Architecture has the power to draw us to a space, change our mood, or inspire us. We are able to surround ourselves with beautiful spaces but sometimes this can be difficult to capture in a photograph the same way our eyes see it. How do we take something so dynamic and make it two-dimension? Below are a few helpful tips to elevate your architectural photography.
Think Differently
Architectural photography is not only capturing the overall space. It’s also about capturing the details and moods that make the space and how the material comes together. Don’t be afraid to take your camera off the tripod and put on that zoom lens. Those detail shots really help tell the story and bring the space to life.
Fix Those Lines
Nothing ruins a beautiful architectural photograph like an image with slightly skewed lines. It’s important to keep this in mind while composing the shot. Sometimes it’s inevitable but, with the right tools, this can be corrected. Minor changes can be made using post-processing software but this comes at a cost: the greater the correction needed, the more the overall image is lost due to necessary cropping. In turn, this will alter the overall composition of an image and sometimes cause parts of the image to be cut off. To compensate for conversing lines in the field, architectural photographers use tilt shift lenses. These lenses not only allow us to keep our original composition but also allow us to capture a building on a parallel plane of focus.
Circular Polarizers and Neutral Density Filters
Claudio Silvestrin once said, “Architecture is supposed to complete nature. Great architecture makes nature more beautiful— it gives it power.” Naturally, architectural photography and landscape photography have a lot of overlap: one being the use of filters to help shape an image. Knowing how and when to use filters will improve your photography. Circular polarizer lenses (CPL) can save hours in post-production by reducing glares and reflections in different material. It can mean the difference between seeing the marbling of a countertop or seeing a bright white glare. CPL can also create artifacts in treated glass and reduce shutter speed so use with intent.
Neutral density filters (ND) allow architectural photographers to shape an image by slowing down the shutter. Architectural photographers are able to use the tool to create long exposures to smooth out water, remove traffic, or create trailing lines from vehicles.
The secret is to take multiple shots with and without these filters on the camera. Once the image is taken to be post-processed, there is as much information as possible to put the final image together. It is not unheard of for architectural photographers to use as many as thirty images to piece together the final shot.
Weather is Your Friend
It’s no secret that architectural photography is dependent on weather. We assume it must be a beautiful sunrise, sunset, or sunny day to get the best photographs but this isn’t always true. Some of the most inspiring photographs of architecture come from spaces captured on rainy, snowy, foggy or even cloudy days. Fog can bring architecture and nature together making the space feel magical. Snow can be used to create reflection and simplify the environment around the architecture. Fresh snow can clean up the space making a building or interior glow in a way you just can’t mimic.
The sun can be used to capture the artistic play of shadows and lines but it could also prevent us from capturing an interior or exterior because you are having to shoot into the sun. Cloudy days can help reduce the dynamic range needed to capture a space, helping to tie the space to its surroundings.
Wait it Out but Don’t
It’s easy to get locked down trying to get the perfect photograph— that shot of the shadow coming off the building at the perfect angle, the right cloud pattern, or that perfect sunset where the purples and pinks dance so nicely off the glass. We can spend hours at a spot waiting for that perfect moment to come. Depending on the space, it may feel like everyone and everything is working against you. Waiting it out is an option but it comes at a cost and many shots are missed while waiting. Sometimes it’s better to move on and capture some other images with the plan to come back at a more opportune time. Always have a backup plan and keep an open mind.
Understanding Shutter Speed and Aperture
It’s hard to write about architectural photography and not mention motion blur. Motion blur, whether it be people, vehicles, water, or clouds, can elevate architecture in a photograph. This is done by slowing down or increasing the shutter speed based on speed and trajectory of the object you are trying to blur. That being said, there is no standard so practice makes perfect. You don’t want to be testing it out when it matters most.
The same can be said for aperture. A good photographer knows why they are using a certain f-stop. Learn the math and use it. Don’t just set it and forget about it. Some photos need to be shot at f/4 while some need to be shot at f/16. Every lens is different so have your lens calibrated to your camera and know it’s sweet spot. You will feel like you just upgraded your camera.
Stabilize Your Camera
Architectural photographers need stability. While some shots can be captured while handheld, the majority are done on a tripod with a remote trigger, wirelessly or shutter delay. Since many of the shots require longer shutter speeds and multiple images at different exposures, any camera movement has the potential to cause camera shake and difficulties during post-production. Every pro has at least one story about this happening to them and the resulting hours in photoshop spent trying to fix this mistake. For an architectural photographer, the tripod and head matters as much as the lenses. Some will go as far as carrying a five-pound sandbag to hook on their tripods to add additional support. One suggestion is to tie a utility apron on the tripod and use the lenses, filters, and other materials to add weight.
Do your Architecture Homework
Sometimes architecture can be so inspiring that we get caught up in the moment and immediately want to capture the space instead of taking it all in. We are photographers and it is in our nature, but the study is as important as the photograph. Take a moment, breath in the space, and study it to watch how traffic moves in and through it. Study how light comes into the space. See how it reacts to nature, the elements, and the buildings around it. Look for themes and design intent. If you are able to visit the space beforehand, figure out the best angles and times of day to capture the architecture by walking through the space. If you cannot scout prior, look up as much as you can about the architecture beforehand.
Post-Processing with a Purpose
Good architectural photographers can tell a story with their images. They shoot with a goal in mind and visualize the final image well before they take the shot. They already know if they will be merging images taken with a CPL or ND, what items they will be removing, and how they want to shape the light. With all of this information, it’s easy to spend hours on an image that doesn’t flow with your story or loses its impact. Don’t get lost in post-processing. Have a purpose with a goal in mind.
Attention to Detail
One of the most important aspects to good architectural photography is attention to detail. What seems so trivial to the naked eye can stand out in a photograph. Something as simple as a slight tilt of the camera, a wonky chair, a crooked monitor, or a random person walking by can create additional post-production work. As architectural photographers, we have to think about the photograph from start to finish. Don’t be afraid to ask to make changes to a space but always get permission first. The secret to success is doing as much as you can to get it right on camera.
Practice, test, and try out different techniques. While videos and tutorials help grow our knowledge and gives us ideas, nothing replaces real world, hands-on experience. These experiences have made me a better photographer and will help you too.
