From iconic landmarks to contemporary buildings, architectural photography presents an opportunity to showcase the artistry and design of architects while exploring composition, light, and perspective. Today, we’ll explore the world of architectural photography, sharing helpful guides on understanding compositional tools, choosing the right lens for the job, and plenty of creative and professional inspiration along the way!
Understanding Composition for Architectural Photography
Composition plays a vital role in architectural photography, as it allows photographers to highlight the unique features and lines of a building. David Veldman shares his professional knowledge here on compositional techniques and how they can help us capture the essence of architectural structures and utilize composition rules to create visually compelling images.
Capturing Architecture at Night
Lighting is a key element in architectural photography, as it can enhance or diminish the impact of a building’s design. Pay attention to the direction, intensity, and quality of light during different stages of the evening to capture dramatic effects and highlight textures. Aaron Seefeld shares his educational tips here on how we can photograph architecture at night, and how lighting means everything when capturing the lines, lights, and shadows of differing structures.
Choosing the Right Lens
While architectural photography can be pursued with a range of cameras, having the right equipment can significantly enhance the quality of your images. A wide-angle lens is a staple in this genre, allowing you to capture expansive views and include more of the building in the frame. Photographer Kent DuFault has written this piece on understanding different lenses, their characteristics, comparable features, and how they enhance your photography. This is a fantastic guide not only for architectural photography enthusiasts but for an overall understanding of how a lens can impact your visual outcomes.
Some Visual Inspiration
Capturing visually striking images requires understanding composition techniques, mastering lighting, utilizing the right lens, and a touch of post-processing creativity! Check out this article on Surreal Architectural Compositions by photographer Matthias Jung. Matthias shares a collection of stunning visual examples that can help spark our imagination when approaching architectural elements.
Additional Resources
If you’d like to dive deeper and learn more about architecture in photography check out Architecture Photography Creativity Prompts. Here you’ll find 5 helpful categories that each share delightful visual examples along with multiple hands-on assignments to enhance your understanding of the differing elements. Check out the Architecture Photography Creativity Prompts here!
