This week you are challenged to photograph architecture. Architecture has the power to draw us to a space, change our mood, or inspire us. We are able to surround ourselves with beautiful spaces but sometimes this can be difficult to capture in a photograph the same way our eyes see it.
1. Look for a unique angles Playing with perspective is not only an entertaining thing to do, it can also be very rewarding. Taking time to find a different angle from which to photograph can expose an overlooked form or abstraction of a building’s detail that may give rise to another level of beauty and appreciation for its form 2. Look for lines and shapes Architects know the importance of lines and shapes — and so do good architectural photographers. Keep an eye out for horizontal, diagonal or vertical lines to move the eye through the image. Leading lines can point to a structure to draw attention to the subject. Lines also have emotional associations as well — diagonal creates a feeling of movement, horizontal a sense of calm, vertical a sense of power or growth
3. Explore details as much as the whole Although shooting with a wide-angle lens is usually the smartest thing to do when it comes to architectural photography, buildings contain hundreds of intricate little details that are lost when an entire facade or room is shot in one frame. Exploring details up close could reveal something new about the building’s history or construction, for example.
4. Don’t forget to head indoors Exterior architectural photography is often the first thing that comes to mind when considering a structure, but a building’s interior can offer just as much creative fodder. In public buildings or with permission to photograph an interior, many of the same tips apply. Available light, however, is different with interior shots because of a mix of window light and overhead lights.
5. Shoot in a variety of weather conditions and times of day. People often tend to seek the most dramatic lighting to shoot architectural wonders, such as sunset hours when shadows are long and colors bright. Although this often results in very atmospheric images, it only really encapsulates the building’s atmosphere at one specific point in time. Shooting a series of images during different times of the day, or even in various weather conditions, can help to paint a fuller story of the building’s relationship with its environment.