Architectural photography is a popular genre within photography. It is an art in which the art of architecture, design and photography merge. On this you will find all the information you need to get started with architectural photography. This will give you the information to help you with your photographs.
WHAT IS PHOTOGRAPHY IN ARCHITECTURE?
Architectural photography is a branch of photography in which photographers capture the beauty of buildings. The architecture includes both new and old buildings, bridges and roads and parks. In architectural photography, the choice is often made to photograph part of a building or bridge. It is also a challenge to find a composition that looks good, but there are a lot of different possibilities to photograph.
WHICH LENSES DO YOU USE FOR ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Architectural photos require different lenses for different reasons. Some people prefer full-screen images, others prefer abstract images, some want wider views. We have put three different lenses together to help you decide which one suits you best.
- Wide-angle lens
- Standard
- Telephoto lens
ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILTERS
You are certainly not obliged to use filters while shooting, but we do recommend it if you want to obtain specific effects. View below which filters we recommend and what function they have for taking the most beautiful architectural photos.
POLARIZED FILTER
Polarizing filters can reduce or sometimes even remove reflections in architectural photographs. We have written a separate article on how the polarizing filter works. It is a filter that is also widely used in landscape photography. The polarization filter can also be used to add color to images.
10 STOPS GRAY FILTER
Use a 10-stop gray filter on half-cloudy days to increase the abstraction in a photo. A slow shutter speed makes the movement of the clouds visible. The more light that is blocked, the longer you can set the shutter speed. In addition to dynamics, a long shutter speed photo can also provide tranquility, as can be seen in this video about Long shutter speed photography. The shutter speeds can vary from a few seconds to several minutes, and depends on how much light there is at that moment. The photo below of the Pier in Scheveningen shows the clouds’ movement.
Watch Architecture Photography
ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY SETTINGS
Composition is the most important part of architectural photos. When photographing buildings or bridges, it is nice to have control over the depth of field. For most architectural photos, the shutter speed is not very important. However, there are some situations where shutter speed does matter.
COMPOSITION TIPS FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography is very subjective. You will probably make different choices than someone else who photographs the same subject. Study the following especially for inspiration and feel free to give it your own twist.
- Introductory lines
By letting a line come out from an angle, you can cause the eye to be guided through the photo in a certain way. The human eye is very prone to follow clear lines. By running a line diagonally through the photo, you also ensure that a large part of the photo is viewed and that the eye does not remain focused on a small part of the photo.
- Plane division
Plane division simply says how much of each part you show in the photo. For three surfaces, do you opt for a proportional distribution of approximately 33% per surface or do you give two surfaces 40% space and one surface 20% space? The choice is yours.
- Connecting buildings
Several buildings in an architectural photo can produce special photos. Try to include the most beautiful part of both buildings in the frame. You can do this very well
- Symmetry
Symmetry can produce incredibly beautiful architectural photos. Photographing from a tripod will help you with this and is therefore really recommended. If it did not go well, you can often make a correction in Lightroom or Photoshop afterwards.
Learn to look carefully
A good architectural photo is not always taken within seconds. Often a whole process precedes it. orienting yourself online can help like ‘ alex & ariana ‘. Once on location, you may already have an idea of how to photograph your subject.