How I Approach Architectural Photography / Unbreakable Rules

Ok, I know everyone is a “photographer” right?   Or at least everyone thinks they are.   Especially nowadays where the phone in your pocket is almost (in some ways) as good as a high-powered DSLR.   

HOWEVER – just because you have the same ingredients in your fridge as a world-class chef, does that mean you can prepare a gourmet meal?  Of course not.  

The same goes for photography.   A LOT goes into making a good photo.   Even more goes into making an AMAZING photo.

Incidentally, the highest reward I can get for any work I do is to hear the word “Amazing” from my client.  That is what I strive for.

I will share below what I believe are among the the most important things to consider with Architectural Photography.  These rules have not changed in the many years I have been doing this kind of work.  

First Rule:  Identify the “Money Shot”

Not necessarily the most important rule but I enjoy doing this one first as it gets me in a creative frame of mind! 

This is one of my favorite photos from this past year.  I planned the angle, and time of day based on sun position, and identified any obstacles to getting this shot.  There were definitely a few!   

There is a large ditch right in front of this dealership with a trail.   It was not possible to get up closer to the building so I went to the other side of the ditch, and used a 50mm lens (a favorite) and waited until the light was perfect.  This shot is not possible using a drone, as it’s right next to an airport.    Had I not researched all of this in advance, I likely would have missed the shot.

  Most clients regardless of niche want that one “Magazine-Cover-Caliber” money shot that they can use for social or advertising.  “Money Shots” often require pre-planning, and if possible a pre-visit.

Often times, this is a ‘dusk’ or twilight shot that has a lot of drama and wow-factor. Considerations include:

1. Making sure it looks real and believable.  Embellishing architectural photos with those awful, fake sky replacements and that gnarly over-processed HDR look is not acceptable.   
2. Make sure lines are straight (more on that later)
3. No blown-out highlights
4. Make sure the photo is in the highest resolution possible.  Often, if they are good enough, they may appear in print or billboard format. I did a billboard years ago and my Canon 5DSR did a great job with it’s 50 megapixel output.
5. For interior ‘money shots’ you can add some drama, or people (models) to add life and drama to the photo.

Second Rule: Make sure lines are straight

This is a Mike Kelley-ism rule that should be a no-brainer, but unbelievably, is ignored by so many architectural photographers, and their clients.  It’s not until I point it out to them that they can’t “unsee it.”

Mike Kelley, by the way, is one of the top of the tops in the Architectural Photography world.

Architects SPEND THEIR CAREERS making sure lines are straight.  Photos should make sure that is represented.

Here are two personal examples of where this rule was broken. 

Note: I did not take the first two photos below.

I can’t get my eyes off of that right side being so crooked. The window sill, and the cabinets lean to the left.    It really wrecks the rest of the photo.    The windows are also a weird color and there are some heavy color casts and blown out highlights.  More on that later.

I actually contacted the architect to point this out and he ended up reaching out to me for his next project!

 

I was approached by a national architectural firm to photograph a new locker room re-design at a Recreation Center.    They sent me a .PDF of some of their past projects so I could get an idea of what they were looking for.

I politely pointed out to them the warped lines and color casts in this photo.  This was an ‘A-ha’ moment for them where I heard them say verbatim: “Now that I see it, I can’t unsee it.”

I had a great time photographing their project for them!

 

Third Rule: Listen to your Client and do a pre-visit / walkthrough

This should probably be the first rule, but nonetheless – it’s the bedrock for determining how happy they will be with the final product / deliverables.   

1. Do a pre-visit and walkthrough with your client if possible
2. Pay attention to what they keep repeating or deem important.  If they keep mentioning or pointing out a specific feature, we had better make sure that feature is represented well in the photos
3. Ask them if time of day matters to them.  Some people “LOVE” afternoon light and some people things mornings are the best.

 

Fourth Rule: Know where the light will be and the time of year / sun position

When you agree on a time for the shoot, this should be as strategic as possible. That’s why I use the Light Trac app on my smartphone.

The dealership photo (above) was taken in the evening, as the sun for the most part of the day was behind the dealership.  I new this in advance by checking the app.

This app will:

1. Tell you the sun position by the hour and minute for each day of the year and for a specific address.
2. Tell you the angle of the sun
3. Give you important information about shadow length

This information is INVALUABLE for figuring out when to shoot exteriors, but also when sun will be hitting important windows for interior considerations.

Fifth Rule: Shoot Tethered

Tethered shooting (photographing) is basically using a laptop computer, an ipad or even an iphone to control your camera.   

This is important for a few reasons:

1. You can view your composition on a much larger screen
2. You can show your client easily what the photograph / composition will look like (before processing of course).  This is a great way for them to see the angles you are considering and for them to feel a sense of ownership/collaboration in the project, which can be important to some clients
3. It gives you more room to back up (even if by a few inches) so you don’t have to move the camera or try to squeeze your head between a wall and the small 3.5 inch LCD display on the back of the camera.

 

Sixth Rule: Use Wide-Angle Sparingly

We are NOT shooting Real Estate.     Often times we are photographing features, nooks, and details.  We don’t need the ‘bowling alley’ wide-angle-everything-included on every shot.   

Wide-angle lenses and compositions distort the image more, so that defeats the purpose (in many instances) of keeping true to the architect’s exacting vision.

Of course, if the scene or subject requires a wider-angle, of course – go for it, but it should not be your always-first-choice. 

Use many lenses, and focal lengths.   I often carry 5 or 6 lenses with me to each shoot.

 

Seventh Rule: Use a Tilt-Shift Lens when you can

It’s widely accepted that this is an invaluable tool in Architectural Photography.    It is.   I am hook, line and sinker on this lens.   

Essentially, we (as Architectural Photographers) use the “shift” function to be able to change the composition of the photo without tilting the tripod – thus causing barrel-distortion and converging lines.

Learn more about how Tilt-Shift Lenses work by watching this excellent video from Canon:

 

Eighth Rule: Use Lighting / Strobes Often

I use lights and light modifiers all of the time for a number of reasons, as opposed to just “shooting ambient” or without additional lighting (only using available, natural light)

My reasons for using lighting on many shots are:

1. Appropriate lighting can eliminate weird color casts.  Have you ever seen a photo that was just unnaturally yellow or blue?  This comes from the inherent difficulty that most cameras have with mixed lighting from Tungsten, or Fluorescent or other lightbulbs.
2. Lighting a space, or elements of a space bring out intricate details in a photo, like wood grain, or the veins in the marble on a countertop – details that would be lost through blown-out highlights or making the camera struggle too much with a high-dynamic range scene (lights-to-dark).  
3. Having a solid lighting setup (and understanding on how to use them) can help you to compensate when the weather or on-site lighting is not ideal.
4. Sometimes, though, the natural-light is a slam-dunk.  Don’t fight it or ruin it with extra lighting.   Just run with it!

A short walkthrough of my typical setup
 

Ninth Rule: Know WHO will be at the shoot and WHO or WHAT might show up

Knowing who will be at your photo shoot is important for a number of reasons.   Things can definitely go south if you don’t have a solid idea of the “human element” that may exist, and cause problems (or perhaps, offer an opportunity).

1. People coming and going during a photoshoot is a sure-fire way to ruin the creative process, and cause problems (like bumping the camera, or moving furniture or chairs.   Architectural photographers always “bracket” shots to composite later. That means we are taking anywhere from 3 to dozens of captures to be compiled into one image later.  If anything is moved even slightly, or if the camera is bumped, it is hard to align these photos in post-processing (or sometimes impossible) ruining the shot.
2. I am one of those types that can’t work with a lot of chatter and noise in the background – unless it is expected (like photographing a public space such as a library or recreation center).    The fewer the people the better.
3. Unintended photo-bombs are unfortunate, but also can be a liability if the unwelcome humans don’t want their likeness in their shot. I’ll either have to reshoot, or get a consent from them. Either way it is a royal pain-in-the-you-know-what.
4. Opportunity?  Sometimes people will lend themselves to be a human model in your photo which can add some life and pizazz to it. You’ll need to get proper consent from them if you do this.

Tenth Rule: Use a VERY high resolution camera

I had to use a backup camera on an Architectural shoot when my main body was not working properly.    The backup camera was 22 megapixels as opposed to my 50+ megapixel main body (Canon 5 DSR).  I missed those extra megapixels dearly when I got them onto my computer.

More megapixels mean more leverage to crop in on photos (really far in some cases) while still retaining detail.   Almost never do we use the photo straight out of camera without cropping.  

Architects often like to use the higher resolutions for print purposes, or even on larger-format ads like billboards or signage.  Using a high-resolution camera will allow them to accomplish that. 

Bonus Rule That Applies “Sometimes”  – Be Creative

Get creative if the client encourages that (some do, some don’t).

Sometimes highlighting an important detail of a space, or conveying the feel or ambience can be done without everything in focus and without staying within the typical rules of architectural photography.    

This is not a typical architecture-style photo.  However, it showcases the cool fire feature, and conveys that it is a high-end hotel.  This photo is mostly purposely blurred (bokeh) but still delivers all of the important information, and is unique, artistic and creative.  I used a 50mm prime lens for this shot.

Final Rule: Be Flexible and have a Problem-Solving mindset

Things will go sideways…often.   Weather won’t cooperate, or equipment will break.    Some days, you just might not feel your best.   Take a deep breath, center yourself, and solve the problem. That is what we are being hired for.

Oh, and smile.  We are doing work that we love!

What are YOUR rules for photographing Architecture?  I’d love to hear them!

Denver and Boulder, Colorado Architectural Photographer