Usman Dawood | Architectural Photography Almanac

B&H Offers Huge Discount on the Canon 5DS R: Still One of the Best Cameras for Architectural Photographers

by Usman Dawood

In a previous article, I discussed why I think the Canon 5DS R is still the best camera for architectural photographers. This mostly came down to aspects relating to usability and the fact that image quality from this camera is still incredible. B&H are now offering a HUGE discount making this camera far more accessible.

Canon Rumored To Produce the Widest Angle Tilt-Shift Lens Ever, With Autofocus for Its RF Mount Cameras

by Usman Dawood

If there’s anything that’s going to make me switch over fully to a Canon mirrorless system, it’s probably going to be the lenses. The latest rumors for suggest some incredible lenses are on the way for architectural photographers. It seems that many of us can’t wait till this nightmare of a year is over.

The Best Budget Set-Up For Beginner Architectural Photographers

by Usman Dawood

Architectural photography is one of those genres that tends to have quite a high entry cost. Although there are inexpensive gear options available, wide-angle and tilt-shift lenses generally come with a hefty price tag. For someone just starting out, a $1,900 lens might be a little out of reach.

Breakthrough Photography Launch a Huge Range of Drop-In Filters for Canon RF Cameras

by Usman Dawood

When Canon first released the EOS R, one of the most compelling things they did was to also release an EF to RF mount adapter with a drop-in filter feature. This meant that you could adapt tilt-shift lenses to your EF camera and use drop-in filters whenever it was necessary.

These Videographers Risked Their Lives to Film 1920s New York Skyscrapers

by Usman Dawood

It’s incredible to think about what people in the 1920s went through to put food on the table. The title of this video describes how the men in the film risked their lives to build iconic skyscrapers in New York. The likely truth is that they risked their lives for their families and futures and not for New York itself.

Hey New Photographers, Please Avoid Asking These Questions

by Usman Dawood

When you’re first starting out in the industry, you have a million and two questions racing through your mind. This is great because it shows that you’re interested and looking to learn more! Most teachers will probably tell you that there are no stupid questions.

Convert Your Manfrotto 405/410 Geared Heads to an Arca Mount: F63 Clamp Review

by Usman Dawood

When it comes to geared tripod heads, the more popular options on the market are from Manfrotto. The Manfrotto 410 and 405 heads are go-to options for many architectural photographers, mostly due to them being great value for their price. Even I started with the 410 and then moved onto the 405 head, and personally love the heads I currently have.

How to Straighten Your Images in Photoshop and Lightroom

by Usman Dawood

One of the cardinal rules for architectural photography is that vertical lines must remain vertical. It’s considered bad form in many instances to photograph a building and have it look like it’s falling backwards, or heavily distorted. Unfortunately, there may be times when it just isn’t possible to achieve this in camera and some post production is required.

APALMANAC Reviews the Sunwayfoto GH-PRO II (Versus the Manfrotto 405 Geared Head)

by Usman Dawood

One of the key bits of equipment an architectural photographer is pretty much required to have, is a good geared tripod head. I would say it’s pretty difficult to photograph architecture without having one of these.For many architectural photographers, including myself, our first geared tripod heads are probably one of the two options available from Manfrotto.

The MacBook Air: Possibly The Best Laptop For Location Shooting

by Usman Dawood

Most architectural photographers prefer to shoot while tethered to a laptop or tablet device. The main reason for this is because the screens on the backs of almost all cameras tend to be pretty poor, and pretty small. This is true even for more expensive medium format cameras; although their screens are better, they’re still not that great.A

How to Photograph Architecture: A Quick Beginner’s Guide With Eric Reinholdt

by Usman Dawood

The majority of people entering the photography industry tend to ask questions mostly about gear. Questions tend to be about lenses, cameras and what they should buy first, and while the gear is important, actually learning how and what to shoot is far more important.

Gear Advice for Those Just Starting out in Architectural Photography

by Usman Dawood

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.

How To Remove Yourself From a Mirror In a Photograph With an “Invisible” Camera

by Usman Dawood

Many of us architectural photographers are no strangers to a good tilt-shift lens. We probably even have a favorite that we use regularly for most of our shoots. My personal favorite is the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 II. Although I don’t shoot with it as much as I do the 45mm, I still prefer the 24mm over the other tilt-shift lenses.

Three Things I Hate About Tripods

by Usman Dawood

In my view, the most tedious and frustrating bit of equipment that I need to take with me to any meaningful shoot is a tripod. Most tripods are cumbersome, heavy and, unwieldy. They’re a pain to carry around and I absolutely hate them. Don’t get me wrong, I love the results I’m able to produce with a tripod, I just hate everything else about them.For

Here’s Why the Highly Underrated Canon EOS RP Is a Brilliant Option for Architectural Photographers

by Usman Dawood

Most of my reviews and articles tend to be about the “best” cameras and gear; I’m all about high-resolution and super sharp lenses. Honestly, for many of us including myself, the “best” doesn’t really matter that much anymore. In more recent times I’ve been more conscious about my expenses and as a result, the camera that keeps coming up on my radar is the Canon EOS RP.

Ten Ways to Get the Most out of Your Tripod

by Usman Dawood

Tripods are not the most glamorous bits of gear that many photographers own. In fact, I generally hate using a tripod. Not because it doesn’t produce the results I want, it’s just such a pain to carry around; especially the heavier ones which are also, unfortunately, the more useful ones.

APA Reviews Wine Country Camera Filters: Probably the Best System for Architectural Photographers

by Usman Dawood

For many architectural photographers, a good filter system is an absolute must. Filters offer a great deal of flexibility when it comes to exposure times and also controlling reflections; reflections are probably the most vital issue to control when photographing architecture due to their ability to make or break an image.

How to Respond If a Client Can’t Afford You

by Usman Dawood

My guess is that almost every photographer and creative has probably come across a client that’s either tried to lowball them or just couldn’t afford them. These situations can be tough, especially if you’re just starting out in the industry. In my experience I’ve made a mess of a few negotiations but, these things come with time and experience.

Large Format Is Still Completely Unrivaled: 8×10 vs Fuji GFX 100 (5DS R & X1D II)

by Usman Dawood

In my last article, I talked about why a 150mp EOS R type camera would be incredible for architecture. I prefer high resolution cameras because as I’ve mentioned in past articles, they offer tons of flexibility when it comes to cropping and editing. In our latest video, we look at a camera that has the potential to produce images with resolutions far greater than any digital camera currently on the market.

Photograph Architecture From the Air With This $455,000, 280mp Phase One Camera System

by Usman Dawood

Just in case you thought a $60,000, 150mp medium format camera was just not quite enough, Phase One Industrial just announced their latest monster system. By combining two of their current 150mp sensors, Phase One Industrial has been able to produce what they call a “large format” aerial camera system.