fuerst Posted October 17, 2006 Share #1 Posted October 17, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am working on a long term documentary project and I am at the point where I realize that a portion of it will have to include some architectural photography. I am not an architectural photographer so I would very much appreciate suggestions on any good books/ web sites / materials regarding architectural photography (especially rural) all you smart people at Leica Forum may have. Thank you Bojan Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 17, 2006 Posted October 17, 2006 Hi fuerst, Take a look here Good primer on architectural photography. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
albertwang Posted October 17, 2006 Share #2 Posted October 17, 2006 Best book of architectural photography has to be Park City shot by Lewis Baltz. All of Baltz's photos are the best social commentary combined with architectural detail. Also check out William Eggleston's photos. Some of those include architectural details too. There isn't a real primer on architectural photographing that's worth it. Just treat a house as a human and there you go. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted October 17, 2006 Share #3 Posted October 17, 2006 Bojan You might like to try "Professional Architectural Photography" by Michael Harris, Focal Press, ISBN 0 240 51532 3. I've no idea whether or not it's still in print. Like most books with the word "Professional" in the title, it is actually at a fairly basic level, but might be useful if you are new to the game. I presume Alfie has read it, since he seems to have passed judgment on the whole literary canon (sic) in this area, but I don't think you'll get very far by simply treating a house as a human. Hope this helps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hammertone Posted October 17, 2006 Share #4 Posted October 17, 2006 ... but I don't think you'll get very far by simply treating a house as a human. Some people get very far with this: the photographer Reinhart Wolf described his architecture photos as faces or portraits of buildings ("Gesichter von Gebäuden"). I can recommend his legendary New York book or his work on Spanish Castillos. This is not exactly 35mm territory, however ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuerst Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share #5 Posted October 18, 2006 Thank you folks! You have been most helpful. Bojan Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_r_smith Posted October 19, 2006 Share #6 Posted October 19, 2006 Bojan I have a feeling we are confusing two things here. There is a discipline which we might term "professional architectural photographic recording", which includes such techniques as photogrammetery and rectified photography, often accompanied by EDM and CAD survey. This almost always involves the use of medium or large-format cameras, highly rectilinear wide-angle lenses and camera or lens tilt and shift. When I think of architectural photography this is what tends to come to mind, since it is part of my job. The other discipline is what I might think of as "pictorial architectural photography", which aims to create a pleasing picture of a building, perhaps more often set in its context. Even here, the technical aspects can be just as demanding, owing to the problems of converging verticals and obtaining a sufficiently wide field of view, so in some respects the two do overlap. But in many ways the basic rules of good photography apply to architecture as to all else - composition, light, and form. The idea that good architectural photography is in essence a branch of portraiture is a perfectly valid one, except that we don't often use a Softar for a building picture Here are a few very basic tips - * Tripod * Spirit level on the camera * The best rectilinear wide-angle you can get your hands on * Orange filter (for B/W) * Gain height if at all possible (steps, pick-up truck, scaffold) * Plan your shoot in advance * And choose your time of day with great care John Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted October 19, 2006 Share #7 Posted October 19, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I hate pedestrian architectural photography. It really needs to emphasize the spirit of the architect behind the structure. Sugimoto's architectural tributes are substantial for sure... I am definitely sure that he is one of our masters of our time... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted October 19, 2006 Share #8 Posted October 19, 2006 I agree with pretty well everything John says, especially with regard to the technical difficulties of pictorial architectural photography overlapping significantly with formal record architectural photography - which is why I have my doubts about "just" treating a house as a human. I've even considered trying a large format camera with tilt and shift movements, but for the moment I content myself with a PC 28/2.8 Super Angulon and a 21-35 zoom on an R8 or R9. (For these cameras. the "new universal screen with grid-lines" is very helpful in this context, better in my mind than the older simple grid screen without the focus aids.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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