Architectural photography

[Czinger96]

I've been trying to take good pictures of cool buildings but they're always plain and don't turn out very well. Any suggestions of what to try?

 

[Raigoki]

can you be specific on how you shot your photos? do you use tripods, filters, etc? what is your camera?

 

[spacefuzz]

when approaching buildings I try to look for interesting angles, geometry, texture, and lighting. It can be easy to go abstract by shooting close.

 

[analog.universe]

Architecture shots are all about composition. The architect has already done the work of creating a masterpiece, so it's your job as the photographer to bring as much of that genius to a 2d medium as possible. What about the particular building is interesting to you? Or what mood does the space have? Frame, focus, light, and process the shot to accentuate those details. When you're out shooting, think about what makes you want to take a particular photo, and then make the photo as much about that thing as you can.

 

[Patrice]

I like what AnalogUniverse is saying.

Think about what you want to do. Imagine and create the image, then press the shutter.

Post some images and tell the members what aspect of them you are not satisfied with or which difficulty you would like some help with.

 

[Czinger96]

Thank you for all your help. I dont have a great camera so I'm using an olympus SP-600UZ with a monopod to take them

 

[mfo]

Try converting them to B&W. Consider the shadows/time of day as well. Golden hour (photography) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Raigoki]

i see.

these are some things i'm doing back then when i still use non-interchangeable lens camera.

1. try to seek another angle. below your waist, close, etc.
2. architects had already drawn their perspectives. you can emulate it by finding the spot where it the perspective matches with your photo/viewfinder.
3. since you have a tripod, try making a panoramic view of the structure. (post-processing needed... this was my alternative for not having a wide angle lens)
4. Try to include clouds, trees, etc. but not to much that it might overpower/get the focus out of the structure.
5. Composition is the key. read about rule of thirds, symmetry etc. point and shoot cameras rely heavily on composition to make the images look good.

reading the specs for your camera, it has 143 focus points! (wow!) maybe that can give sharp images on arch'l details.
and oh, i'm an olympus user too... i suggest not to take arch'l photos at night cause our cameras have poor performance in low-light situations.

hth

 

[OrionsByte]

Lighting is very important, and since you're not going to be able to carry around an umbrella or softbox big enough to light a building, you're going to be relying on the time of day and the weather for your lighting. Find a building you like, and then consider where the sun would be at different times of day, and plan a trip down there at a time of day that you feel would best accentuate the features you like about the building, rather than just taking a shot whenever you happen to be there.

 

[Czinger96]

Thanks for the advice. Ill try some of these different things next time I make it downtown.

 

[nicgranleese]

Here's my tips on Architectural photography:

1. Shoot at dusk or dawn. The light is typically best then. This is because the brightness of the sky and building is best balanced when the sun is less intense. (Shooting at midday will often leave your sky too bright or your building too dark.)
2. Use a tripod. Because dusk and dawn has low light, your exposure will be longer. so you need a tripod to avoid shakes. You should probable also use a remote trigger
3. Use aperture priority Av or manual mode and set your aperture to 11 or higher. this will give you the best depth of field and keep more of the subject in focus. There is a great 90 second youtube clip of depth of field her ‪Depth of Field‬‏ - YouTube4. Use a circular polarizing filter. This will make the blues punchy and reduce glare.

Hope that helps