How We Master Your Architectural Photography & Video

As architects, showcasing your designs is essential for conveying your vision and creativity. Architectural photography and video is a captivating mix of art and precision, in which we help you to showcase the beauty and intricacies of your buildings. In this article we'll share how we effectively capture the beauty and intricacies of your work.

Above: A selection of images from an architectural photoshoot we did for a new home by AVJennings.

7 Keys to Great Architectural Photography & Video

We Want to Understand Your Design

Before diving into production, we want to know the story behind your architecture. Understanding the initial aim of the project, materials used, and design philosophy will help us communicate the essence of your work through images and storytelling.

Choosing the Right Gear

Whether we're shooting stills or video, having the right equipment is crucial to our work. Any photographer will tell you a sturdy tripod is critical for stability and framing. Equally, a wide-angle lens (think 14mm to 24mm) is typical for capturing expansive views. But to push further into the importance of choosing the right gear for the job takes serious consideration of all aspects of the intended outcome. An example might be the use of tilt-shift lenses to correct perspective distortions when shooting tall buildings. When it comes to interior photography, we prefer to leave the flash kit at home and shoot your interiors using multiple exposures. On average, each finished image may take 10-13 exposures, giving us the newances in dynamic range from the darkest parts of the frame to the brightest, and allowing us to manually choose how to expose the final image in post. On the other hand, large lighting fixtures bouncing the light around the space to raise the level of ambient light is often key to approaching the lighting and exposure for video, due to the differing nature of the digital cinema camera vs digital stills camera. We may also bring in cinematic tools such as dolly's, jibs and gimbals in order to push movement and perspective shifts into the video.

Timing is Everything

The quality of light can make or break your shot. Early mornings and late afternoons provide that soft, diffused lighting that enhances textures and details. For something more dramatic, we might consider the golden or blue hour—those magical times are when the sky and light create breathtaking backdrops. However if blue sky is the aim, we'll schedule the shoot for a sunny day. Depending on the aspect of the building, this would usually be either mid morning or mid afternoon. Rarely would we plan your exterior shoot at noon when the sun is directly over the building. One of the tools we use to plan the shoot is app called Sun Surveyor, which helps us to ensure we are shooting your buildings exteriors in the best light.

Nailing Our Compositions

Great composition is key! Using the rule of thirds or leading lines to create balanced images is always the initial goto when framing architectural shots. We specifically look for an axial composition by aligning the verticals. An axial composition is one that emphasises a strong central axis. This axis acts as a focal point around which elements are arranged, creating a sense of order and balance. In axial compositions, elements are often mirrored on either side of the axis, leading to a harmonious and balanced visual effect. The axis can be highlighted using lines, pathways, or architectural features that draw the viewer’s eye toward the focal point. Overall, an axial composition helps create a structured and cohesive visual experience.

Above: A cinematic architectural video we produced for Architectus.

Focusing on the Details

While wide shots are important, we'll also plan to capture the architectural details that make your building unique. Close-ups of textures, materials, and distinctive features can add depth to the video or photography and highlight the craftsmanship involved.

Reflecting the Environment

We love to consider the surroundings of the builing and how this may have impacted its design. Reflecting how a building interacts with its environment can tell a fuller story and we do this by shooting wider shots of the building in relation its surrounds. To achieve this drones are particuarly useful for both video and stills photography. Additionally, video has the added advantage of being able to share this aspect of the design story through epert interviews with the architect.

Embrace Post-Processing

Editing is where the magic happens! New tech across video editing and photo editing software allows us to fine-tune exposure, contrast, and colour to significantly enhance your video and images. However, our goal remains to keep it natural to represent the building’s character authentically. Still images are less forgiving that video, which is why our pro Photoshop skills come into play. Seamlessly removing unwanted objects and other distractions such as powerlines, street poles, uncontrollable reflections on the glass or things like stickers on the fixtures are imperative to a perfect image.

That's a Wrap!

We hope you found this article on how we produce architectural photography and video helpful. If you have a project you'd like to discuss, we'd love to chat! You can contact us here.