10 Tips How To Shoot Architecture

When shooting architecture, the photographer deals with a constant object. Unlike other genres, one cannot rely on the unique moment here - the building can be shot in any day throughout the years in different weather and lighting conditions. Besides, there's a high probability that the idea to shoot an interesting building came not only to you, especially if it looks beautiful and has certain historical value.

In order to receive a nice shot, it is not enough just to photograph the result of architecture's work. It is more important to find an uncommon solution, highlight the features of the building, transfer its essence and mood.

1. Choosing the point of shooting

The right selection of the shooting point plays the great role in solving this creative task, it leads to finding of expressive angle and setting up of the entire composition. The point of shooting is determined by the distance, location on the surface and height. The scale of the object and perspective depend on the distance. The closer the photographer comes to the object, the larger it becomes. The viewpoint is a perspective image distortion.

2. Lenses and Viewpoint

You can add more dynamics to the shot if you come to the building and shoot it with a wide-angle lens or use the shortest focal length possible. It is always interesting to look at the usual shapes from a different view. Such viewpoint is characterized by a highly expressed perspective, making up diagonal lines. Industrial buildings, bridges and construction areas always benefit from such an angle, because their individual features are highlighted then, while the accent is shifted to their power and relevance.
Shooting by the standard lenses and telephoto lens from the high distance, vice versa, gives a more casual look to an image, being drawn towards documentary and realistic style.

3. Composition and Viewpoint

If you walk round the building, shifting it aside in the shot a bit (to the right or to the left), you can solve the problems of composition, foreground and background, you can find the best shooting point, combined with the right lighting. As a rule, buildings are better photographed angularly, so that the view could embrace two planes of the walls. It brings the extensionality of space and shows architectural peculiarities of the building. In such position it is easier to reveal diagonal lines, which bring more life to an image.
In some cases it is possible to use frontal viewpoint, but it often lacks expressiveness. Such viewpoint is mostly actual in situations, where it is likely to highlight symmetrical construction or to show the repeated rhythm of its composing elements. The foreground may smooth the boredom of ideal picture with trees, people, small architectural forms, as well as the use of the tonal perspective and features of lighting.

4. Background

Apart from the foreground, it is important to see and analyse the background in the picture. Shots with the blurred background look more interesting. In order to catch this effect it is necessary to set the right aperture (usually more opened) and choose a place, where there is some free area behind the building you shoot and you can see some objects far from it (for example, a part of the street).

5. Foreground

The foreground shall not attract too much attention, but it should clearly fit into the shot composition, not merging with the building. As an ideal variant, it should differ from the building in tone or color, but it shouldn't be too massive or bright. Laced railings, plants, benches, as well as the objects, which correspond with the object of shooting in form, look nicely in the shot.

6. Arch

It's good to mention about the shooting from the arch, when the image is limited by some kind of a frame. In order to avoid too much contrast of the illuminated space and dark walls of the gateway, exposure should be measured on the light area of the shot, while the foreground may be lighted up by the flash of small power. As an alternative method, it is possible to use a tripod to make up HDR shot.

7. Disturbing Elements

Wires, columns, some unattractive things usually bring a bit of trouble if captured in the shot. During the further image post processing it won't be difficult to get rid of them, but in order to simplify this task, it is better to find a place for shooting, where the unnecessary artifacts would be seen on such single-colored areas like walls, sky, asphalt etc. in the shot.

8. Light
You should keep in mind the location of the sun and other lighting sources, when you choose the right place for shooting. The light is likely to be seen on the building angularly, meaning it has to be behind the photographer and aside a bit. This allows you to:

- highlight decorating details of the building and, due to the difference in walls' lighting, you can show the three-dimensionality of the object.
- catch nice glares on the windows, especially in the morning and in the evening, when the sun is rather low above the horizon.
- hide some defects or surrounding imperfections. The image would become contrasting and bright.

9. Points of shooting

Depending on the vertical location, there are three types of shooting: normal, lower and upper points of shooting.

a. The normal point is shooting from the height of the human being. It allows us to overlook the building just as it is usually seen. Be sure that your building isn't cropped. If you leave the building without its roof or bottom, the shot won't be excellent. If you have no possibility to contain the whole building in the photo, it's better to concentrate on its details, decoration elements, fragments of paintings, windows by photographing them closely.

b. The lower point gives the feeling of greatness and creates an impression of the bigger dimension of the building. Combined with the sharp viewpoint, which you can get, shooting with the wide-angle lens from the small distance, you may have a feeling of the weighing mass upon you (for example, a bridge). The sky is usually taken as a background for these shots. Fluffy white clouds on the blue background, color transitions during sunrise or sunset make the pictures really beautiful. In the thundering sky there's a feeling of anxiety, especially if the sun is low above the horizon, lightening up the building's facade. But when the sky is gray and looks depressing, covered evenly by the clouds, the shot won't be expressive, unless the photographer meant to deliver that feeling of depression. In such weather conditions it is not recommended to use lower point of shooting.

c. The upper point stresses the scale of the depicted areas, showing air and space. Shooting from the above shows general plans of the image and decreases the value of each separate structure. Buildings (if they are shot from the height) look just like toys, but you can use this special effect to see unusual and hidden picture of the roads, quarters, rivers etc. It is even more interesting to take pictures in the country: the fields look like the colored covering and accurate cells of gardens with the detailed planning and tiny houses.
The upper viewpoint is quite original, partly because it is not easy to arrange shooting in such conditions. It is associated with the romantic mood. For example, stylish tile roofing of the old towns almost invite us to wander through them, and night shots of a megalopolis leave the feeling of mystical flight over a sleepy city.

9. Horizon

When you shoot from such extreme points as lower and upper the position of the horizon line plays an important role. It's better to place it on the Golden Section (it's about 35% from the shot edge). You may choose the lower or upper part of the shot, it depends on position of the object you want to focus the viewer's attention on. For example, if it's a high building with the picturesque sky on the background, so the horizon line should be lowered. It the task is bringing the building down to earth you should place the horizon line in the upper part of the shot.

10. Verticals

• Pay attention to the verticals. When shooting close-up photo from the lower point, you get very active viewpoint and strong convergence of the building vertical lines. The result is distorted geometry, which makes us feel that the building is falling down. Little distortion of the perspective is acceptable, it seems to be natural and adds the feeling of height.
  
• In order to get rid of vertical distortion it's recommended to use long-focus lens and step away, or if there is a possibility, you can shoot from the opposite building (it means the viewpoint should be at the half-height of the building you shoot.) You should hold the camera vertically, so as the lens are on the same line as the camera. Try to place the whole building in the upper half of the shot, so that later you could crop the bottom to get a normal image without falling verticals.