Basics Architectural Photography

80 Pages·2008·25.762 MB·English

by  Michael Heinrich

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Die Architekturfoto grafie ist für Studenten
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Architectural
Photography

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Birkhäuser
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Basel
BASEL
Contents
Foreword _7
IntroductIon _9
Fundamentals oF photography _11
Optics _11
Principles of representation _12
Recording the image _16
the camera _19
Image quality _19
Objectives _20
Control elements _22
Camera types _25
Accessories _30
Image analysIs _31
Image factor: content _32
Image factor: reproduction _38
Image factor: graphics _43
the photograph _49
The series _49
Divergent lines _50
Order _50
Weather _53
Interior shots _54
Artificial light _54
Construction sites _57
Photographing models _58
processIng the Image _60
Scanning _60
Importing images _60
Selecting images _61
Image edItIng _62
Resolution _62
Colors _63
Storage formats _64
Parameters _65
Correcting image errors _66
Retouching _67
Special techniques _68
The image as end product _69
the archItect and communIcatIons medIa _71
In conclusIon _73
appendIx _74
Literature _74
Photographs: technical information _75
The author_78
Foreword
An important way for architects to introduce themselves to the pro­
fessional world and acquire new clients is through effective presenta­
tions of their work. Books, journals, brochures and websites are some of
the forums that architects use to publish plans, perspective drawings and
photographs. The quality of the images presented in these contexts is
highly significant, since they are often the only medium available to
architects for informing outsiders about their work.
The presentation of work to the outside world is not the only func­
tion of architectural photography. The camera is an architect’s constant
companion on construction sites, trips and surveys. It provides a perma­
nent record of completed buildings, impressions and ideas that may later
inform the architect’s own work.
Depicting a building presents the photographer with special chal­
lenges. Buildings can hardly be positioned and photographed in a studio.
They are part of public space and are often elements in a closely inter­
connected urban context. They are used on a daily basis, inhabited and
exposed to the elements. These aspects are not always desirable when
it comes to photographing buildings, and they thus present both techni­
cal and aesthetic challenges. The photographer also has to be cognizant
of the architect’s interest in having his or her intentions and design prin­
ciples optimally reflected in the image. In this sense, architectural photo­
graphy cannot be equated with documentation. It is also a formative
medium that is influenced both by the insights of the photographer and
by the architectural perspective.
Architectural Photography makes an important contribution to the
general field of object representation. The book begins with a discussion
of the technical fundamentals of photography in order to help students
develop the skills required to photograph constructed architecture and
their own work at a professional level. The chapter “Image analysis” de­
scribes the typical design parameters used in architectural photography
and illustrates them using a number of examples. It then outlines estab­
lished procedures for shooting architectural subjects. Editing and adapt­
ing raw photographic material is an everyday part of producing architec­
tural images. This book therefore uses a range of examples to illustrate
the different ways of processing images and the different techniques of
digital image editing. It offers architecture students and readers with a
general interest in the subject a solid, practical foundation on which to
build the skills required to produce high­quality photographs.
Bert Bielefeld, Editor
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Introduction
Architects, urban developers and structural engineers develop their
architectural ideas largely with the help of architectural photographs.
Such photographs assume a mediating role between architecture and
the observer, but they can never completely reproduce a building, since
they only show a particular perspective. The photographer selects a
specific point of view, deciding what he or she would like to show the
observer. It is therefore wise to make a thorough study of the details of
an architectural object before photographing it.
Reproducing a three­dimensional building in a two­dimensional Concept
medium confronts the photographer with the fundamental difficulty of
depicting interrelationships and spatial impressions. Over and above this,
a concept for communicating architectural context needs to be based on
an analysis of the structures of a building, the fundamental ideas inform­
ing its design and the context in which the building has been positioned.
Apart from an understanding of architecture, it is also necessary to have
a knowledge of how designs are realized in technical terms, a sense of
proportion, and the ability to select the right content for photographs.
> Chapter Image analysis
The chapters below provide insights into the technical fundamentals
of photography, image analysis, photographic techniques and the sub­
sequent adaptation and editing of architectural images.
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