover new and interesting details of the structure which you had missed earlier. While it can be great to take pictures of newly constructed buildings, visiting the same place periodically enables you to document the way the structure has evolved and deteriorated over time.
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