Architectural Photography Tips

These architectural photography tips will teach you how to take stunning pictures of buildings. All buildings from modern skyscrapers to rustic country cottages can make interesting subjects for photos if you know what you're doing. Here are some tips to get you started.

Equipment

Whenever you head out to take pictures you have to make sure you have the right gear for the job. When you're taking pictures of buildings a wide angle or ultra wide angle lens will help you get the entire building in the picture. You may also want to try to use a fisheye lens to help you get some interesting shots. Bring a zoom lens along too incase you want to take some pictures that isolate your subject.

A tripod is a must. Using a tripod will allow you to take longer exposures without having problems with camera shake.

A polarizing filter will help keep details in the highlights. This filter is especially important to keep you from getting blown-out looking skies.

Lighting

Here are some architectural photography tips for dealing with lighting. When you're taking pictures of buildings there are often high levels of contrast in the image. Buildings have lots of nooks and crannies that can be quite shadowy. The sky is often quite bright. When you are taking pictures use exposure compensation to make sure you get the correct exposure.

A polarizing filter will help cut down on some of the contrast, but often times it's not enough. You can use exposure bracketing to make sure you're getting good exposures. Then you can layer these images in your photo editing software. High dynamic range photographs often look quite impressive when you're taking pictures of buildings. You can use HDR software to create these pictures.

Perspective

You can take pictures of buildings straight on, but that isn't always the best angle. Play around with perspective. Try taking pictures straight up a tall building to demonstrate its height. Move in a circle around the building to capture it from different angles.

Including people in your picture will help demonstrate the size.

Environment

Use objects in the area around the building to add interest to the picture. There are often reflecting pools around grand buildings. Include the reflection.

The foreground in a picture can help convey the story of the place. Try including some of the landscaping or the street around the building.

You can take good architectural pictures on any day, but I quite like the drama a stormy looking sky adds to these photos. Try taking pictures of a building in different weather conditions to see the difference the sky can make in your picture.

You can take lovely silhouettes of buildings at sunset. Simply position yourself so the sun is setting behind the building.

You can also take amazing nighttime pictures of buildings that feature the lit up skyline. It's best to take these pictures at what's known as the Blue Hour. This is the hour after sunset when the sky still has a little bit of color in it.

Books that May Interest You

Architectural Photography: Composition, Capture, and Digital Image Processing

Architectural Photography: Professional Techniques for Shooting Interior and Exterior Spaces

A Constructed View: The Architectural Photography of Julius Shulman

If you liked these architectural photography tips check out these digital photography tutorials.