W. Patrick Day Patrick@PatrickDayPhotography.com
Architectural Photography. encompasses views of the exteriors and interiors of domestic, commercial, religious, institutional, engineering structures. can record the evolution of structures, environments, towns, and cityscapes. can create visual documents or expressive images for artistic or commercial purposes.
GOOD Architectural Photography goes beyond simple recording of physical features. seeks connections with the spaces photographed. aims to record an emotion rather than a piece of topography. pays homage to the inner sanctity of the site while also exploiting the architectonic elements.
History The first successful permanent photograph (9 ½ Hr exposure) was of architecture. View from the Window at Le Gras (La cour du domaine du Gras) Nicéphore Niépce - 1826
Charles Latham - Clouds, Wiltshire (1904),
Eugene Atget, Hotel de Luzignan, 8 Rue Elzevir, 1901 Eugene Atget, Escalier, 25 Rue des Blank Manteaux, 1903 04
Joe Lipka, Labyrinth Triptych #002 (2007) Joe Lipka, Labyrinth Triptych #001 (2007) www.joelipkaphoto.com
Frederick H. EVANS, A Sea of Steps (Stairs to Chapter House - Wells Cathedral), 1903
Frederick H. Evans, Kelmscott Manor: In the Attics (No. 1), 1896.
Lynne Cohen, Underwater Bedspring Lynne Cohen, Space Ship
T&T: Before you shoot Take your time, the building isn t going anywhere. Walk around the site without your camera and find areas that appeal to you.
T&T: Setup & Framing Take your time, the building isn t going anywhere. Don t hesitate to move a few step. This can save you hours of post-production corrections. Before you shoot, pause and look at the whole frame in the viewfinder (fyi: tripod helps). Step back from the camera to watch and listen. (fyi: Tripod required & remote helps)
T&T: Visual Checklist Enhancements: Frames within Frames Shadows Distractions Window/Water Reflections Backgrounds
T&T: Edit In-Camera Paying attention to detail and moving a few steps around can save you hours of post production editing.
T&T: Edit In-Camera Watch for foreground objects.
T&T: Background Objects Watch for background objects
T&T: Distracting Backgrounds
T&T: Continuity Avoid breaking lines/boxes/patterns.
T&T: Broken Forms
T&T: Sun Hot Spots Sunspots blow out the image details and can t be recovered. It can also damage your sensor if too intense!
T&T: Reflections of Self The artist should be anonymous
T&T: Using Reflections Reflections can hide interiors, which can be positive or negative.
T&T: Using Reflections Reflections can also be use to broaden the perceived field of view.
T&T: Avoid Distractions Exclude objects that don t compliment the subject.
T&T: Focus on the Subject Zoom in to exclude visual distractions
Creativity Explore the site before you shoot. Shoot test shots on handheld Get Close & Personal Find unique elements or views
Creativity: Explore
Creativity: Dramatic Angles
Creativity: Patterns
Creativity: Textures
Creativity: Be Inpired! Turn negatives into positives
Creativity: Frames within Frames Use backgrounds to frame your subject.
Creativity: Framing with Color Framing can also be done with (lack of) background colors.
Creativity: Get Close.
Creativity: Get Close
Creativity: Best Angles Let the subject speak for itself.
Creativity: Leading Lines
Tools: Graycard Gray Card: Gray on one side for Exposure White on other for Color
Tools: Hardware Tripod Maximizes your control and enables many techniques such as HDR, Panoramic, Bracketing, Time Lapse, Long Exposures, etc. Level You can also use viewfinder lines to level your camera Compass: Tracking sun and shadows Protective Gear Helmet, Gloves, Steel toed boots Water/Snacks Notebook Measuring tape Very helpful is using Hyperfocal distance settings.
Tools: Software Time Patience Planning Practice Permission! (alliteration was unintentional)
Tools: Cameras The BEST camera to use is.. The one you bring with you.
Control Perspective/Convergence Depth of Field/Hyperfocal Distance
Convergence Convergence is a perspective distortion where parallel lines appear to get closer together as they get further from the viewer.
Convergence: Cause The more the camera (film plane) is NOT parallel with the subject, the more pronounced the distortion.
Convergence: Correction Straighten the camera to the subject and use a wider angle lens. Move away from the subject and use a zoom lens. Use a Large Format camera but that s a whole other presentation.
Depth of Field (DoF) Rule of thumb: Keep everything in focus. Corollary to the Rule: The narrower the aperture the better. Problem: How do you know/ensure everything is in focus? Solution: Use Hyperfocal Distance
DoF: Hyperfocal Distance Hyperfocal Distance (Easy concept, confusing definition) A Focal Point at which everything half way from the camera up to the focal point is in focus AND everything beyond the focal point (to infinity) is in focus.
DoF: Calculating the Hyperfocal -OR- Download/Use specialized calculators Windows & Palm (free) www.dofmaster.com iphone/itouch/ipad: www.davideubank.com
DoF: Steps 1. Know your sensor size 2. Choose your lens for the shot. 3. Calculate the Hyperfocal Distance (see next slide) 4. Set the camera to MANUAL FOCUS 5. Select a target that is at the Hyperfocal Distance and focus on that. 6. Use some tape to ensure the focus ring does not move. 7. DONE! Place the camera anywhere and shoot all you want.
Composition Elements Structure, Line Dynamics, & Perspective Rule of Thirds Drama/Dynamic Lines
Composition: Elements Structure Organization of the different parts of the image into a harmonious whole within the borders of the film frame Line dynamics Lines/Patterns used to create drama and direct the viewer s attention. Perspective producing the illusion of depth on a twodimensional surface, enabling the viewer to differentiate size and distance in the image
Composition: Line Dynamics When viewed in a purely two-dimensional way, lines in a picture that are out of parallel with the edges of the frame are considered dynamic. The closer lines are to 45 and the more dramatic their juxtaposition at opposing angles, the greater the sense of excitement generated within the image, and therefore the more powerful its impact.
Composition: Line Dynamics (example)
Composition: Perspective When photographing an interior, the photographer usually wants to suggest the spatial value. To do this it is necessary to include more than one wall (either two or three) to give the viewer the illusion of depth
Composition: Perspective (2-Wall) In order to include two walls and show maximum floor area, the best camera position is usually in one corner looking towards the opposite corner.
Composition: Perspective (3-Wall) If three walls are to be included, the best place is often a third of the way along the length of the back wall to avoid photographing the extra side wall at too oblique an angle
Composition: More Once the spatial perspective is established, the foreground composition has to be set. This is often done with the dominant piece of furniture or decoration standing at the intersection of the thirds on the bottom horizontal. Further depth to the picture, and interest to the composition, can be created by the addition of a piece of furniture in the immediate foreground, cutting across the bottom corner of the frame.
Composition: Example
Techniques Long Exposures Eliminating Unwanted/Moving objects (the easy way) Bracketing and HDR Panoramic/Stitching Interactive ( Virtual Tour )
Long Exposure Use Long Exposures to smooth out water movement. by Andy Mumford www.nd-magazine.com/articles/art2.php
Long Exposure Use Long Exposures to eliminate people from images. Works best in low-light situations. Strong Neutral Density filters help. Ghosts on Younge Street by Sean McGrath
Unwanted/Moving objects Better & easier than CloneStamp!
PS: Clonestamp Use multiple shots of same scene using a tripod.
PS: Clonestamp In Photoshop Stack them as Layers
PS: Clonestamp Erase the items in each photography that you don t want.
PS: Clonestamp As you erase areas of upper layers, the contents of the lower layers show through for the final Image.
Bracketing Bracketing is the technique of taking multiple shots of the same subject but changing the shutter speed. Most camera have feature built in to take a 3-image bracket. Typical setting is Normal exposure, 2- Stop under exposure, and 2 stop over exposure.
Bracketing (6-shot) 1/1000 sec 1/30 sec 1/250 sec 1/8 sec 1/60 sec 1/2 sec Canon 5DMKII - 16mm - f/8.0 - ISO400
High Dynamic Range (HDR) HDR is the technique of merging 2 or more bracketed shots into single image. Allows a greater range of color and exposure than a single shot could capture. VERY useful for indoor shots! Reduce need for lighting Can compensate for overexposed windows VERY easy to go overboard with color saturation. Many software solutions including Photoshop. Best is Photomatix (www.hdrsoft.com)
Bracketing HDR
Pan: Tips Use Panoramic Head (if planning to do a lot) Pay attention to moving objects Watch for extremes of Light/Shadow Shoot in Portrait orientation for max height
Pan: Basics Lock Focus (use Hyperfocal Distance) Lock Exposure & ISO Level Camera (tripod helpful) Start from Left and pan right Overlap images 10% to 20% Do practice shoot Don t hesitate to start over
Pan: Photograph w/overlap
Pan: Stitch (using software)
Pan: Correct*
Pan: Final
360 Pan: Images
360 Pan: Final