26.01.09
How to photograph modern buildings
Words by Craig Roberts
Barely a month goes by without a new building sprouting up in a town or city. It could be an office block, sports centre, modern apartments or shopping centre, all of which will, at first glance, appear to be just another concrete monstrosity blotting the landscape.
But stop and take a second, more subjective look and you’ll actually see that they really are modern day works of art, designed by skilled architects who could have designed them with us photographers in mind!
Photographing architecture is really all about light and form and this is especially true with modern architecture. Although looking fantastic as a complete building, it’s only when you get closer that you start to notice the details that, with careful composition, make fantastic abstract features to photograph. Intricate stairways, an abundance of glass and steel in numerous shapes, as well as reflections and areas of colour, all of which are great details to capture with your camera.
It’s worth visiting your chosen building beforehand and taking a look around, to find its best features and the best time to shoot it. It may be an afternoon lit shot from one side, whilst another angle may look best in the morning. On this initial recce you can also check for unwanted scaffolding. It’s also worth checking whether there are any restrictions on photography. If the building has a website this can help, as well as possibly offering details about permission to shoot inside.
Often the best time to photograph modern architecture, especially office buildings, is a Sunday morning when nobody is around. You’ll have more time to concentrate on your compositions without worrying about people getting in the shot. Old buildings tend to look ideal early in the morning or late afternoon, when the light is warmer and some modern architecture also benefits from this.
However, the new kids seem to be more tolerant of harsh light. Even in the middle of the day they can look spectacular, especially if combined with a polarizer to cut reflections and boost a deep blue sky to set them against.
Get in close with a wide-angle lens and look up but also move back and pick out details with a telezoom. A nearby multi-storey car park will get you some height and a different angle, perhaps showing the contrast between old and new with the modern building against a historic church. If the building is very much an all-glass design, look for reflections of other buildings in the glass. This could be that nearby church or an adjacent office building. More often than not, the reflection will be so distorted that it becomes an abstract of colour and shape.
Converging verticals aren’t so much of a cause for concern with modern architecture as with older buildings. Pointing the camera up and even tilting it at an angle, you can get some very dynamic images that make the building look even more futuristic. Finding these compositions is the key to getting the most out of a well-designed building.
If you want to keep the building as the architect intended however, then you’ll need the purpose-made (and expensive!) tilt-and-shift lens. Designed especially for shooting buildings, the lens in these optics actually moves within its housing to get the top of the building with the frame without resorting to tilting the camera upwards.
Photoshop Elements has a special feature for correcting converging verticals and is a cheaper way of keeping verticals vertical. See our step-by-step guide on page 32 for details. The full version of Photoshop has the Transform Tool.
Using a wide lens to try and get all the building in the frame results in lots of empty foreground, but you can use this to your advantage by adding some foreground interest. This could be anything from part of the landscaping around the building itself to an attractive wall or seating outside, something that complements the building and adds foreground interest. This will also have the benefit of adding scale and emphasising how tall the building actually is.
Whilst you are looking round your town, have you ever thought of photographing your local shopping centre? Many towns these days have new shopping arcades. Again at first glance they can be seen as just bricks and mortar containing retail units, but a skilled architect has carefully designed them.
Again, take a wander round and look for the details. Which is its most prominent feature and how is it best captured? Wide view or close-up? Perhaps it looks better at night.
Inside the building, you’ll find lots more clever details. There could perhaps be a spectacular glass roof or unique spiral staircase. Even the escalators can look great as abstracts if viewed from an oblique angle. Contrast can be a problem inside and it may prove better to get to the top level and use any overhead light to shoot downwards instead.
Inside any building, you will also have the problem of different light sources to contend with from the cold light of the daylight coming in through large windows, to the artificial light of the interior lighting. It is worth shooting Raw so you can adjust the white-balance in post production, otherwise take a couple of images of the same subject on different white-balance settings. Try one on daylight and then one on tungsten and see which looks best. It will all depend on which light source dominates. If all else fails, then you could shoot black & white (or convert in software) instead which eliminates the problem straight away. Sometimes the lack of colour benefits the final image anyway.
There are not many buildings that aren’t transformed at night, coming alive when a few brightly coloured bulbs are pointed at them. The best time to shoot these is soon after sunset, and as soon as the exterior lights come on whilst there is still some colour in the sky. Don’t worry about white-balance on this type of shot, just leave it on daylight and allow the tungsten lights to affect the overall colour of the building. Again, having a Raw file gives much more flexibility with white-balance.
If it’s an office building you are shooting then a weekday is often preferable to a weekend, as the interior lights are more likely to be on thus showing the building at its best. Expose for the mid-tones to get highlight and shadow details.
As well as ordinary buildings, consider other modern architecture to add to your portfolio of images.
There are some great sculptures and works of art around town centres that will make really great images. Among my favourites are bridges and these come in all sorts of designs and sizes. Shoot either on the bridge itself or on the bank beside it, both are great places to exploit its best features. Of course, many are again beautifully lit up at night and often look their best this way too.
Whatever your choice of modern architecture, explore it carefully and exploit its best points to the full. If it’s local, get to know the building well and study it in all types of light and learn the best time to shoot. Above all though, be bold, be daring and take some risks with your photography to ensure you come home with shots to be proud of.
KIT BAG
Although modern architecture is a little more carefree regarding composition, the use of a tripod will still benefit most of your shots and obviously the long exposures on night images it is essential. If you want to keep your verticals as intended, then a tilt-and-shift lens is perfect and maybe something to invest in if buildings are a large part of your photography. Combine this with a hotshoe mounted spirit level and you can guarantee your building
will look as straight as a die.
A wide-angle lens will allow you to get in close and help with getting the whole of the building in shot. If you want to be able to pick out abstract detail shots though, you’ll need a decent telephoto.
FURTHER INFO
Security guards can be a problem when shooting modern architecture, as each building often has its own employee, who will no doubt spot you on the CCTV. In most cases you’ll find that they won’t mind and it’s worth talking to them beforehand to explain what you are doing.
You will find the odd jobsworth though, who gives you some speech about copyright or red tape. If you are on public land then the law is on your side even if you are using a tripod. So be polite, but explain that you are within your rights and you are willing to have them call the police if they object. However, it’s different if the area around the building is owned by the company. So, if this happens, find out if they will allow you to shoot handheld instead, otherwise you’ll just have to give up and find another building.
Shooting more sensitive buildings like airports or power stations is tricky. Unless you get permission in writing from the company who owns these beforehand, they are best avoided.
In a shopping centre, before you start shooting, the best thing to do is make your way to the manager’s office and explain exactly what you are doing. It all depends on each centre as to the reply you get, some are perfectly happy for you to do so, others aren’t. Early on a weekday morning is the best time to pay a visit, rather than a busy Saturday afternoon.
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