Architectural photography
Encyclopedia
Architectural photographers
Early architectural photographers include Roger Fenton, Francis Frith , Samuel Bourne and Albert Levy . They paved the way for the modern speciality of architectural photography. Later architectural photography had practitioners such as Ezra Stoller and Julius Shulman...
, who are skilled in the use of specialized techniques and equipment. At its core, architectural photography is a skill whose practitioners use to create photographs that are both aesthetically pleasing and accurate representations of their subjects.
History
The world's first photograph ever taken, by Nicéphore NiépceNicéphore Niépce
Nicéphore Niépce March 7, 1765 – July 5, 1833) was a French inventor, most noted as one of the inventors of photography and a pioneer in the field.He is most noted for producing the world's first known photograph in 1825...
, a view of buildings in his home town, could be broadly considered an architectural photograph. Similarly, some photos taken by early photographer William Henry Fox Talbot were of architecture, including his photograph of a Latticed window in Lacock Abbey taken in 1835.
Throughout the history of photography, buildings have been highly valued photographic subjects, mirroring society's appreciation for architecture and its cultural significance. By the 1860s, architectural photography started to become an established visual medium.
Much as building designs changed and broke with traditional forms, architectural photography also evolved. During the early-to-mid-20th century, architectural photography became more creative as photographers used diagonal lines and bold shadows in their compositions, and experimented with other techniques.
By as early as the 1950s, architects were hiring more architectural photographers for commissioned work, resulting in architectural photography being viewed as more of an art form.
Techniques
One of the first tenets of architectural photography is the use of controlled perspective, with an emphasis on vertical lines that are non-converging (parallel). This is achieved by positioning the focal plane of the camera at so that it is perpendicular to the ground, regardless of the elevation of the camera eye. This result can be achieved by the use of view cameras, tilt/shift lenses, or post-processing.Traditionally, view cameras
View camera
The view camera is a type of camera first developed in the era of the Daguerreotype and still in use today, though with many refinements. It comprises a flexible bellows which forms a light-tight seal between two adjustable standards, one of which holds a lens, and the other a viewfinder or a...
have been used for architectural photography as they allow for the lens to be tilted or shifted relative to the film plane. This allows for control of perspective, as well as a variety of creative possibilities.
In a similar fashion to landscape photography, a deep depth of field
Depth of field
In optics, particularly as it relates to film and photography, depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image...
is usually employed so that both the foreground and background (to infinity) are in sharp focus.
More recently, digital single lens reflex (DSLR)
Digital single-lens reflex camera
Most digital single-lens reflex cameras are digital cameras that use a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on the back of the camera....
cameras have been used in the field of architectural photography. These cameras also employ detachable, tilt-shift lenses of varying (usually fixed) focal lengths.
Exterior and Interior
Architectural photography is typically created from either the exterior views of buildings, or in the interior of buildings. The techniques used in each of these types of photography are similar, but do have some difference and sometimes require different equipment.Exterior
Exterior architectural photography usually takes advantage of available daylight, or if performed at night, uses ambient light from adjacent street lights, landscape lights, exterior building lights, moonlight and even twilight present in the sky in all but the darkest situations.In many cases, the landscaping surrounding a building is important to the overall composition of a photograph, and even necessary to communicate the aesthetic harmony of a building an it environment. An architectural photographer will often include flowers, tree, fountains or statues in the foreground of a composition, taking advantage of their ability to help lead the eye into the composition and to its main subject, the building.
Interior
Interior architectural photography can also be performed with ambient light transmitted through windows and skylights, as well as interior lighting fixtures. Frequently though, architectural photographers will use supplemental lighting to improve the illumination within a building. Either electronic flash "strobes" or incandescent "hot lights" can be used, although usually not at the same time because the color temperatures from each of these types of lights tend to be very different.Trade organizations
The architectural photography profession is primarily represented by three trade organizations, which strive to spread best practices amongst architectural photographers, as well as promote the sound business practices, consistency, quality and copyright protection.- The American Society of Media PhotographersAmerican Society of Media PhotographersThe American Society of Media Photographers, abbreviated ASMP, is a trade association of professional photographers, including many photojournalists but also experts in architectural, underwater, culinary and advertising photography and other specialties as well...
(ASMP) - The Association of Independent Architectural Photographers (AIAP)
- The International International Association of Architectural Photographers (IIAP)
See Also
- Architectural photographersArchitectural photographersEarly architectural photographers include Roger Fenton, Francis Frith , Samuel Bourne and Albert Levy . They paved the way for the modern speciality of architectural photography. Later architectural photography had practitioners such as Ezra Stoller and Julius Shulman...
- Perspective control lens
- Perspective controlPerspective controlPerspective control is a procedure for composing or editing photographs to better conform with the commonly accepted distortions in constructed perspective. The control would:...
- View cameraView cameraThe view camera is a type of camera first developed in the era of the Daguerreotype and still in use today, though with many refinements. It comprises a flexible bellows which forms a light-tight seal between two adjustable standards, one of which holds a lens, and the other a viewfinder or a...