Architecture surrounds us every day and is a very popular subject of photography. By following this guide, you will be able to take great photos of architecture.

Architecture covers a wide range of subjects, from skyscrapers to small huts. Every day, wherever we go, we are surrounded by architecture, and it's no surprise that architecture is such a popular trend in photography.

Despite all this diversity, there are a number of general principles and techniques that apply in most cases. Knowing them, you will be able to better think over the composition, choose the scene and lighting.

Practice will allow you to adjust your eyes to shooting architecture. This will allow you to shoot subjects in a more interesting way, avoiding cliched compositional techniques and putting more personality into each shot.

old architecture

When a direct and simple composition is used when shooting old architecture, good photographs are usually obtained that showcase the natural beauty and elegance of the buildings. It is usually a good idea to include part of the surrounding landscape in the shot to make the photo of the building more free.

A simple composition makes old buildings more majestic. Photo by Stephen Murphy.

Modern architecture

When shooting new architecture, a more modern, abstract style is encouraged. Experiment with using a wide-angle lens for unusual perspectives or shooting buildings from unusual angles. Also, due to the fact that modern buildings are often pressed against each other, cropping to a narrow frame is allowed, as this does not make the picture unnatural.

A more abstract style of shooting suits modern architecture very well. Photo by Rohit Mattoo.

Use the surrounding landscape...or not

The answer to the question of whether to include the landscape surrounding the subject in the picture depends on the situation and the content that you want to convey to the viewer. Ask yourself if the surrounding landscape will complement or detract from the subject in the photo. If the scenery complements the building, take a wider shot, and if not, crop it.

By including part of the landscape, you can convey the subject in a natural context. Photo by Rob Overcash.

The previous photo shows an old building in the center of a modern city. If you wanted to convey a sense of inconsistency, then you should have included modern buildings in the frame. However, if we want to focus on the beauty of the old architecture, then the neighboring modern buildings become a distraction and need to be trimmed.

Lighting

Lighting is the key to shooting architecture. Of course, we are deprived of the opportunity to choose the location and orientation of the building in space, so the issue of lighting often automatically disappears, and we have to be content with the conditions that nature provides us.

Side lighting tends to produce the best shots of architecture. It provides sufficient illumination, and also casts long interesting shadows on the facade of the building, highlighting the details of its surface and giving volume.

Side lighting will allow you to highlight the texture and details of the architecture. Photo by Gianni Domenici.

Backlighting is the worst for architecture photography because it creates shapeless dark surfaces of objects. One of the best ways to solve this problem is to try to remove the sky from the frame and use a slower shutter speed to get at least some details of the building. You can also shoot the building just as a silhouette or wait until it gets a little dark.

Night shooting

Even the most boring architecture can come alive at night. In fact, many modern buildings are originally designed with night time in mind. At nightfall, these buildings are illuminated by dozens of lamps that decorate the facades with multi-colored lights and cast bizarre shadows on the surface of the building.

Spectacular night lighting can truly "revive" the building. Photo by Trey Ratcliff.

When photographing architecture at night, be sure to use a tripod and set the ISO as low as possible to reduce digital noise.

Use long lenses

If you shoot a building too close, the walls in the photo may look distorted, as if the entire building is falling backwards. While this effect can be quite interesting on its own, we usually try to reduce its manifestation so that it does not distract the attention of the viewers.

By using telephoto lenses and photographing architecture from afar, you can get straight lines from the walls of a building.

Use a telephoto lens to straighten perspective and eliminate distortion. Photo by Álvaro Vega Fuentes .

Also, using a telephoto lens, you can achieve a unique abstract effect. Shooting from a long distance with a telephoto lens, you will get a building with a flattened perspective and parallel lines, which will give the photo a surreal look.

Choose interesting details

Most architectural objects contain small details such as ornate windows with beautiful fixtures and decorative cornices that are interesting to shoot in their own right.

Try to look for interesting details to focus on, rather than photographing just the entire building. Photo by Paul Hocksenar

Focus on these details and compose your shot to emphasize these features of the architecture's character.

It's not just about buildings.

When shooting architecture, it's easy to get caught up in the idea that "architecture = buildings". While this isn't far from the truth, the reality is that most man-made structures fall under the category of architectural photography: bridges, towers, windmills, monuments, and even lampposts. Look at shooting differently to capture interesting photos that most people will simply miss.

Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, New York. Photo by Lou Bueno.

Summer is coming soon - the time of holidays and endless trips! People travel around the country or around the world, and what can I say, cities are getting bigger, better and more beautiful every day!

Architecture is the face of the city. And, as you know, each face has its own shape, its own geometry.

Ancient architecture is fascinating, modern - amazing! What is not a building, then a masterpiece!

How to photograph architecture the right way? Photo Idea will tell you about it!

Architecture in a photograph means a lot: it is an object of photography, a background, an additional element.

You often have to take pictures "against the background of the wall of this house", "against the background of this skyscraper", or "Right here! Very beautiful building!". And sometimes you look at a familiar building, you see it every day, and today in such weather you have a masterpiece of architecture in front of you!

But you need to be able to photograph a building: it doesn’t matter if it’s an ordinary house or a temple that is already a thousand years old.

There are initially several principles for shooting architecture:

1. Classic shoot! When building a building, the geometry is strictly observed. This is a classic. No one will build anything diagonally or at an angle of 37 degrees! Make sure that the verticals of the buildings are even!

2. Skyline. Decide on the composition, you should have a clearly drawn picture in your head of what you want to show in the photo (there is no difference: you are photographing from below or from the roof).

3. Shooting point of photography: It is very important to determine for yourself from which side you are going to photograph the building and under what lighting.

Lighting is a very important point when shooting architecture:

Weather. It is best to photograph in cloudy, overcast weather. These are ideal conditions! Creates soft diffused lighting. And white spots of clouds are often included in the composition of the picture. The photo will turn out mysterious, interesting.

Shooting in the cold is not worth it, if only because the equipment freezes.

It is undesirable to photograph in the rain, however, in rainy weather, pictures with a dramatic "character" are obtained. In this case, use a slow shutter speed.

The bright sun is also not welcome. You will lose the image, volume, details. The result is a graphic.

Shadows. They play a dual role. On the one hand, the shadow shows us the volume of the entire building, emphasizes relief drawings and decor, if any. However, if the shadow turns out to be too deep and darkens the areas it falls on, then the picture will lose all meaning. And the building will lose its elegant details and all its beauty.

Of course, if you only need to show the outline in the picture, then you won't need shadows at all.

Times of Day. Firstly, the choice of time will affect the mode of the camera in which you will work.

Twilight and sunset are the perfect times if you want a shot with meaning that will make the viewer think.

Pictures taken in the morning or afternoon will carry a "direct" meaning. In such pictures, the main role will be played by the plot itself, the composition.

Do not forget that how the building was built and when it was built is of great importance. For example, a modern glass building is best photographed in clear weather, during the day or in the morning. And the temple, which was built in the 10th century, will look better at sunset. It is customary to photograph a Christian church in the rays of the rising sun, for example.

Photographs of architecture have a unique property - they are all different. Even if 10 photographers shoot the same building from the same point, the photos will be different from each other. It depends on the photographer himself (for example, height), everything else is a matter of technique: determining the focus (a window on the third floor or a window on the top floor), optics, filters, whether a tripod is used or not, etc.

Architectural photography is undeservedly considered a simple genre of photography. The buildings are motionless, the landscape in the city is minimally subject to change, only a change in the time of day and seasons of the year can affect the picture. Each beautiful building in the tourist spots in different cities was filmed thousands of times from all angles and with any variation of the incident light. Making an original photo is quite difficult, it requires experience and a bold creative vision.

Template shots will not surprise anyone, you need to look deeper and wider, use reflections in windows, natural frames and frames, interesting ensembles, colorful personalities, filters and additional equipment. But even in this situation, certain rules should not be avoided. In order not to make the typical mistakes of a beginner when shooting cityscapes, there are some tips and tricks to take into account.

Architectural photography has developed certain rules and traditions over the years. For example, it is customary to shoot large modern buildings made of concrete and glass on a bright sunny day and add people, cars and movement to the frame to show the rhythm and activity of everyday life. And it is logical to complement the old historical buildings, architectural monuments with the setting sun and silence - a minimum of people and a maximum of details showing the value and durability of the building. Temples and monasteries are often photographed against the background of the dawn sun, showing the joy of the morning and the light. There are many such traditions.

In order to beautifully and technically shoot buildings, you need to know a few basic points. What you need to pay close attention to when preparing:

  • the right angle is the key to the success of the entire shooting;
  • choice of time of day, year and weather;
  • composition of the frame, what to add and what to remove from the photo;
  • daylight;
  • necessary equipment;
  • camera settings.

If you take into account all the points, then the photo will turn out to be of high quality and professional, and then you can add something from yourself, experiment with composition, light and settings. Let's consider all the important points in more detail.


Choosing an angle when shooting architecture

There are dozens of options for the angles of each building, you can go around it from all possible sides and look at it in a new way. You can use other buildings, puddles, glass from the house opposite and any other ideas. There are basic methods for choosing an angle:

  • View photos of this building from other people, what is missing there, what is superfluous;

  • Go around the building from all sides, trying out various compositions and variations;
  • Get closer, move away, sometimes changing the distance to the object can give completely unexpected results;
  • Squat down or put the camera on the ground, so the part of the ground in front of the building, flowers, fences and other interesting details will get into the frame;
  • The building looks perfect if visually the horizon is in the center of the photo, and the buildings are located clearly according to it;
  • If it is possible to take a position above the building, try the view from above, so you can find interesting solutions;
  • Include details and various elements in the picture: stairs, windows, combinations of ornaments, balconies;
  • Use natural frames and frames from tree branches, structures, surrounding objects.

The biggest enemy of the photographer is the lack of imagination and creative vision of the frame. These skills need to be developed by constant practice, to shoot various objects, so over time an understanding will come of what needs to be done.

If you want to show the grandeur and massiveness of the building, come closer to it or shoot from a lower angle, so it will visually increase and will “approach” the viewer. Shooting from an angle will give perspective and volume, and if you move further away, the building will lose its grandeur and significance. It depends on the photographer what qualities he will give to a house or structure, what character he will give it.


Weather, time of day and season of the year

The right angle was chosen, it is worth starting to work out the remaining factors. Different buildings look different under different conditions. Ancient buildings look great in the snow, for example, and bridges are best shot in summer and autumn, the forest is more interesting in autumn. Each building at different times of the year and day looks special. Shoot a skyscraper during the day in bright sunshine and at night in the reflections of thousands of windows, signs and lanterns - you get two different stories. There are no rules and prerequisites, but there are tips and tricks:

  • In the morning, the sunlight is soft, there are few people, the buildings are shrouded in a haze of fog. At 5-6 in the morning in good weather, excellent shots of architecture are obtained - all the details have a golden hue and the details in the photo are well obtained.

  • During the day, with a bright midday sun, you need a clear sky with a minimum amount of clouds, which will allow you to remove buildings without detailing. It is almost impossible to find a point where all the lines are drawn, and the light falls softly.
  • Evening time, when the sun is already preparing to go below the horizon, is great for architectural photography. It is better to choose an angle when the sun is shining from the back, you can use flashing lights, headlights from cars and soft sunlight.

You also need to choose the time of year that suits the story of the picture. In summer, all urban landscapes are complemented by bright greenery of trees and lawns, flowers and signs. In winter, all pictures take on a shade of sadness and melancholy, so you need to choose a building to suit the mood. Autumn is a holiday of colors, it is not even necessary to complement the pictures with bright colors and details, trees and leaves will do the work for you.

The weather influences the mood of the photo, the amount of light, the intensity of the colors of the street, and the number of people. A sunny day will give hard shadows, while clouds scatter the rays and you get soft light, rain and snow give glare and fuzzy images.

You can use the weather to create unique shots, each building changes depending on the season and weather conditions.


Frame composition, composition

The center of the frame is the building itself, the rest of the elements should complement it, then you get a harmonious picture. Moreover, it is not necessary to place it in the center, it is enough to focus on it. A photograph can be filled with details, a building can be photographed in an ensemble with other houses, it can be torn out of the usual picture, as if isolating it. Either option is interesting enough. In addition to the building itself, you can shoot elements, combinations of parts, sections of a wall or house, stairs, balconies, doorways. Understanding artistic composition comes with experience, after several thousand similar shots, you will learn to see the frames around.

Many unnecessary details can be removed by slow shutter speed, changing the angle, distance to the object or lens. You can take several pictures at different times of the day or year and then combine them in the editor. You can change the focus, depth of field, highlight some details, send something to the blur zone.


Using Natural Light When Shooting Buildings

It is possible to determine the ideal ratio of light and shadow only during the shooting process, some materials and elements look beautiful when adding shadows from nearby trees. Some walls should be perfect, without glare and reflections. Glasses and mirror surfaces where the sun's rays, lanterns or headlights of cars are reflected, can even become the main storyline of the photo.

Key points when choosing lighting:

  • cloudy day and lack of light significantly reduces the clarity and detail of the object;
  • the light falling from the side of the building allows you to draw the details of the architecture as much as possible;
  • light falling from above or from several directions can give glare or spectrum conflict, which can distort the color of the object;
  • if you shoot a building against the backdrop of a rising or setting sun, then all attention will be drawn to the contours, and the details will be hardly noticeable;
  • shadows can be part of the artistic intent or ruin the frame, keep track of them;
  • to soften the effect of hard shadows in bright sunshine, clouds or a change in the distance to the object will help. Clouds are natural reflectors and soften the light. And if you move away from the building, then a section of the blue sky will fall into the frame, thereby diluting the picture.

  • The best option for shooting a building is the sun behind the photographer's back, then the details will be drawn as much as possible, and there will be no extra shadows, and the colors will be juicy.

Technical parameters of the camera and the necessary equipment

In addition to a camera for architectural photography, additional tools and equipment may be needed. You can take with you:

  • A tripod to stabilize the camera at slow shutter speeds. Without it, the pictures will turn out blurry, especially when using widescreen, telephoto and tilt-shift lenses.

  • Lens options. Wide-angle will expand the perspective, while there is a side effect - the convergence of the verticals. Long-focus, on the contrary, narrow it. They can be used to fulfill an artistic idea. Televisions, or telephoto lenses, allow you to shoot from long distances, which is important when the building does not fit into the frame completely.

Tilt-shift lenses allow you to shift the perspective or change the depth of field, which makes it possible to shoot a panorama without distorting the vertical lines. Lenses with a focal length of 24-35 mm are considered to be conditionally "universal".
- Filters, for example, polarizing and color to achieve various artistic effects.

  • Remote control or cable. They are used in conjunction with a tripod to prevent hand shake during shutter release.
  • Additional tools depending on the type of shooting and the situation: a flashlight, a thermos of tea, warm clothes, dry shoes, lens visors, spare memory cards and a battery.

From the camera settings, you can separately select ISO - the building is motionless, so you can take a minimum value of up to 400. The rest of the parameters are configured on the spot and depend on the weather, the amount of light, the distance to the object. Many shoot with high depth of field values, this approach is considered a classic. But to achieve the author's idea, you can change this parameter to the minimum values, focusing on the details.


Typical mistakes of a novice photographer

It is still impossible to completely avoid mistakes at the beginning of the journey, but they can be minimized. There are classic problems and standards for correcting them while shooting:



Where can't shoot?

According to various legislative documents, there are places where photography is completely prohibited, where you need to take a special permit, where you can simply run into trouble without even breaking the law. It is useful for a novice photographer to study in detail the prohibitions and restrictions:

  • In religious premises: temples, churches, monasteries there is a conditional ban. The rector or other clergyman may give his permission to photograph certain premises. But even in this case, there are places where you will still not be allowed to enter with a camera.

  • List of government agencies where filming is completely prohibited not so big - closed military facilities and premises of the Kremlin, court buildings and correctional institutions from the inside, rooms for a meeting of the State Duma at the time the employees are there, objects of the Federal Customs Service.
  • Filming near the state border, buildings of the Ministry of Fuel and Energy, administrative premises of Rostransnadzor is limited.

There are places where they may be asked to remove the camera, it is possible to argue with the guards, but most often it is useless, and sometimes dangerous for equipment and health. If you were hinted about the ban, the easiest way is to apologize and leave, and come back a little later or the next day, when a more loyal shift takes over.

The most important advice for beginner photographers is to shoot as much and often as possible, alternate styles and types of shooting, participate in seminars, training events and read as much subject literature as possible. Only by immersing yourself in the topic completely, giving up to 80% of your time at the initial stage and up to 50% later, you can get results and progress. Choose for yourself the genre and type of filming to your liking and develop.

And in architectural photography, you need to remember the most important points:

  • buildings do not move, so the photographer must run;
  • some houses cannot be rented, they need to be known without exception in your city;
  • the camera and lens play a big role in the quality of the shot, especially in the detail of the object;
  • use a tripod, it will avoid hundreds of spoiled shots;
  • preparation for shooting is more important than the shooting itself - come to the place several times at different times of the day and season of the year;

  • in addition to shooting from the outside, there are also shots of the internal structure of buildings - this is also an architectural photograph;

  • shoot as much as possible, only in this way you can gain experience and artistic vision.

telephoto lens allows you to slide on the small details that cover the building. The dashboard will help to highlight for the viewer the elements that emphasize the uniqueness of the building. wide angle lens makes it possible to capture the building in its entirety. Or even put it in context with the environment, adding a sense of location to the frame. Super Wide Angle lens fishy eye(fish-eye) can be used to create a visual effect that adds dimension to a building. This lens adds some extra creativity to the overall image.

Templates

In conditions urban landscape all kinds of geometric patterns, leading lines, diagonals and various grids are widespread. All of these shapes can serve as attractive means of composing a shot. Thus, interest and tension in the frame increases. The best way to do this is to use transformer(zoom lens). In this case, shooting is carried out with filling the frame. And note that most buildings include symmetrical elements in their structure. They can be used to enhance the composition. Some architectural photographers hold your hand at the bridge of your nose to help you create a frame around the symmetrical points.

Reflections

Sometimes meet building, especially in modern areas of the city, which are glazed from top to bottom. They can be used as fantastic reflective surfaces that offer a range of compositional techniques such as symmetry and patterns. Also, in addition to them, we use the reflective properties of a puddle and various reservoirs, sunglasses and windows of vehicles, in which all the same buildings are reflected.

Contrast

The juxtaposition of color, structure, content, and light can add tension to an architectural image. Try comparing an old building to an ultra-modern building next door. Or a very bright colorful wall with a smooth, monotonous surface. Or just watch where the light falls to capture areas of light and shadow on the subject.

Light and shadow

Building riddled with areas of high contrast. They may deceive system exposure metering cameras. This problem is especially relevant if you want to capture both shadowy and prominent areas of a building at the same time. The solution is to take shots with different exposure values ​​and then combine them using HDR software. Or, if your camera has the ability, experiment with the dynamic range of the scene (for example, on Nikon this feature is called Active D-Lighting). You should start at the lowest value and work your way up, switching until you find the level of detail that suits you.

Scale

You can convey the size of the subject by including some attributes of everyday life in the frame, such as a bench on the street, traffic lights, street lights, cars, passers-by, trees, etc. On the other hand, try a variation where you could avoid secondary objects altogether to give the audience a sense of perspective and scale.

prospective correction

Many shots of architectural structures show distorted lines, especially if you use a wide-angle lens at a short focal length. And at the same time taking pictures while standing down on the ground. To straighten these lines, there are a number of programs or plug-ins that allow you to eliminate distortion. But such curvature can also be used to the advantage of photography. They add a sense of drama and a sense of scale to the image.

Architecture from the inside

Along with photographing the facade, the photographer often has the opportunity to capture what the exterior walls hide, i.e. interior. The main problem we face here is the lack of sufficient lighting. Especially since in some places the use of flash is limited. To combat this, use a lens with a wide aperture and increase the ISO. You can also fix the camera, choose a slow shutter speed and use the self-timer to take a picture. Where flash is acceptable, try using a diffuser to soften the harsh light that comes from a direct flash. The flash often distorts the scene's texture and color.

Silhouette Shooting

Here we act in the same way as when shooting people. To get a picture with a visually stimulating silhouette of a building, you need to place it in the correct position. This means that the sun must be behind the structure blocking the main flow of light. Don't forget to turn off the flash when you do this.

Night photography of architecture

Photographing buildings at night allows you to create fantastic scenes. This gives great opportunities for creative expression. Interesting results are obtained by shooting taken before complete darkness, at dusk, when the lights of the evening dawn are still visible in the sky. Appears additional range colors, which gracefully illuminates individual elements of buildings. Wait for the evening lights to light up in the windows of the houses, the headlights of the cars to light up.

architectural photography, as a rule, aims to obtain a documentary image that creates the necessary idea of ​​the appearance of the object being photographed or its details. With this type of photography, the main task is to truthfully and accurately show the shape of the building, decoration, sculptures and decorative elements. Architectural photography can be carried out for artistic reproduction of an object (architectural landscape). In this case, accuracy can be sacrificed for artistic expressiveness, the maximum reproduction of the characteristic features of the city, country, era. Features of the architectural style can be emphasized by the appropriate choice of the shooting point, the right angle, and the nature of the lighting. Hence, purpose of architectural photography may be receiving a photograph as a document or as a work of art.

Requirements for documentary architectural photographs:

1. must give a correct idea of ​​the structure and proportions of an architectural structure;

2. vertical lines of an architectural structure must be parallel to each other and to the vertical edges (boundaries) of the imprint;

3. photography must be carried out with a lens that does not distort the geometric proportions of the object (Fig. 17.1.);

4. The tonal solution of the image should be close to visual perception.

Features of artistic photography of architecture:

1. the lower shooting point allows you to create a familiar perspective for a person. The average shooting point for artistic photography is used quite rarely. The upper longing of the shooting allows you to show the space;

2. it is possible to use foreshortening for emphasizing large or small sizes, raising or lowering an object;

Partial closure of some objects by others;

Using the "backstage" method (arches, door and window openings);

5. to highlight the sky and clouds, you can use a polarizing filter, and in black and white photography, you can also use color filters;

6. the most spectacular lighting in the morning and evening hours, when the height of the sun above the horizon is approximately 25-40 °;

7. in the evening in the city, you can use the "regime time", when the sky is still blue, but the street lighting is already on;

8. You can take pictures of architectural ensembles without images of people as follows: use a tripod, stop the lens, if necessary, use a neutral gray filter and slow shutter speed;



9. the use of panoramic shooting.


Rice. 17.1 Image distortion when photographing at an angle.

Panoramic photography- a photograph with a large viewing angle. The panorama can be planar, cylindrical or spherical (otherwise called cubic). planar panorama - is projected onto a plane and can be reproduced on paper or a monitor. Such a panorama is usually obtained by means of panoramic cameras having a field of view of more than 120°, which makes it possible to obtain elongated frames with a wide coverage angle. Such a wide angle is achieved due to the movable lens, which rotates around its nodal point, directing the light flux after the slotted shutter. Panoramic cameras can use narrow (type 135), wide (type 120) film or have a digital matrix. You can also get a planar panorama by "stitching" frames from a conventional camera, although in this case it is advisable to use a special panoramic tripod head and appropriate software. Cylindrical panorama (cyclorama) - is projected on the side of the cylinder and has a coverage of 360°. You can get such a panorama by "stitching" frames from a conventional or panoramic camera. Spherical (cubic) panorama obtained by the projection of the environment on the face of the cube (the viewer gets the feeling that he is looking at the surface of the sphere from the inside).

Photography of architecture, buildings, industrial facilities has its own characteristics. Firstly, it is highly dependent on the time of year, time of day, and weather conditions. Departure to the object can take place several times in order to determine the time of day at which lighting, distribution of light and shadows on the object in the best way conveys the beauty, shape and character of the building. In case of bad weather, an alternative is to take pictures during "regular time". At the same time, the level of illumination of the sky and the facade of the building are aligned, and due to the difference in the color temperature of the illumination of the facade and the sky, the sky becomes deep blue, even in cloudy weather.


The second feature of photography of architecture is the need to use special cameras that have the ability to correct converging lines of buildings, that is, perspective distortions. When photographing architecture with a conventional camera, even the most advanced one, the building will look unnatural, since the plane of the film is not parallel to the plane of the building. A person sees the lines of buildings as straight, because the human eye automatically corrects the perspective. Therefore, in photographing architecture, one has to use special, gimbal cameras that have the ability to correct perspective distortions (Fig. 17.2).

Rice. 17.2. Gimbal Camera Linhof Kardan GT 4X5

The advantage of a gimbal camera in architectural photography compared to a conventional one is the presence of movement of the objective and film boards, which makes it possible to “align” the building being photographed during photography. Also in these cameras the big format of a frame is realized that gives the chance to print out photos with magnificent detailing and practically any size. Even a 9x12 cm slide cannot be compared with digital cameras, even medium format ones.


Of great importance in photographing architecture is the angle and point of shooting. Photographing from a lower point, from the height of a person, is designed to show the monumentality of the building. In this case, it is important to align the building in the frame during photography. For this, either a gimbal camera or a conventional camera with a shift lens is used. Special shift or tilt-shift lenses (Fig. 17.3.), are used in photography of architecture or interiors in order to align vertical lines on an object when the camera is tilted. An important property of these lenses is the control of the depth of field of the subject of photography. Depth of field can be done throughout the frame, even when shooting at an angle to the subject, or you can concentrate the sharpness at one point, blurring the environment.

Rice. 17.3. Left: Shift lens with a maximum shift of 7mm. Right: tilt-shift lens. Maximum angle 8°, maximum movement 11 mm

Photography of architecture can also be done from a higher point, from the floor of a nearby building and even from its roof. This has its own advantages. Cars parked near the building cease to “climb into the frame”, trees do not cover the facade. Shooting from a higher vantage point than the height of the subject allows you to broaden your perspective, show the surroundings, and show the location of your architectural subject in an urban or other location.

You can choose the angle of photography, in which the camera is set vertically, and, therefore, the need for special optics is eliminated.

Photography of architecture with a facade to the north is best done in regime time, or in the daytime using frame combination technology. That is, to take pictures from one point, setting the camera on a tripod, focusing the lens in the “manual focus” position, changing the shutter speed. The result is shots with a normally exposed facade and a completely white sky, and a normally exposed sky but a dark facade. Putting these frames in Photoshop, get a great photo.

Complexity photography of interiors associated with the correct selection of lighting, camera and lens, the point of photography and the foreground.

For illumination, when photographing interiors, either constant light sources with a color temperature of 3400°K (halogen lamps) or pulsed illuminators with a temperature of 5400°K are used. Sources of constant light with a daytime spectrum temperature are rarely used because of their large size and relative high cost (the exception is high-budget shooting). The use of halogen illuminators is very convenient, you can clearly see where there is enough light and where you need to add.

Since interior photography is usually carried out during the daytime, the windows take on a blue tint. If the interior lighting is properly balanced, then the landscape outside the window does not distract attention from the interior itself.

The use of pulsed illuminators when photographing interiors allows you to highlight the sconces, chandeliers, floor lamps available in the interior due to the difference in color temperature.

If the shooting takes place during the daytime, the light outside the window will be natural. However, balancing the light is more difficult and will take much longer.

The most interesting shots when photographing interiors can be obtained by combining light sources.

When shooting an interior, the main requirement is the complete sharpness of all plans, therefore, when photographing large rooms, it is necessary to correctly determine the aiming plane and choose the most rational aperture.

Perspective distortion problems are solved in the same way as in conventional architectural photography.