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Review: Put Your Camera Anywhere With a Platypod

Review: Put Your Camera Anywhere With a Platypod

by Mike Kelley
Over the past few years, my gear bag has been reduced to the absolute bare minimum. This is to make my traveling life easier, to reduce weight so my herniated disc doesn’t flare up every third minute, and to keep breakage and repair troubles far away – after all, the less things there are to break, the less things break.
Project of the Week: Maíra Acayaba / Frederico Sabella Arquitetura

Project of the Week: Maíra Acayaba / Frederico Sabella Arquitetura

by Lexi Taciak
This week we're back in Brazil, but this time with the great Maíra Acayaba. Three hours outside of São Paulo lies the Gonçalves municipality, home to our featured project, Casa Gonçalves by Frederico Sabella Arquitetura. Maíra Acayaba has a stellar body of work as a whole, but Casa Gonçalves is hands down my favorite series. Perched on top of the highest mountain in the Gonçalves region, the house sits among the clouds. Maíra had to split the shoot into two days to combat the fast-moving fog and cloud cover that came and went.
Having Trouble Getting Paid? Here’s Some Inspiration and Help

Having Trouble Getting Paid? Here’s Some Inspiration and Help

by Mike Kelley
It’s a struggle that every creative professional deals with all too often, especially early in your career: chasing invoices, non-responsive clients, unauthorized usage of assets, the list goes on. Here I’ve compiled some of my favorite links and videos that will help you light a fire to get paid for your work – and if nothing else, will inspire you to re-write those contracts so you never get yanked around again!1.
Interview: Architectural Photography Success in a Small Market with Seth Parker

Interview: Architectural Photography Success in a Small Market with Seth Parker

by Lexi Taciak
Today we’re going on a ride with Nashville-based architectural photographer Seth Parker. This is a long interview, but one that is dripping with advice that should be shouted from a mountain top. Shooting for clients like Starbucks, Stanley Black and Decker, and ahem…the NFL, he’s got the portfolio (and hilarious tales) to back up his 19-year long career.
Project of the Week: Åke E:son Lindman / Kolman Boye

Project of the Week: Åke E:son Lindman / Kolman Boye

by Lexi Taciak
On this episode of Project of the Week, we’re teleporting you to the Norwegian wilderness. Keeping in line with last week’s moody & broody theme, Swedish architectural photographer Åke Lindman has documented Kolman Boye's Vega Cottage complete with foggy exteriors and soft-lit interiors. The atmosphere of this set renders it worthy of Project of the Week, so let's dive on in!
Interview: Latin America’s Architect Turned Photographer, Lorena Darquea

Interview: Latin America’s Architect Turned Photographer, Lorena Darquea

by Lexi Taciak
Lorena Darquea is a well-traveled architectural photographer who is celebrated for putting modern Ecuadorian architecture on the map. She is also listed as one of the top rising women in architectural photography by ArchDaily. Both a well-studied architect and photographer, she is insanely skilled at giving each project in a pure and honest portrayal. We were happy to be able to sit down and pick her brain on what makes for good photography from an architect's standpoint.
Pro vs Amateur Architectural Photographer: And the Winner is…

Pro vs Amateur Architectural Photographer: And the Winner is…

by Usman Dawood
A little over a year ago Mike Kelley, the head honcho, and big cheese at AP Almanac lost against Lee Morris in an architectural photography challenge. This was a huge surprise and an upsetting result for many who are fans of Kelley. This year they decided on doing a similar contest to see who is, in fact, the best architectural photographer between the two.
How I Deal With Instagram as a Professional Photographer

How I Deal With Instagram as a Professional Photographer

by Mike Kelley
Instagram can be an incredibly powerful tool, but also a very annoying, almost disheartening thorn in your side. While it has great promotional value, the flipside is that it is rife with image theft, copyright infringement, enough vagaries to make your head spin, and the unavoidable irritation that comes with constantly comparing yourself to others.
Is Medium Format the Best Option for Architectural Photography?

Is Medium Format the Best Option for Architectural Photography?

by Usman Dawood
Cameras like the Phase One XF system and the Hasselblad H6D offer some the largest commercially available digital sensors currently on the market. Generally speaking, larger sensors tend to offer better image quality; this isn’t explicitly true but for the most part, it’s what most people experience.
You Can’t Fight Without an F-You Fund

You Can’t Fight Without an F-You Fund

by Mike Kelley
When it comes to negotiations, as a photographer (or any freelance artist, for that matter) you’ve got to master the art of not being emotionally invested in the outcome – something that is nearly impossible to do. But without it, you’ll never be able to break free of difficult clients and underpaid gigs.
Project of the Week: Arch-Exist Photography / Xiao Yin Architecture Design Firm

Project of the Week: Arch-Exist Photography / Xiao Yin Architecture Design Firm

by Lexi Taciak
Xiao Yin Architecture Design Firm's "Ranwu Lake Campsite" has been so masterfully documented by the crew at Arch-Exist Photography that I felt like I was transported there, and I can't stop looking at this set of photographs. What I admire most about this series by Arch-Exist is how they captured the structures of the campground in tandem with the environment of Ranwu Lake, all with plenty of mood. Contrary to most architecture photography that's put out into the world, this set is dark and deep and a bit otherworldly feeling.
Interview: Exploring Kenyan Architecture With Mutahi Chiira

Interview: Exploring Kenyan Architecture With Mutahi Chiira

by Lexi Taciak
Mutahi Chiira is an architectural photographer hailing from Nairobi, Kenya. Mutahi became a fast friend of mine throughout this interview and has shed such great light on Kenyan architecture and his personal best practices as a photographer and business owner in Africa.
This Cheaper Lens could be a Better Alternative to the Canon 17mm Tilt-Shift

This Cheaper Lens could be a Better Alternative to the Canon 17mm Tilt-Shift

by Usman Dawood
As architectural photographers, the main types of lenses we use are tilt-shift lenses. They’re simply incredible for the kind of work we do and the control they offer make them indispensable. The main issue with these lenses, however, is the fact they cost quite a lot of money especially if you’re aiming to have the full set.
Ask APA: The Perpetual Access Problem, Giving Away the Raws, Assistant Fees

Ask APA: The Perpetual Access Problem, Giving Away the Raws, Assistant Fees

by Mike Kelley
D Asks: How does one find out exactly who owns / manages a building? Ask your client if they know, or know someone who knows. Failing that, walk inside and speak to whoever is at the front desk. Make up a good story, or tell the truth, depending on the neighborhood you’re in, and get a business card of someone you can contact.
Project of the Week: Danica O. Kus / NMOQ / Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Project of the Week: Danica O. Kus / NMOQ / Ateliers Jean Nouvel

by Lexi Taciak
Feast your eyes on the National Museum of Qatar, a structure masterfully designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, and documented in equal mastery by Slovenian photographer Danica O. Kus. The museum is an enormous sprawling building that looks out onto the Persian Gulf. A union of various "disks," the museum is subject to such interesting highlights and shadows thrown by the harsh Qatar sun. The time of day Danica chose to photograph the exterior shows off the dimensionality of the building nicely.
Tilt-Shift Lenses vs Fixing it in Photoshop: Which is better?

Tilt-Shift Lenses vs Fixing it in Photoshop: Which is better?

by Usman Dawood
Tilt-shift lenses are by far my favorite types of lenses; they offer so much versatility, especially when you’re shooting architecture… I wouldn’t shoot with any other type of lens! However, up until recently I had never actually compared the results you can produce with a dedicated tilt-shift lens vs correcting distortion from a conventional lens in post.
How to Deal with Security Guards: Making an Architectural Photography Book, Part Three

How to Deal with Security Guards: Making an Architectural Photography Book, Part Three

by Mike Kelley
Any photographer who has tried to take pictures in any moderately urban environment is familiar: the security guard, keeping us safe from the “terrorists” with cameras, protecting the interests of “the man” from purported “liabilities,” and whatever other nonsense boogeyman they’ve dreamt up that doesn’t exist.
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