Architectural Photography - Techniques for Shooting Exterior Spaces
One of the more fascinating aspects of architectural photography is how there are different techniques for shooting exterior spaces and interior spaces. In order to refine your photography skills, you must be willing to adapt to these varying fundamentals and become receptive to the environment.
The quality of exterior shooting, in essence, is heavily reliant on composition. There may be thousands of different buildings or landmarks that you can take photos of, but for every subject there is an infinite amount of distinctions when it comes to the way certain elements are combined.
For example, below is a pair of photos of the beautiful Tower Bridge in London. However, the two images are clearly distinct from each other - if you came across these photos on two separate occasions, you may not even know that they are of the same piece of architecture. The angles are different and the moods captured are also nowhere near being similar.
The question then becomes: What kind of composition works best? Well, that's completely dependent on what you're trying to capture and what mood you're aiming for - so it's important to explore your options.
On the Hunt for the Perfect Shot
Over the years, the techniques for shooting exterior spaces have evolved into more adaptive processes rather than stand-alone applications. The smart photographer knows that although a piece of architecture may not be the most enticing subject, there are many ways to make it appealing to the human eye.
Even more importantly, the goal of architectural photography isn't always to capture the subject - sometimes you may just want to capture the feeling of being there in real life. Applying this kind of intuition to your photography skills is very important and if you become good at it, your photos may never look the same again.
With all of this being taken into account, it's time to decide what your subject is going to be and how you're going to capture it. Make sure you take your time with this - it's not uncommon for photographers to reserve a great deal of time for selecting the right location. Feel free to wander around your city or local area in order to find some inspiration.
Once you think you've found a subject with real potential, experiment with different possibilities. Do you want to capture the entire piece of architecture or would you rather emphasize a particular aspect of it? Are you trying to include action in the photo such as people walking by or interacting with the object? Maybe you want the piece to be secluded from everything to further amplify its perceived greatness. There are a lot of options here!
What Elements Fit Best with Certain Compositions?
Once you've finally made your decision on what to capture you can proceed to move forward with the meat of the project: The elements of your composition. Different lenses play different roles in the matter and your ISO setting, aperture size, shutter speed, and amount of exposure must be precise. Let's break it down:
Selecting a Lens
While a wide-angle lens is most beneficial for interior spaces, it also has its uses when applying techniques for shooting exterior spaces. You can usually homogenize the setting by increasing your distance from the subject and if you are trying to exemplify a particular portion of the architecture you can move in for a closer shot. Be careful with this, though - if you move in too close you can risk distorting the lines in your photo. Vertical lines should always be as straight as possible.
If you're having trouble filling in your frame, you might want to try out a zoom lens. This type of lens allows for more control over the substance of your shot, which is especially useful for when unnecessary objects or distractions need to be cut out. Most zoom lenses come in a variety of sizes, with 20mm typically being the widest angle and 400mm offering the most telephoto-like quality possible.
Working with Lighting
The best way to capitalize on particular lighting is to adjust your ISO, aperture and shutter speed to the right settings. These three elements all play a collective role in adapting your shot to light, but they each have their own unique mechanics.
ISO setting: This measures your camera's sensitivity to light in respect to the image sensor and it's most commonly used with digital hardware. For the most part, the higher the setting the more receptive your shot will be to light, so if an area is too dark then you may need to raise your ISO. You can also increase your ISO in order to better capture moving objects. Nonetheless, this can have its ramifications - shots taken with high ISO are susceptible to noise, which can greatly compromise the quality of your photo.
Aperture size: Your aperture size dictates how much light is collected in a single shot. It's usually expressed as an F-stop, so keep in mind that the smaller your F-stop is, the larger your aperture will be. Fundamentally, you will want to approach a darker setting with a larger aperture. However, if the subject of your photo is the entirety of the area, then you may want to consider using a smaller aperture to balance your depth of field.
Shutter speed: Just as the name would indicate, your shutter speed determines the length of time that the shutter of your camera will be open during a shot. Similar to ISO and aperture, each setting exhibits its own pros and cons. Generally, your shutter should be open for a short period of time when capturing a well-lit environment. This is because if it's open for too long, your shot will accumulate an overabundance of light and you'll end up with an "overexposed" image. As the sun goes down, you'll need more light to compensate for the darkness, which is when you'll want to open your shutter for longer. Balance is the key in this matter.
More Exposure Means More Options
An extremely important technique for shooting exterior spaces is to maximize your exposure. Weather, lighting, moving objects - they all come and go when you're shooting outdoors, so this is where having a wide selection of substance can make for an impressive shot. If you're having trouble committing to longer exposure due to a heavy camera, consider investing in a tripod and your problem will be solved.
Not all photos need lengthy exposure, so don't hesitate to experiment. Make sure your goals are well-established before incorporating this technique into your composition.
Get Out There!
The fundamental techniques for shooting exterior spaces are simple, but as you strive harder for perfection they can start to become more complex. The best way to learn which settings work best is to experiment with different compositions and then extrapolate from there. Experience is the key to success when it comes to this artistic profession, so get out there and enjoy the momentum!