Oct 22 2007
Architecture Photography
Though it may be considered a drab subject, buildings offer endless artistic possibilities, if you look at them in a different way from everyone else. Start training your eye to see things from a photographer’s perspective - don’t just capture the same angle - be creative.
Having travelled the world and seen many different types of buildings, here are some tips from my experience.
Generally, we take photos of buildings when on holidays. Whether you’re carrying an SLR or a compact camera, you can achieve unique photos that will stand out in your album.
Here are some general principles to keep in mind:
- Use a polarising filter for buildings with a lot of glass - it will reduce reflections
- Pedestrians can help provide scale
- Light - try and shoot when the sun (or some form of light) is hitting the building at an angle. It will provide detail, whereas, if the sun is directly in front of the building, it can wash out the detail.
Height
If you can, get up high - try taking the building from the top down, or even at its “eye line”, so to speak.
Just changing the angle a little can have a dramatic impact. Sure, take the tried and true photo, it’s a classic, but have a go at something a little different as well.
This is a photo of Florence’s Duomo. I was lucky enough to stay in a small hotel, whose reception area was on the third floor and overlooked the square, which was perfect for this shot.
Take a Step Back
Some buildings have an imposing facade. One of the most intimidating structures I’ve seen is the Notre Dame in Paris. Maybe it’s those gargoyles staring down at you, but that building certainly has an ‘aura’ to it.
A way to capture this feeling can be as simple as taking a step back and getting as much as possible in the frame - from ground to peak. Fill the frame with the building, making it appear as large as it really is.
Notice the sky - if you can get in blue sky with a bit of cloud, that’s ideal (clouds provide plain blue sky with a bit of personality), otherwise, make use of the light available.
Where sky is overcast and drab, it might be worth converting your image to black and white to really make the image come alive. Historical buildings especially can benefit a great deal from being taken in black and white. The shades of light and dark are emphasised, providing more detail.
Look Up
Angle from the ground up. It creates a distorted viewpoint, but makes the image much more interesting. With skyscrapers it creates a converging verticals effect, which, depending on the height of the buildings and their distance from each other, almost appears as though their top floors are touching.
This viewpoint can also breathe new life into an overly captured subject. Here is a photo of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, taken from below at a slight upwards angle. The closer you get to the base of the building, the more distorted the appearance. Try it, you’ll have fun with the results.
You can stand off to one side and angle up, or right in the middle - each will create a very different result.
These are just some of the ways to make your architecture photos more interesting, and the results are relatively easy to achieve.
