Gear Advice for Those Just Starting out in Architectural Photography

For those of you that are just starting out in architectural photography, or thinking about joining the industry, you may have a lot of questions. Hopefully, the majority of those questions are about learning how to shoot as opposed to what to shoot with; however, the gear you use does still matter. It would be foolish to think that any old gear is going to work.

A video from Trent Bell Photography discusses some of the essential pieces of camera gear required for architectural photography. In the video, Bell discusses why a full-frame camera is important for this kind of photography, and although Bell recommends the 5D Mark IV, I think this camera might be a little pricey if you’re starting out. Something like the Canon EOS RP is probably a better choice or even the 6D Mark II. Both of these cameras offer most of the features required for this kind of work and the image quality differences are negligible.

The main thing to take a way from this video is about the tripod. A geared head on top of your tripod is extremely valuable to have if you’re shooting architecture. The precise movements it allows for give you much more effective control over your composition. Ultimately, composition is far more important than how sharp your lens is, or how many megapixels your camera has.

Check out the full video linked above to see all the recommendations.