Architectural Photography Almanac (Page 34)

How To Create An Architecture Photography Book: Part Two

by Mike Kelley May 10, 2019July 7, 2019 7

In part one we touched on the pre-production process for my book New Architecture Los Angeles. In today's article I'll tell you a little bit about the gear I used and how the day-to-day shooting process went. Spoiler: traffic. Lots and lots of traffic.

Project of the Week: Simone Hutsch | heysupersimi

by Lexi Taciak May 9, 2019May 9, 2019 4

There are so many more facets of architectural photography than just shooting sublimely lit modern homes or hotel exteriors; in fact, even the most beautiful of those can start to feel a bit stale after a while. When I saw German photographer/designer Simone Hutsch’s minimal architecture photos, I couldn’t get enough of them.

Canon TS-E 24mm f3.5L II vs Canon TS-E 17mm f4L Tilt Shift: Which Should You Buy

by Usman Dawood May 8, 2019May 7, 2019 1

For architectural photography, I highly recommend you buy and use a tilt-shift lens. Personally, I prefer Canon because I firmly believe they make the best. Tilt-shift lenses are brilliant because they allow you to correct perspective; which is extremely important for the kind of work we do.

Interview: Darren Bradley, The Global Mid-Century Modern Specialist

by Mike Kelley May 5, 2019May 5, 2019 2

Darren Bradley: TED talker, Dwell cover boy, global traveller and book author. Not bad for an architectural photographer! I met Darren a few years ago at an AIA award ceremony and instantly found him fascinating; so I couldn’t be happier to make this interview happen.

Five Mistakes Beginner Architectural Photographers Should Avoid

by Usman Dawood May 3, 2019May 2, 2019 12

Starting a career in photography can be very challenging. I know that when I first started as an architectural photographer, I made a fair few mistakes that could have been avoided. Fortunately, those mistakes can serve as lessons for future architectural photographers.

Project of the Week: Dave Kulesza / Mckimm

by Lexi Taciak May 2, 2019May 3, 2019 0

On this fine Project of the Week, we're featuring Dave Kulesza's photographs of Mckimm's project #344 - The Howitt House. The first thing that catches my attention is the great tonal balance of this image. I love the warmth of the natural cedar contrasted by the cool concrete forms.

Tilt-Shift Lenses: Why Are They so Expensive?

by Usman Dawood April 27, 2019April 27, 2019 0

Architectural photography isn’t exactly the cheapest profession to get into. The amount of money that we invest in building this particular kind of business is significantly greater than many other genres of photography. Unfortunately, the current price of tilt-shift lenses doesn’t help very much in this regard.

Why Every Architectural Photographer Needs a ColorChecker Passport

by Usman Dawood April 24, 2019April 27, 2019 2

One of the things that I’ve struggled with as an architectural photographer is managing color. This is especially true when shooting interiors because most interiors tend to have a wide range of different colors and shades. For a long time, I’ve been using the ColorChecker Passport and recently X-Rite released their new version 2; so I decided to cover this subject again.

We need that by Monday: How To Deal With Rush Turnarounds (Hint: You shouldn’t)

by Mike Kelley April 19, 2019May 1, 2019 7

A notorious sticking point for any photographer, the rush turnaround can be a great tool in your bag or it can turn into a living nightmare that threatens to create a rift between you and your client. Over the years I’ve been able to transition from the rush turnaround being a dreaded ‘ugh’ moment into something that is relatively effortless.

Project of the Week: György Palkó / Tóth Project

by Lexi Taciak April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 0

It’s April 18th. Your taxes are (hopefully) filed, the weather is great, and it’s time for Project of the Week! This week’s featured project hails from Hungary. Villa SZE was created by the architectural firm Tóth Project. I was immediately drawn to this series because of the way photographer György Palkó displays the colors and shapes throughout the home.

How To Create An Architecture Photography Book: Part One

by Mike Kelley April 12, 2019July 7, 2019 5

For some reason photographers are obsessed with being published, I am a photographer, ergo, am obsessed with being published. It feels good, it looks pretty, and it makes your photographs real, as in a tangible thing that other people hold and look at and say “wow” like Owen Wilson.

Project of the Week: Owen Raggett / W Xian by AB Concept

by Mike Kelley April 11, 2019April 18, 2019 1

I saw this project by Singapore-based photographer Owen Raggett and immediately raised an eyebrow and mouthed “holy shi—“. It’s kind of mind-blowing from both an architecture and photography standpoint, and I couldn’t resist sharing Owen’s exemplary photographs of the project.

Interviewing Brooke Holm: Seamlessly Blending Art and Architecture

by Mike Kelley April 4, 2019April 7, 2019 1

Brooke Holm has carved out a successful career for herself shooting exactly what she wants, where she wants, and the results are beautiful. She effortlessly blends personal fine art projects with interior and architectural commissioned works in a sublime and delicate style, becoming a highly sought-after photographer in markets around the world.

The Most Powerful Compositional Tool: The One Point Perspective

by Mike Kelley February 24, 2019February 24, 2019 9

It’s a question I find myself explaining over and over again to aspiring photographers and it’s quite simply one of the most powerful tools available for improving the compositions and quality of your photography. It’s not even limited to architectural photography either, in fact artists and photographers alike benefit from taking advantage of the one point perspective.

Project of the Week: Kat Alves / Donald Joseph Architect

by Mike Kelley February 23, 2019February 23, 2019 0

Project of the Week for February 23rd comes to us out of Northern California. Named Granite Bay and set in a rolling California landscape, the project makes use of the site’s topography to soften its contemporary hard-edged appearance and reveal its size gracefully.

Humor: Architectural Photography Bingo

by Mike Kelley February 23, 2019April 7, 2019 5

We’ve all been there and to deny it is just an outright lie. Whether it’s “can you just photoshop that” or “I promise the contractors will be gone by the time the shoot happens,” you’ve got to roll with the punches and over my career I’ve turned to humor to do so, otherwise someone would be scraping me off the floor of another five-over-one apartment somewhere.

The Ultimate Geared Head Review: Arca Swiss D4 vs C1 Cube

by Mike Kelley February 21, 2019February 22, 2019 19

There are really only two tripod heads to consider if you want to use the best of the best: the Arca Swiss D4 and the Arca Swiss C1 Cube. The worst thing about them is you’re spending over a thousand dollars on something that doesn’t actually make you a better photographer, but the best thing about them is that they make it so much easier to take pictures I don’t even know how I’d begin to go back to the cheaper options.

Understanding Your Clients: What Does an Interior Designer Actually do?

by Mike Kelley February 20, 2019April 7, 2019 3

I’d love to pretend that this goes without saying, but it’s incredibly important to actually understand what our clients do in order to deliver the best possible images to them. There is so much more goes into interior design than just making a space “pretty,” especially when you are considering commercial, civic, and other large-scale projects.

Project of the Week: Adam Letch / SAOTA

by Mike Kelley February 19, 2019February 23, 2019 0

This Project of The Week brings us to Cape Town, South Africa, where we find a project shot by Adam Letch. Adam is a photographer specializing in architecture and interiors who’s primary markets are Africa and Europe. The residence, called “Beyond,” and designed by renowned South African firm SAOTA, is set on a difficult site overlooking Lion’s Head, a well-known landmark in Cape Town.

The Biggest Wastes of Money in My Photography Career

by Mike Kelley February 17, 2019June 19, 2019 10

I already know that this is going to be a controversial article, but it’s something I have to get off my chest because I look back and almost feel guilty about how much money I have spent on these things. The photography industry is full of products that you may or may not need and separating the wheat from the chaff is going to be important when you’re watching where your money goes.