What are the skills of architectural photography to take good architectural photos?

Architectural photography may be one of the more difficult topics in photography. First of all, we need to select the desired photos from a large number of photos, and so does post-processing. In addition, we have to worry about the deformation of architectural photos and the problem of bad weather. At the same time, we need to look at this situation from another angle and take interesting photos with the external structure of the building. In order to help you complete architectural photography, we have compiled some architectural photography skills.

1. Find good lighting.

Lighting is one of the main elements of photography. Lighting not only endows the quality of photography, but also determines the lighting conditions of photos. You can customize the lighting at any time when shooting in the studio. But for architectural photography, it is necessary to deal with natural light, so it is necessary to choose specific time and weather conditions.

The best time for photography is prime time. In the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, the light is scattered and softened, which can take fantastic photos of the house in the shadow of the house.

In addition to prime time, there are blue time, that is, before sunrise and after sunset. At this time, the sun is not direct, and the sky is blue, usually with pink, yellow or orange shadows. The photos taken in blue time look very special.

No matter which time you choose, you need to take clear and beautiful photos with a tripod.

2. Choose an unusual angle and perspective

Try to find non-standard angles and perspectives, especially when shooting famous building structures. After all, before you filmed them, they were photographed by millions of tourists and hundreds of professional photographers. Before shooting, the photographer can check camera parameters. You can shoot the Eiffel Tower from below or Barcelona Cathedral from behind the yard. Using different architectural photography angles and perspectives will make your photos look more professional.

3. Use words to increase the sense of architectural scale

Although crowds of tourists will lead to the theme of photos being scattered, buildings photographed in the natural environment look more interesting. The photos of the scenic spots that no one walks and the street cafes that no one eats are unnatural. The next time you feel helpless about the characters in the photo frame, you can use the characters to help the photos convey the scale of the building.

Step 4 capture all weather conditions

If you want to take perfect photos, you must pay attention to the weather forecast. Shoot in different seasons and different weather conditions to create unique creative photos. For example, in autumn, you should try to shoot in light rain or even downpour. In addition to reflecting the basic architectural structure, you can also add the texture of clouds and raindrops to make your work more dramatic.

Snow in winter is also a good way for architectural photography. Even if it's cold outside, you can take many creative photos. Ice and snow add mystery to the building.

5. Add lines and shapes to your work.

One of the most important techniques of architectural photography is to follow the lines and shapes in composition. Indeed, the audience's opinion of your work depends directly on this and the color.

The audience will like architectural shots with symmetrical lines and shapes. To learn how to evoke different emotions through architectural photography, please look for basic knowledge of design and formal psychology.

Rectangles and squares symbolize stability and create a sense of security, because we are used to seeing these shapes in our daily life. Circles and circles evoke a feeling of joy. Triangle is associated with sports, representing risk and excitement. This knowledge will come in handy if you decide to find a unique architectural photography method.

6. Don't worry about distortion

Distortion is very common in architectural photography. This usually happens when you shoot a building from a low angle or a high angle, and the distance between the shooting point and different parts of the main body is different. They even have a special name-trapezoidal distortion.

Professional photographers know that sometimes this effect is inevitable, so if you find it in the photo, don't worry too much. Most photographers can eliminate the distortion with just a few clicks in the post-processing stage.

7. Do some research before shooting

If you are shooting tourist attractions or other buildings with their own history, please collect information. Maybe you will learn interesting and unexpected facts, which will inspire you and help you take nonstandard photos.

8. Photograph the inside of the building

Most people think that architectural photography is street shooting, but this type also includes shooting interior decoration. Photographers who photograph the interior of building structures face many challenges. One of them is to aim at the camera to convey vertical lines and different shapes. Don't shoot with a wide-angle lens to avoid image distortion, and set the lighting.

Shooting interior decoration is not only a way to make money, but also an opportunity to diversify your portfolio by using architectural photography. When shooting people indoors, it can help create more authenticity and tell a story.

9. Try to be simple

Minimalism allows you to convey the essence of objects and pay attention to form. Try to think outside the box, leave more white space in the photo, look for lines and shapes, and make the photo look beautiful.

10. Enhance the image in post-processing.

With the emergence of the trend of authenticity, photographers spend less and less time on post-processing. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't process images at all. Because the camera can't capture all the beauty and details that the eyes can see, a slight enhancement will only benefit your shooting. You can change the contrast and brightness, crop photos for better composition, or make the colors more saturated. Thanks to these edits, photos will become more attractive and enable you to show the beauty of the depicted objects to the greatest extent.