Are you in search of some tips for great architectural photography? I certainly was once. As an architect I spend a lot of time in the studio, so when I find a good photograph it is often a real treat. As an architectural photographer the main goal is to make the client happy with the outcome. In this post I will share the top most important architectural photography tips that every architecture photographer knows.
When you are working in the architecture photography studio you are probably going to be posed in a way that you have never been in before. If you have ever shot from one direction and later changed the direction you were facing and moved the camera a bit, this will do a number of things for you. For example by doing one side of the building you will end up with a feeling of constant motion whereas if you had positioned yourself across the building from the other side and changed the angle slightly you would have gotten a totally different architecture image. Hopefully these tips will help you get more out of your architecture images.
Shadowing
You might notice in some architecture photography images that there is a lot of dark or shadowing around objects. This is caused by many different things. However, in practice most dark or shadowing objects are usually in the daytime when the sun is shining on the area. This means that in the day time dark backgrounds cause the photograph to appear flat whereas at night time there are different lighting conditions such as low levels of light or twilight. These conditions can create different lighting conditions such as low contrast lighting or shadows.
Composition
One of the best tips that I can give to architectural photographers is to think about the composition more while taking the picture rather than worrying about focusing. Some photographic tips suggest taking multiple shots, usually at different angles, of the same structure. However, one of the biggest problems architectural photographers have is when trying to focus on objects that are too far away.
Telephoto
One of the biggest tips I give to amateurs and professionals alike is for you to use a telephoto if possible, preferably a long lens (which will give you greater flexibility) and avoid using a point and shoot camera that will give you a short exposure and a blurry image. This can be especially problematic if you are trying to capture an image in a museum or at a famous place where you might not get a long enough exposure. When taking architecture photography I would recommend using a long lens, either with a super-wide angle (which will give you a greater depth of field) or a telephoto for extra flexibility. Also try and avoid the use of flash as it can make the image look artificial.
Post-Production
In terms of post-production tips when taking architecture photography it really comes down to having good images. Architectural images will look much better if they have been captured in good lighting conditions. You should also take your time with the positioning of your subjects so that they don’t appear to be rushed or moving about in the background. It’s important also to make sure that the architecture is placed exactly where you want it to be and that you have the zoomed images as well as the normal image so that you know where the ‘crest’ of the building actually is. Take your time with your image capturing and plan your shots out in advance to ensure that you capture every beautiful detail.
