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Let’s Keep the Lines Straight !

Why are so many clients settling for second rate or even third rate photography?  Especially when it comes to architectural photography?   They seemingly settle for lines that are not geometrically straight.  These photographers do not maintain proper perspective.  They do not care if vertical lines remain vertical, nor do they care if horizontal lines appear natural.

In the February 2011 issue of Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Academy placed an ad congratulating a student for being the Digital Photo Academy Student of the Month.  The photography on which the student is congratulated showcases a cathedral that is very distorted where the structure is severely leaning backward and with the sides converging.  The reason this is happening in the photograph is that the camera is pointed upward at the building.  In my estimation as an architectural/location photographer, this photograph would not and should not pass muster with a client who should only expect the very best.  This could be made a great photograph if only the vertical lines were kept vertical and the horizontal lines appeared natural, and proper perspective had been maintained.

In the April 2011 issue of Popular Photography, photographs made by an architectural photographer are shown as powerful and dramatic because the structures are shown looking straight up the building with the building reaching skyward.  Another shot showcases a structure up close and personal with reflections of clouds in the glass and angles sometimes swirled around.  The photographer says he sees his shots as arrangements in the sky.  And that’s what they are.  He says that he shoots as art.  But an architect would want a real representation of his envisioned, designed, and built as realized structure.

Apparently clients are willing to settle for distortion and exaggerated points where buildings lean back with converging sides and where there are sometimes ship’s prow effects.  Several architectural/location photographers do not compose the photo for natural appearances because extreme convergences are more natural to them.  This is not what architects and builders want to demonstrate and showcase in photographs of their structures.

Eye level is of extreme importance, as well as corners being kept natural and keeping proper perspective.  Also, parallel sets of lines on each face of a building should be a strong concern — roof and ground lines on the face of the structure and the roof and ground lines on the side of the structure.

A good way to for an architectural/location photographer to eliminate having to shoot upward to photograph a tall structure is to either carry around a locking extension stepladder to reach a proper vantage height, or look around for a hill or high vantage point from which to shoot so that the need to tilt the camera can be eliminated.  This technique works when one does not have a tilt-shift lens to keep the lines straight.  (I might add that even tilt-shift lenses are tricky to manipulate to keep the lines straight!)

The architect’s style and ability is the primary objective of architectural photography.  The objective is not over exaggeration of the building, or the gross distortion of the structure, or showcasing certain ships prow effects, or showing lean outs as something that would support a powerful picture.

It is wrong in my opinion to distort a facade that is meant to be looked at in a certain way — in reality —not surreality.

An architect always keeps proper perspective when drawing his architectural renderings.

Architects have told me that my photographs accurately depict their renderings, and this is a great compliment since I have not seen their renderings prior to making the photographs.