Architectural photography is the photography of buildings and similar structures that are both aesthetically pleasing and accurate representations of their subjects. Architectural photography is something that produces timeless images. In Architectural Photography always think of Lines, Patterns, Shadows, Highlights, Colors and Shapes. Buildings are static things & you need to move around it to find perspectives & approach as if it were full of life & character. It is just not about Building. Architectural photographers are usually skilled in the use of specialized techniques and equipment’s
- Research your building before the shoot – the history/context to capture the essence of building. Put your architecture in context
- Differentiate between Old Architecture – Simple/Natural Beauty / Elegance & Modern Architecture – more of Abstract Style / Angles / Extreme Perspective
- Must check/look for permissions with concerned authorities/owner of the buildings /property before the shoot
- Always have your camera & location ready for shoot, you never know when the inspiration will strike
- Shoot in a variety of weather conditions & times of a day to get fuller story of the building’s relationship with its environment
- Prioritize Good Lighting … Be sensitive to the direction of light as this can increase contrast, colour, texture & reflection. Make use of reflection to your advantage
- Look for Unique Angle, re- visit site multiple times to reveal the new layers
- Plan & Check the Composition, framing & lighting – Follow the rule of third
- Be mindful of vertical lines – use tilt-shift lens to change the field of view of your camera while keeping vertical lines vertical
- Look for Rhyme & Rhythm Quality in Architectural photography – align diagonal lines of perspective with the corners of photograph to add depth and balance in equal measure
- Think out of the box – bring in different perspectives & areas to cover
- Use Fish eye. Tilt & Shift lens or wide-angle lens for Architecture Photography as it helps to frame the entire building within its environment. The Panoramic format can also help to capture the big structures & stitch later on
- Open your aperture range from f/4 to f/8 for better results
- Use ISO range of 100 -200
- Use Shutter speed range of 1/80 to 1/640 of second
- Watch out on your white balance, use Auto white Balance & try to shoot in RAW to capture more for the processing table
- Stabilize your camera; make use of Tripod for long exposures especially in low light conditions/night shoot. It helps you to lock your composition
- Don’t be afraid to include people (architecture doesn’t exist without them)
- Don’t rush for perfection, take your time, be patient to explore the architectural structure
- Explore details as much as the whole, go & capture the close up shots of interior design elements/history/surroundings of the Building/Structure
- Zoom in for Interesting details such as Doorknobs/Windows/ Bricks
- For interior shoot, if you have liberty, please take time to remove or re-arrange things to organize & clean the area for better images & to create Wow factor
- For Interior Shoot add or control the light by make use of natural light through window or by use of soft light diffusors/flash
- Explore Black & white or colour for better contrast/lines
- Take Numerous photos to Select the best
- Take Photos at night as well, go up to f/32 with lower ISO and with long exposure shots up to 10 seconds
- Reduce the distortions by using longer lenses. Shoot vertical/horizontal and not straight
- Bring Human touch to include culture & social context
- Embrace photography software. Make use of post processing tools to modify/alter the things… the way you desire/changes are acceptable.
- Architectural Photography is quite interesting, challenging & rewarding. If you have passion then you must Invest in appropriate equipment’s such as DSLR Camera, Wide Angle Lens, Fish Eye Lens, Extra Wide Angle Lens, Polarizing Filters, Tripods, Drones etc.
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