PHOTOGRAPHING LARGE BUILDINGS
No matter what your market, architecture can be a percentage of your revenue if needed. Whether for construction companies or architects or developers, there is a lot of work for you to do.
And this work can be spun off from existing product, food, portrait, and still-life clients.
For instance, you have a food client who also runs a catering service for large events. That event venue may be a necessary shot for them to have in collateral materials.
Manufacturing clients need images for everything from their warehouses to their shiny new offices. Ad agencies may need architectural images to go along with id materials for everything from hospitality to pharmaceuticals.
And while photographing large buildings is not necessarily “easy” it can be very creative.
Architecture is light and shadow, shape and dimension, and we have so many options when making the image that it becomes a malleable object for our lens.
For this assignment, we are going to consider any building over three stories as a “large” building. If you live in a rural area that doesn’t have a lot of large buildings, then any sort of modern structure may do fine.
SCOUTING
Knowing where to shoot the building from is more than just the angle, it is also the light.
It is rare to be able to backlight a structure since the front will lose detail, and heavy sidelight can also be problematic if the shadows it casts are too broad or obscure other features of the building.
Of course, we also have to take where we shoot the building from (POV) into consideration.
What angle, what time of day, What is in the foreground, what shadows other buildings may create, and what landscaping issues there may be. This – and many other specific challenges such as sprinkler systems, and lighting – must be dealt with as well.
SHOOTING FOR ARCHITECTS
Usually, an architect will want the building to be presented with the ideas and aesthetics that went into the design of the building. Features and special design considerations will be very important to the architect or firm that built it and they will want those features to be seen.
It is imperative for you to discuss the features that need to be seen and to share ideas on how you may achieve those shots with the architect or design company. This is another reason for a scouting trip and some preliminary photography.
Shooting for architects also means shooting the details and design elements that give the building a distinctive flair. This can include the site itself and the surrounding landscape, doorways, and entrances, integrations with the natural world, and added features that enhance the lives of the people who work/live there.
Details can be a very fun and creative shoot in its own right… design is structure, line, dimension, texture, light, and shadow.
SHOOTING FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AND DEVELOPERS
Construction companies are going to want you to shoot anything that helps them show customers what their capabilities are. Challenging architectural details, glasswork, landscaping, entrances, or difficult build sites are some of the many things you may want to include.
SHOOTING THE BUILD
Occasionally a developer will want to document the construction of the building with something better than a security cam. These multi-month gigs can be lucrative, but also time-consuming because of the nature of the shoot. You may be instructed to shoot a series of weekly shots from the absolute same angle. Occasionally, you may have to purchase additional gear in order to set it in place for the duration of the shoot. This is a specialty area but you should look into it if you think you may be interested in this sort of gig.
ADDITIONAL REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES
Every additional contractor that is involved in the project is also a potential client. Getting those names are easy when you are working with the developer, just ask.
Check out the work of this New Zealand architectural photographer: Simon Devitt
USING STEVE BURGER’S ARCHITECTURAL CLASS AS THE LEAD.
ASSIGNMENT:
One large building, and one interior.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT
We are not looking for you to do the ‘traditional’ non-converging lines effect. I do not want you to have to purchase a tilt-shift lens.
So we are going to be looking at capturing the building’s essence, it’s style, the overall ‘feeling’ of the building.
If you want to correct for perspective that is fine, but I do not want you to fret if it is not possible with your gear.
That means you have to then look at the lines, leading lines and graphic lines, and details in both the foreground and background.
So if possible find buildings with character, charm, interesting lines.
HOW TO FIND ARCHITECTS AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES
Every construction site has a sign with all contact information available for the public. Simply use that information to call and get more details on the particular building that is being constructed. Use that information to make a good, solid, well informed bid for photography.
SPECIAL GEAR NEEDED
I think a tilt-shift lens would be a very strong addition to anyone who is considering architecture as a specialty or sub-speciality. However, if it is only an occasional addition to your regular work load, you can always rent one for the gig.
A VERY GOOD TRIPOD
Of course I think an excellent tripod is something every photographer should have, but in architecture the angles and setups are very specific and having a technical tripod that can help you level your camera is a timesaver.
RESOURCES
Ten Tips for Shooting Architecture
Architectural Tips: The Ultimate Guide
A very striking building calls for a very striking shot. The angle, choice of lens, time of day, and post production combine to make a very light and airy image of a dynamic building. Notice how the angle shows off the architectural details and jutting sections of building. The very subtle sky helps keep the look of minimalism inherent in the structure itself.
A very average looking building shot in a very popular, simply approached manner. Notice the use of straight lines correcting for any keystoning, or converging lines. The photographer chose an angle that featured the elements of design as well as how the building relates to the environment around it.
Archtiectural details can become images in their own right. This incredible concrete feature is isolated by the photographer in order to show the way the light and texture and edges work to bring a sense of aesthetic to the building. Architectural shooting in black and white is still quite popular for certain types of imagery – details and micro-details being one of the types.
A very large building in a city shot at a time of day when the building can stand out from the background. The angle gets rid of a lot of the clutter around it, and the building itself is set into the open sky for the best contrast and relief possible. Waiting for that magic moment when the ambient sky can reveal the lighting on the building in a strong way also helps make a simple building shot into something special.
Mixing fine art and architecture, this photographer captures not only a section of the building, but then turns it into an element in a beautifully designed image. Sky and glass. But glass lets us see the sky, so the juxtaposition is made even more interesting by what is left to the imagination.
Finding a detail that features not only heavy design, but technically challenging construction in a way to make it even more beautiful as a cropped section is both an art, and a skill. The more practice you do, the better you become in seeing the incredible designs, textures, light, shadow, and aesthetic of the building in front of you.
What a beautiful image. The photographer positioned himself and his lens in such a way as to show the majestic arch above, as well as the soft light that makes it glow. Using elements of design like line, direction, color, and repeating elements, the modern architectural photographer has many opportunities to make images that engage and inspire the viewer.
ASSIGNMENT:
Find a building in your area and do a scouting session. I would suggest your phone would be good for this. Note the time of day, direction of the sun, light, shadow, foreground, background and anything else that may impact your shot.
Using the images from the scouting, and working with the notes, determine the best time of day to make your image.
Due for class: Two images of a building.
Part ONE:
Shot A: the building itself in the best light.
Shot B: an architectural detail that will give us some insight into the building.
PART TWO:
An interior shot (office, loading dock, warehouse, or whatever you can find.
Be sure to review Steve’s excellent advice here.
No behind-the-scenes is required, but if there is something you want to share then by all means include it.
SEPTEMBER 2021
