Architecture is one of my favorite types of photography. It has a such strong, graphic quality, there is nothing subtle about architecture — perhaps because it is man-made, with steel, glass, and cement.
How to Take Photographs of Architecture
If you are trying to take a straightforward rendering of a building, then you need a few things: good light, a wide angle lens, and software like Lightroom to help you eliminate the converging lines. Or you can use a special (and very expensive) tilt-shift lens.
Here are some other ways to photograph architecture:
- Photograph buildings in relationship to each other, for example, skylines, city streets, or neighborhoods.
2. Include people, to show scale or to add interest to your image.
3. Photograph parts of buildings. Look for and exploit lines, patterns, textures, and shapes in your compositions.
4. Use framing, by shooting through a window, a doorway, or anything else that appeals to you.
5. Photograph reflections. You can photograph reflections in windows, or in cities the exterior walls of skyscrapers might contain layers within layers of reflections.
6. Look for interesting patterns and lines cast by harsh sunlight.
7. Look for unique angles and perspectives. Try using bird’s eye view or worm’s eye view or another unusual point of view while photographing an everyday object. Try to show something unusual or unexpected about the building.
8. Exploit symmetry! From a distance or zooming in on a detail, there are lots of symmetrical compositions in architecture.
#MindfulPhotoChallenge Day 21
Take a photograph of architecture, using the elements of composition to strengthen your image.
Share your images on Instagram with #mindfulphotochallenge and/or #RefocusPhotoChallenge, and tag me @ goodhartphotography.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like:
- My full color 30-Day Photography Challenge Workbook here on Amazon.
- My Photography Articles Listed and Sorted by Type here
- My Mindful Photography Workshop here
- My “A Gossamer Thread” Newsletter about photography/creativity, productivity, and joy here
Photo credits: Alex-Wong, Anders-Jilden, Kewal-D, Khara-Woods, Leo-Manjarrez, Marc-Oliver, Matt-Reames, Rolandas-S, Todd-Quackenbush.
