Some of the most interesting and artistically appealing of these photos have been taken during what photographers call the 'blue hour'. This is that time, usually late dusk, when the sky becomes a rich, deep blue. At this time, there is still enough ambient light to pick out details of the buildings' exteriors, and (with meticulous planning!) the interior lights of the buildings appear to glow brightly, with some warmth in contrast to the cool sky colour.
This requires a few practical preparations. Firstly, there needs to be a safe place to put the tripod for a long period. This is for security of the equipment, and also to prevent accidents. There needs to be awareness of the best times of the evening (or morning) for the light to be just right. And there has to be a considerable time to take the shots, as a number of different exposures will be required - for the sky, the building and surroundings, and the internal lights. A typical processed image in fact will be a composite of 5-10 raw files.
The camera itself is very important here. I have usually got my best images with the Canon 5DS-R. The sensor with this camera has three particular strengths. It lacks a low-pass filter, which renders detail sharper than on most sensors. And it has a high dynamic range, and very little noise on long exposures.
Having a sturdy tripod is important too. I use a Manfrotto 190, combined with a geared head for accurate composition. And of course, a sturdy tripod is no use if it isn't on solid ground for long exposures!
For almost every shoot I have done over the years, copyright has been an issue.
Technically copyright resides with the author or creator, in this case the photographer. For as long as photography has been a profession, the photographer has been able to use this right to profit from resales. I will admit to making a proportion of my income this way.
But we are now in the age of the Wild West where copyright is concerned. Even with image search software, it’s difficult to catch up with who is using our images, and whether this has been agreed, let alone paid for.
And of course, from the customer’s point of view, it can be expensive to hire a proper professional photographer, but this load can be lightened by sharing the cost. Inevitably, this becomes an issue in price negotiations. There have been occasions when not assigning copyright became a deal-breaker.
Also, whilst on a shoot, I often get asked by the building owner or contractor if I could let them have copies of the images, and sometimes this even becomes a condition for access to the premises.
And when the shoot involves specific building products, for example, there will be the matter of the maker or supplier of these products not wanting the images to be misused, e.g. to promote rivals.
So I tried to look at this problem from the angle of all parties concerned. Inevitably, any solution would have to be a compromise of some description. My view now is that the best way to do this would be to license specific parties to use the images, within the cost of the shoot. So, for example, if you’re an architect, you might want to include the contractor and interior designer in the licence. This should, to some degree, protect the interests of all parties.
There are photographers who might argue that I’m letting people have effectively free photos, and that this undermines the value of the profession. But in reality, it’s more a case of enlightened self-interest – it’s easier to maintain working relationships in the long term if the client has a clear understanding of what’s on offer, with no sting in the tail.
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The photos were taken on a Canon 5DS-R body, mostly using a TS/E17mm shift lens for perspective correction. The shift facility was especially useful for photographing the front of the building, as I was able to work from one side in order to avoid getting cars in the frame.
There was a particular request to capture images of both the front and back of the house at dusk, to show the lighting in the 'blue hour'.
The extension is a glass box housing a shop and gallery, and exploits views and reflections of the surrounding architecture. Day and night views give an impression of the building's transparency, and the flow of space. Night lighting includes strips of varying colours for display on occasions.
Retailers - please contact me if you you would like to place multiple orders https://www.photographyarchitectural.co.uk/contact.html
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My route into architectural photography was through art, and I still find it important to be able to observe buildings in order to fully understand how the play of light, shadow and form can be combined into images. Drawing and painting buildings on site is a easily the best way to do this, and one that I personally find very satisfying. It increases awareness in a way which photography cannot do, and yet feeds into my photography practice. So much so that a few weeks ago I cleared my diary and flew out to Venice, and painted a number of watercolours and other drawings on site.
To photograph the whole house without obstructions such as trees and walls, the camera had to be placed within the front garden. This necessitated the use of an ultrawide (17mm) shift lens so that the whole elevation could be seen. Whilst this is a very useful lens, when a building is close up, and at an oblique angle, there are times when the resulting image can appear unnatural.
So in this case, I used perspective warp in Photoshop 2023 to make the view appear more like that which the eye/brain combination would perceive when seeing this elevation. The angle is brought closer to the horizontal, so the image seems more restful. One problem which this caused was that the section of the sky to the top left of the image was cut out, leaving a blank area. The newly added feature of generative AI solved this in a few simple steps; previously, this would have involved a lot of time-consuming cloning or even dropping a completely new sky into the picture.
The original image is above, the modified one below.
Most were taken on a Canon 5DS-R camera, paired with a TSE-17 tilt/shift lens.
I was asked to take aerial photos as the restoration of this building involved particular attention to chimneys and other period features. I also took a series of ground based and interior photos, to the client has a complete set.
These images are taken with a Canon EOS 5DS-R body. All the examples shown here use the TS/E17 shift lens for on-camera perspective control.
The exterior shots were generally straightforward (other than having to wait for the sun to appear intermittently!). T
he interiors were achieved with a combination of multiple layers with different exposures for general, shadow and highlight areas, along with some bounce flash for the lobby/stairway photos.
I'm still using the same camera as a backup!
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The brief required me to have general views of the product in context, and also some details, notably the way that it accommodates controls on existing radiators, and 'anti-ligature features', meaning the rounded ends which nothing can get caught on.
The camera used was the Canon 5DS-R, which has very high sensor resolution and has a modified low-pass filter enabling very sharp images. Two lenses were used - the Canon TSE-17 shift lens with a 1.4x adaptor, making the equivalent of 24mm; and the Canon 24-105 zoom.
The image of the radiator against the green brick background was heavily altered in Photoshop in order to appear level, when in fact it was on a sloping surface - video of process here https://youtu.be/7WpZZLp9-ms
At the start of the event, the marquee in which the event took place was quite bright, being white and partially daylit. This meant that I could use mostly available light with a little fill-in flash. The settings were manual, and the main flash modification was through a diffuser which could be slid up and down to quickly vary the balance of up and direct light.
Later in the evening, as darkness fell outside, more direct flash was needed, whilst trying to maintain some modelling of people's faces. As before, the main flash component was uplight (which still reflected well from the white roof) but with a little forward angling.
I took both full room and close up shots of this product at a new office near Euston Station, London. A particular feature to point out was the way the product can be cut to resemble more unusual brick elements, such as quarter bats.
Lighting on the product was a mixture of natural and artificial, with differing colour temperatures despite the internal light being relatively cool; it was a challenge to get similar colour rendition throughout the shoot, despite the white balance being set to a constant temperature. Inevitably there are some variations, particularly around window reveals and on large expanses of wall which are partly naturally illuminated.
As always with architectural photography, geometric accuracy is important here. Paired with my Canon 5DS-R were the following lenses:
- Canon TS-E17mm shift lens for the widest views - allows geometric correction on camera
- TS-E17mm with 1.4x converter - effectively a 24mm shift lens
- Canon 24-105 zoom for all detailed work
Post-processing involved geometric and lens correction for shots taken with the 24-105, and multiple layers of some images to counter the flare in areas of excessive light i.e. windows and luminaires.
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The sketch was started on site, and finished in the studio later, with the aid of a few reference photos.
The progression through time of Norman arches to late Gothic vaults is clearly depicted here.
The video assembles a set of still photos, animated to keep the viewer interested. I created it using Filmora Wondershare software, which is quite intuitive to use (and there are plenty of Youtube videos about how to do different tasks).
The musical accompaniment is supplied by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ who have some excellent royalty-free tracks for many purposes.
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Here's my illustration of Lichfield Cathedral, started on site and completed in the comparative warmth of my studio!
The original is 31 x 28 cm, watercolour onto smooth paper, with detailing in fineliner.
Lichfield is one of the trickier cathedrals to draw, because of the vast amount of fine detail which visually overrides the underlying forms.
That said, it was also necessary to photograph some areas in complete shadow - this gives a realistic impression of how the product actually looks. At this time of year especially, shadows tend to have a cooler colour temperature than sunlit areas.
Also, with new brickwork, there tends to be some damp and efflorescence (white salt crystals especially near mortar joints). It is necessary to either avoid these areas or to work on them in post-production, mainly with cloning. This actually gives a more accurate impression of what the product will look like in a year or so.
The brief included both whole products and individual components.
Lighting was a mixture of ambient and bounce flash. Avoiding intrusive reflections was one of the particular challenges of this project.
These images were from a recent shoot for Silva Timber https://www.silvatimber.co.uk/
used as marketing images for their website. The site was the Audley Retirement Village in Hampshire. The product shown here is the black cladding on Phase 2 of the development; Phase 1 was in the previous blog post.
Technically, there were two principal considerations.
Firstly, it was necessary to make the best use of solar angles. The timing of the shoot was critical, in that each elevation had to be correctly lit to bring out the best of the material's texture and avoid harsh backlighting.
Secondly, because of the bright sunlight, there was a high degree of contrast, and shadow areas in particular required some work in post-production. Because of the need to reduce the harsher shadows, I also had to be careful not to make the product appear too light, otherwise it would be easily confused with the grey cladding from Phase 1.
The camera used was a Canon 5DS-R. This has a 50MP sensor, and also does not have a low-pass filter, and so the images are very sharp compared to other full frame cameras. The sensor also has a very wide dynamic range, which facilitates dealing with contrast in post-production by reducing the need for layering bracketed images.
Three lenses were used. The Canon TS-E17 shift lens gives on-camera perspective control for wide angle images. Paired with a 1.4x converter, it also works as a 24mm equivalent lens. The Canon 24-105mm lens was used for some detail shots, and the Sigma 12-24mm lens enabled me to capture some long elevations where the only unimpeded viewpoints were close up.
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used as marketing images for their website. The site was the Audley Retirement Village in Hampshire. The product shown here is the grey cladding on Phase 1 of the development; Phase 2 will be shown in a separate post.
Technically, there were two principal considerations.
Firstly, it was necessary to make the best use of solar angles. The timing of the shoot was critical, in that each elevation had to be correctly lit to bring out the best of the material's texture and avoid harsh backlighting.
Secondly, because of the bright sunlight, there was a high degree of contrast, and shadow areas in particular required some work in post-production.
The camera used was a Canon 5DS-R. This has a 50MP sensor, and also does not have a low-pass filter, and so the images are very sharp compared to other full frame cameras. The sensor also has a very wide dynamic range, which facilitates dealing with contrast in post-production by reducing the need for layering bracketed images.
Three lenses were used. The Canon TS-E17 shift lens gives on-camera perspective control for wide angle images. Paired with a 1.4x converter, it also works as a 24mm equivalent lens. The Canon 24-105mm lens was used for some detail shots, and the Sigma 12-24mm lens enabled me to capture some long elevations where the only unimpeded viewpoints were close up.
Canon 5DS-R, Sigma 150-600C
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The aircraft is a DJI Phantom 3 Pro. Images have been enhanced in Photoshop.
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Technically, the main challenge was the lighting. Throughout the store, it was very contrasty, and much brighter at the top than at the bottom, necessitating considerable adjustments in post-processing. Some of the contrast was alleviated by the use of fill-in flash. But this had to be used sparingly, as the ambient lighting was much warmer than the flash. Due to the warmth of the light, I set the white balance to 3900K, although this needed to be cooled a bit further in Photoshop Raw.
It was difficult to use a tripod outside the store, so these images are handheld, using 1600 ISO. Fortunately, the Canon 5DS-R sensor shows very little noise at this rating.
Most photos are taken with the Canon TS-E 17 shift lens.
These are taken at dusk (the coveted 'blue hour'), with interior lights showing through.
The bridge photo is consists of several layers. The first layer was taken just after sunset, with the sky still fairly bright. This was in anticipation of bright exterior lights coming on later - these can be quite intrusive - with the intention of using selections as a layer to cover or modify them. The next layer was a general image, with the light balance more or less as I wanted it. This required some minor changes in Photoshop, but nothing too time-consuming. The remaining layers were three long exposure images of car and bus headlights, with the areas of light selected and placed onto the base image in Photoshop.
The camera was a Canon 5DS-R, with a Canon 24-105 at minimum focal length. Some lens and geometric correction was needed.
The photograph of the front of the building was a slightly simpler matter. The camera was paired with a Canon TS-E17 shift lens so no perspective correction was needed. The viewpoint was behind and slightly above a hedge, which disguised some incomplete groundworks from the foreground. This time, only two exposures were needed - one general, and one shorter (i.e. less exposure) for the interior lights. On a different image, I used colour balancing in a selected area to minimise the yellow effect of the street lighting, but in this case I opted to retain it and treat it as a feature.
There were several challenges with this site. Being winter, the sun was low throughout the day, meaning that parts of the building were in shadow. The orientation meant that the principal (north-east facing) elevation was only sunlit for a very brief period, so timing was critical. Some building debris and temporary barriers needed to be removed in post-processing as well. Photographing from the car park was quite hazardous, so it was necessary to place the tripod very carefully where vehicles were not likely to hit it! Because of the cars in the foreground, some shots were taken from a step ladder. Bright highlights required bracketed exposures, with darker layers superimposed in Photoshop. The high contrasts also meant the shadows were very dense, particularly in comparison with the white rendering of the building, and these also required some work in processing.
The camera used here was a Canon 5DS-R, which is unique in that it does not have a low pass filter, meaning that architectural detail is rendered sharply.
The majority of images are taken through a Canon TS-E17mm ultra-wide shift lens, with additional images using a Canon 24-105 and Sigma 12-24, with geometric corrections in Photoshop.
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Some areas were also modified in terms of brightness and shadow. Notably on all three images, the lower right hand side was lightened and shadows reduced - this kind of balancing is often necessary on wide angle images where the sun is coming from one side, causing the shadow density to vary from left to right. The stonework of the church steeple is very light, so the highlights of this were also reduced in post processing.
The launch point for this flight was the nearby St Mary's churchyard. This enabled me to start the flight at a legal distance (30m) from people, vehicles and structures. The flight itself was mainly kept at a height of 60-70m above ground level, so that a distance of 50m could be maintained. The viewpoints for the photos are just under 500m from the launch point, which is the legal maximum under standard Permission for Commercial Operations regulations.
These interiors were photographed with a Canon 5DS-R coupled with a Canon TS-E17mm shift lens. Lighting was a combination of ambient light and off-camera bounce flash.
The purpose of this is to enable planners, architects and landscape designers to determine exactly how proposed buildings and other structures (e.g. solar panel farms) impact on their surroundings. This is achieved by the photographer producing images which are verified to be level, of a particular focal length, undistorted, and in some cases shifted upwards to accommodate higher building lines.
This video provides a quick summary of the way I approached a hypothetical project (as my recent work remains confidential). The site is in Digbeth, Birmingham, and is currently a car park. There are several views of significant landmarks nearby which would be affected by any proposed development.
The video includes methods of marking and recording viewpoints, and some of the equipment necessary.
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December is the worst month of the year for architectural photography, because the opportunities for getting sunlight on the facades of buildings are very limited. Here, the main elevation was north-east facing, so on the day, in spite of the forecast, the early morning mist did not lift until the sun had moved away completely. So I had to enliven the dull lighting by increases of contrast and saturation, and have the skies as a separate layer - they are as photographed on the day, but would have been washed out completely if taken as a single exposure.
The camera used, as in most of my work these days, is the Canon 5DS-R, which has no low pass filter, thereby enabling higher detail definition than most sensors. The lenses are a combination of the Canon TS-E17 (ultrawide shift lens) and Canon 24-105.
The interior lighting is mostly a mixture of ambient light and bounce flash.
My drone is a DJI Phantom 3 Professional, which allows HD video and RAW stills. As with most such cameras, being wide angle, there is some lens distortion. This was corrected in post-production, using Hitfilm Express software (one of several which I am currently evaluating).
The full video is on Youtube, here:
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So it was something of a challenge to be able to position the drone to take geometrically centred and symmetrical shots of this interior (St Mary's, Moseley, Birmingham), whilst avoiding collisions!
The three images shown here are a progression from the nave to the chancel.
All the photos in this shoot were saved as both jpeg and RAW files - the latter can be corrected for lens geometry in Photoshop, which can work directly with the DJI lens data. The exposure latitude in the RAW files was especially useful here, given the highly contrasting light levels from various sources. As the aircraft was unstable, it was impossible to bracket images, or to switch to HDR mode during the flight.
I have Permission for Commercial Operations from the Civil Aviation Authority, and am fully insured.
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Hot news! I have recently completed my drone training and am just waiting for the paperwork to come through from the CAA which will allow me to operate commercially.
For now, I am contenting myself with aerial landscape photos. These two are of Bracebridge Park, Sutton Coldfield.
The drone is a DJI Phantom 3 Professional, which allows me to take high resolution RAW images, as well as video. Both photos were taken 120m above ground level, near the maximum permitted.
Having photographed products in the warehouse under studio lights, I then took further images of them being installed, for training and marketing purposes.
All shots were taken with the Canon 5DS-R and EF24-105 lens. For some shots, I used some on-camera infill flash.
The products include blocks, spacers, membranes, ties and floor/joist systems.
I will shortly put another blog post up showing site installations of some of these materials.
The product shots were lit by two continuous lights with diffusers, against a white backdrop, in the warehouse on site. One of the lights was on a boom arm, to give overhead illumination. The light balance was set to 5500K, to match the bulbs and ensure colour accuracy.
In post-production, the product was isolated as a separate layer. Then the background was brightened so that only a hint of a shadow was present, so as not to draw attention away from the product.
So that the client could see what was happening with each image, this was a 'tethered' shoot, i.e. with the camera linked to (and controlled from) a laptop. This was also useful in checking fine focus details.
All photos taken using Canon 5DS-R, paired with Canon EF24-105 lens.
All photos use only ambient light, with different exposure layers combined in Photoshop.
There's a full set of the images on the AirBNB site here
Most of the photos are taken with a Sigma 12-24mm lens at 17mm on a Canon 5DS-R body.
There's a saying among photographers, that you shoot 'Ten for the dough, and two for the show'. In this case, I had already finished the commercial work, which was about the cladding of the building. But I had seen the potential of this particular building for a 'hero shot' at dusk - all the lights were working, there was very little clutter (the house was as yet unoccupied) and the form of the architecture lent itself to a clean but interesting composition.
The 'blue hour' is prized among architectural photographers, and in this case I had plenty of time to line up exactly the shot I wanted.
Several bracketed exposures gave me the appropriate light levels for each part of the image - sky, ground, building surfaces, interior (general and highlights. All the exposures were done manually, in live view. The Canon TS-E17 (ultrawide shift) lens was set at f/13. And the camera was a Canon 5DS-R - set at ISO 400.
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The first rule of photographing exteriors is that the relevant elevations should be sunlit. In this case, the principal elevation is east facing, so a morning shoot was required. Being present for the whole morning meant that I could try different light angles on both the whole facade and some of the details.
Sunlight is, however, a disadvantage when photographing interiors, as sunlight within the building causes contrasts in which the eye can see a range of tones, but the camera sensor cannot. There are two solutions to this. Firstly, several different exposures can be taken, for general, highlight, and shadow light levels - these can be blended in Photoshop later. I prefer to do this manually rather than automatically, as this means I can use my judgement to give a seamless appearance to the finished result. Secondly, bounce flash can be used to fill all the shadow areas, which can eliminate the need for using multiple layers. For some images, it's best to use a combination of these processes.
All the photos were taken using a Canon 5DS-R body. The majority of the images use the Canon TS-E17mm shift lens, which is ideal for architectural subjects, particularly where space is tight or elevations are wide or there is little room to stand back. Otherwise, for the single long elevation, I used the Sigma 12-24mm at the shortest focal length; the lens requires a lot of attention in post-processing, but is the only one I have which can accommodate the full east elevation in this case. Detail images were taken with the Canon 24-105mm.
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Using camera on 15m telescopic mast.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS-R
Lenses: Sigma 12-24mm (most images around 17mm); Canon 24-105mm.
All at ISO 200. Wide shots mainly f11; detail shots at f5.6
The image with a person walking through was taken at f16, 1/4 second to give some motion blur.
The daytime exteriors were taken with a Canon 5DS-R, combined with a TS-E17mm shift lens or a 24-105mm zoom. The nocturnal image uses the TS-E17.
Private house, Hertfordshire.
Also, I was asked to produce some dusk shots of the building. This meant staying on site until around 8.30, when the 'blue hour' was coming to a close.
It was a job that required some sensitivity as well, because the building was partly occupied. This meant that the shoot required the co-operation of both staff and residents, and for their privacy to be respected.
Most photos were taken on a Canon 5DS-R, with either the Canon TS-E17 shift lens or the Canon 24-105. One shot, the one across the car park, used the Sigma 12-24 at its widest, whilst I was on a stepladder.
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It was good to photograph a house that had only just been completed, as all the surfaces were pristine. The weather last week was very favourable, as I had direct sunlight for most of the day. The rear elevation was south-east facing, and this made for the image which sums up the building.
The front elevation was only sunlit around 4pm, and because the sunlight strikes it very obliquely, the shadows are quite long. This elevation was photographed from close up with the TS-E 17mm lens; a notable effect of using an ultra-wide lens for a long facade which is quite reflective is that the appearance of the material varies hugely across the span of the building. Here, the light was on the right and from a low angle, so the material on the right appears to show mainly the reflection of the light, whereas that in the middle and to the left looks closer to the actual appearance of the timber. It's virtually impossible to counteract this either on camera or in processing - so I mitigated the effect by selecting that area and increasing darkness and saturation.
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The image I worked on was a photo by an artist friend, Rob Barlow, who often uses photos as source material for his paintings of derelict cityscapes.
The Photoshop features used here include lens correction, chromatic aberration elimination, perspective alteration and levelling, use of highlight and contrast tools, saturation, and area selection.
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I was asked to highlight the different ways that cedar cladding had been used. For example, different spacings, corner details and internal finishes.
On the technical side, the shots need to be taken at a pretty precise time, so that the sky appears deep blue. Furthermore, ideally some shots are taken from the exact same viewpoint about an hour earlier, so that glare from exterior lights can be tamed (the results can be used as Photoshop layers). If shooting two different elevations, it really needs two cameras, two tripods and two photographers to do this. I didn't have the latter, so had to compromise and have a lower range of base images for one of the elevations.
You will notice that there are three images from two vantage points here - as I was setting up the first (courtyard) elevation, some spectacular red appeared in the sky, and I was able to use this as a layer for an image I took around 30 minutes later.
The logistical issue which is common to most dusk shots these days is that many lights in buildings are on motion sensors, and they quite often go off automatically. There are two solutions to this. One is to have an assistant, or friendly site staff member, to keep the lights on. The other is to accept that some will be off, and take samples from windows which are illuminated, and paste them as separate layers. Both were employed on this occasion. Also, because some rooms were occupied by residents, and therefore not illuminated, I had to find matching windows and paste them as layers as well.
Images of the interiors and 'blue hour' dusk shots will be posted later.
This is of an apartment block in Wembley.
An interesting technical aspect of the first image below was that there were roadworks and signage in the way. The problem was resolved by taking two photos approx. 1meter from each other, aligning the layers, and then erasing the offending items in one layer.
This set of images is of the former Barking Magistrates' Court, now converted into apartments. The building consists of two distinct elements, i.e. the old court building and a modern extension to the south. These are linked by a central atrium. The old court entrance and stairway features are retained.
What made this shoot interesting is actually in what you can't see in these images. On most weekdays, there is a market around the building, which would spoil the view completely. Thankfully the building management informed me of this, and I was able to do the work on a Wednesday. Also, parts of the building are in shadow at certain times of the day, so it was necessary to research this in advance.
This is the second shoot in London that I did in the same day, the two sites being around 25 miles apart. This was only possible as I carried all my equipment on a motorbike!
The equipment used was a Canon EOS 5DS-R (no low pass filter, so sharper definition) combined with a TSE-17 shift lens and EF 24-105 zoom. The latter required substantial lens and perspective correction in processing. Saturation and sky darkness have both been increased, and shadow reduction was necessary in many areas due to harsh sunlight.
These images required a good deal of post-production work to remove objects and people in inappropriate places. This was largely achieved by taking several images from the same point, and layering them in Photoshop. For the exterior of the old building, there were a number of overhead wires obscuring the view. I took two shots from slightly different heights without moving the tripod. These were layered and aligned in Photoshop, and the offending wires erased from the top layer.
The camera for this shoot was the Canon 5DS-R, used for its high definition (50MP sensor, no low pass filter). The angles of the building necessitate the use of three lenses: Canon TS-E17 for wide angle perspective correction; Canon 24-105 for shots more distant from the building - perspective adjustments in post-production; and Sigma 12-24 at shortest focal length for when ultra-wide was required to see large spans from very close up.
The rear facade faces north, so multiple exposures were required to balance the highly contrasting light levels of the building and sky, along with use of the contrast and colour balance functions of Photoshop.
As a winter shoot, this presented some particular challenges in terms of external lighting, and there were very limited opportunities to catch the building in sunlight at appropriate angles. And of course, there were very few days on which the sun shines in winter, so the logistics of arranging the shoot with the school were interesting, and the school's cooperation was very helpful in this respect.
The building itself could only be photographed from certain angles, and in many cases there were high fences nearby. This necessitated high platforms - some of the shots had to be taken hand-held from a stepladder - and very wide angles (Sigma 12-24 at shortest focal length in some cases).
The final image of the hall interior presented a special issue, in that it was full of students. For safeguarding reasons, I opted to photograph them from behind to prevent them being identifiable. There are occasions when I photograph students' faces, but this is always done with permission, and I ensure that no students whose identities are protected are recognisable.
The school's architects are Glancy Nicholls.
So here they are. Some of the photos use several Photoshop layers to balance the light (from a range of exposures) and most of the interiors also feature the use of off-camera flash.
One particularly interesting arrangement was the combination of base images for the gym shot. Because the interior was largely whitewashed, it was easy to use bounce flash off the wall behind the camera. But the reflection of the flash was very marked on the opposite window. The resolution was to have a second image without flash, but with the same manual exposure settings; this was placed onto the main image. Because of the substantial amount of glass in the building, similar techniques were used on other images as well.
Another recent shoot for Pinnegar Hayward Design, this time mainly of the interior 'learning street' of Holden Lane Primary School. The challenge here was to do most of the photography between 8.15 and 9.00 when the children would be in.
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I was commissioned by a regular client, Pinnegar Hayward Design of Birmingham, to photograph the new building for Omicron in Stafford. A particular requirement was to have both daytime and dusk images of backlit translucent wall claddings (supplied by Rodeca).
As a strong preference, I like to get some sunlight on as many exterior surfaces as possible. This was complicated here by a morning fog, although it was possible to get the lighting to shine into the fog, which made for a couple of interesting images. Fortunately, the fog cleared just in time to get some oblique shadow on the east elevation.
Some of the groundworks were incomplete, so bare soil had to be digitally greened (if that's allowable in English as we know it?)
For the dusk shots, it was necessary to use multiple exposures and manually combine them in Photoshop, as the light levels on the cladding were very uneven. They look fine to the eye, but the camera sensor, even on the excellent Canon 5DS-R, my workhorse, cannot deal with such a dynamic range in a single exposure.
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There are 10 aisle bays in the building which accommodate the hanging system, and I have arranged the framed photos so that they are in sympathy with the architecture, and particularly with the windows above.
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These show aerobatic displays from the Patrouille Suisse, (Northrop F-5) and the USAF Thunderbirds (General Dynamics F-16)
https://www.redeye.org.uk/programme/events/hothouse-sheffield
A number or photographers will be presenting an array of recent projects, so it promises to be a really interesting day. Plenty of networking opportunities as well.
Hothouse arrives in the Steel City in June for a daylong celebration of photographic talent from Yorkshire and beyond. Throughout the day there will be short presentations from photographers about their recent work and projects, plus ample opportunity for networking and portfolio review. You're welcome to drop in for an hour or two, or stay for the whole event - but please register to be sure of getting a place.
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Aligning the image in Photoshop was a difficult task - the auto align feature would not accommodate the different aspect ratios, so all had to be done manually. On site, it was necessary to place the camera very precisely, and also very low to obtain the maximum distance from the object. As the Canon 6D screen is not hinged, the only way to see what was on the it was to use a compact mirror.
The photos below show the set-up as well as the final image.
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The commission illustrated here is of the warehouse of the Castings factory near Burntwood, Staffordshire. My client was Seddon Construction.
The ground level view of the building's structure and spaces was largely obscured by boxes of lorry engine components, stacked far higher than the reach of any tripod. I used a mast to reach above this, and was able to take photos of the interior without obstruction. Moreover, by varying the pitch of the camera remotely, I was able to look up to the roof structure and down to the goods in stacks, and to use these for visual effect.
A further bonus of this method is that any camera with wi-fi can be simply connected to a smartphone, allowing higher image quality than can be obtained with most drones. Here, I was able to use my full-frame Canon 6d, coupled with a Sigma 12-24 at minimum focal length, i.e allowing an extremely wide angle. This permitted the use of raw files and multiple exposures (necessary to balance the general light levels with rooflights and artificial lighting).
There are occasions when I use a compact camera (Canon G7X) on the mast. The principal benefit of this is that the zoom angle can be controlled remotely, although this only has the full frame equivalent of 24 - 100mm, and exposure control is more limited.
As the work has progressed, I have aimed to make the text elements of the compositions appear integral to the images themselves, to the point where it's not easy to judge whether they were there in the original locations.
Here, I used the south and north pulpits as the locations. Both had tapestries for the Christmas season (the photos being taken on the day of the Epiphany service).
On the south pulpit, the tapestry contained an image of an open book. It was, therefore, a simple choice to insert text within it. The process involved creating a text layer in Photoshop, with a suitable font, and colour matching it to the darker part of the book image. A slight outer glow was used from the Effects (fx) menu, to give separation from parts of the existing page. The text was then skewed and warped in the Edit menu, to follow the contours of the page and so appear to be written on it.
A different approach was taken on the north pulpit. The tapestry contained an image of the Cross with a rather solar glow, which would have made any additional text appear incongruous with the composition. But, on the stone wall behind the pulpit, was a carved and coloured inscription commemorating the consecration of the Cathedral. A text was chosen, and put into a text layer, using a font and colour to match the existing as closely as possible. This was scaled and slightly skewed in the Edit menu, to align it with the perspective of the wall joints. As the wall was out of focus, the text was also blurred a little in the Filter menu. The carved incisions were also matched by subjecting the text layer to 'bevel and emboss' in the Effects menu. Finally, the layer's opacity was reduced a little to allow some texture of the stone to come through.
A refinement, for showing the two images together, was to crop both to be, as nearly as possible, identical in proportion and geometry. The slide show below shows the process of adding the layers, and the details of the texts.
Currently, no furniture is in place, which has allowed me to photograph the interiors uncluttered. However, it will probably be necessary to return at a future date to complete the set, when the building is furnished to a working standard.
Similarly, the exteriors will be done when the weather is fine and the landscaping has been completed.
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At this time of year, the challenge is to maximise the use of available sunlight for the exteriors, and use various tools in post-production to compensate for the surfaces which don't get lit. In this case, the main goods entrance got no sunlight at all, and the n-w facing elevation with the reception area only got a few minutes of very oblique sunlight. A consolation was that this had an attractive red hue at sunset. This was enhanced by reflections from neighbouring buildings.
Best viewed on YouTube....
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]]>DSLR cameras can also be attached and controlled with wired or wireless connections.
These full-height images are of my own neighbourhood and the adjacent railway.
An animation of the camera moving gently in front of one of the glass angels near the south porch. This allows the viewer to see the geometry of the window behind, and the relative movement means the refraction of light through the glass means the angel appears more three-dimensional than would be possible with a still image. Click on the photo.
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Below is the children's chapel, used especially by bereaved parents, and which also carries the emblem of the Girl Guides.
A floor detail of the crossing, with the emblem of the Stag (the cathedral is situated on Stag Hill, so named for having been a royal hunting ground.
Because the scene was lit from the back and left, there were some harsh contrasts with a few areas being completely washed out. The resolution to this was to work in two layers, one of which, the background, was given HDR treatment in Photoshop, whilst the top layer was full contrast. I also made the top layer monochrome, so when this is superimposed at 50% opacity, it gives a low colour value effect which suits the subject matter.
What would a tourist think of the way the city treats its most prominent buildings? It's just wrong!
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The lens used for both photos is a Schneider 58mm, mounted into a recessed lens board. For the exterior image, no lens shift was used, and the photo simply displays the potential for using an ultrawide lens for dramatic compositions with dynamic converging verticals. Conversely, for the interior, the lens is shifted upwards as far as possible within the image circle, and both the lens and film planes are kept parallel to the building verticals, so they appear to be upright in the image.
The film is Ilford FP4 at 100 ISO; aperture f/16.
The Central Library, currently being demolished, was designed by John Madin, and is considered one of the most significant buildings of the Brutalist period. It was admired and hated in apparently equal measure. For around half its life, the space beneath was empty and windblown, although popular with skateboarders. Since the early 90s an enclosed shopping mall occupied the space. This was always rather tawdry, and a poor relation to the more upmarket retail areas nearby, and a rather unpleasant introduction to the grand design of the neighbouring Centenary Square.
I like to think this photo shows how the paving and landscaping scheme tried to integrate the various civic buildings and monuments of Victoria and Chamberlain Squares, and that the sweeping curve of the steps echoes the frontage of the library.
As a personal opinion, the mural on the right is outright vandalism; the fact that it was permitted some years ago indicated that there was no way the building was going to be respected, let alone saved.
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The daytime shot was taken with a 58mm lens, set at f16 for 1/30 sec. The night shot used a 90mm lens, f16 for around 8 minutes - this allowed the trail of the light of the approaching aircraft to make a dynamic feature in the sky. Such a long exposure was necessary to compensate for reciprocity failure.
The camera movements mean that perspective can be aligned in the same way as using a shift lens - the camera is shown below the photos.
The daylit version takes in a little more of the foreground, and the paving patterns are more pronounced. Also, the reflection of the sun from the glazing to the paving is an interesting compositional feature in itself, and so is emphasised here. Processing this image was relatively simple, except for the solar reflection on the glass, which required a layer exposed 4 stops lower than the surroundings. This was blended in by feathering and partial transparency in Photoshop.
Astute observers may note that the images were taken on different dates, as the benches have been removed on the image taken in daylight.
Both images were taken on a Canon 6D, with a 17mm shift lens which corrects perspective, allowing the verticals to appear vertical. This is because the shifted lens, sensor plane and building verticals are all parallel. Some more on this subject in previous blog posts e.g. http://www.photographyarchitectural.co.uk/blog/2014/1/perspective-correction-photoshop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FavZ07JPiKM
UPDATE... HIGH DEFINITION VERSION now available
I'm starting as Artist in Residence at Guildford Cathedral in April. In the meantime, here are some images from a preliminary shoot of the interior. I felt it was important to do this now, as there will be scaffolding in the building for much of the coming year. Look closely at the image of the Quire, and note the speakers and console of the temporary digital organ.
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Whilst copyright has always been a contentious issue, buildings have, arguably, many layers of copyright, representing different participants. Here are some scenarios:
1. A contractor asks me to photograph the interior and exterior of a new building. Assuming I have the permission of the owner or management of the property to take photographs, I find myself asking who owns the copyright to the constituent parts.
The architect will, of course, have the copyright to the design of the building. If an exterior is taken from a public place, then this does not present the photographer with any problems. But under some proposals being considered, this has become contentious. If the photographs are commissioned by the architect, then it should be relatively simple to make a contract specifying permitted copyright and usage. But if the contractor is the commissioner, then the permissions and copyright may become more blurred. Could an architect force an outright ban on the use of images of their building, particularly interiors?
But having mentioned interiors, what of the interior designer, or even the house dresser? Such participants might equally be deemed to be the authors of elements of the project. How could these relationships work in terms of copyright? Who could permit whom to take or use such images?
2. Let's turn this on its head. A manufacturer commissions me to photograph some luminaires in a hotel bar. Obviously they can't be shown in isolation, and there will, for example be bar fittings in the background, which will be someone else's IP. What can or can't be photographed in that situation? The architect or interior designer might claim rights to any interior in which the luminaires are situated. And what about the owner, franchisee or brand owner?
It has generally been assumed that copyright of photographs lies with the photographer, but this now seems to be more contentious. Particularly, the question of identifiable brands or creations within the context of private (interior) settings seems to be becoming to be seen in line with the use of products in films or advertisements.
My own hope is that people will be sensible and, by and large, maintain the status quo because it makes life simpler for everyone, and less appealing to pricey lawyers. But I do think it is worth participants in the construction industry considering their copyright arrangements with each other and photographers.
I would, of course, be interested to hear what architects, designers, contractors and proprietors (and fellow photographers) might have to say on the matter.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwfSJIEi3JY
]]>Some exteriors of the new Slater Street Extra Care home in Stoke on Trent. The photos were commissioned by Seddon Construction, and the end client was Sanctuary Housing. Designed by PRP Architects. The top image is a panorama from 7 originals.
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The red effect on some images is created by an on-camera filter.
Some images from a recent shoot of the Mary Stevens Hospice, designed by KKE Architects - nice to see it featured in the RIBA Journal as well https://www.ribaj.com/buildings/mary-stevens-hospice-expansion-stourbridge
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At this time of year, the sun (when it shines, which isn't often) is low and creates effects which can be both interesting and problematic. For example, the textures on paving are shown in sharp relief, but every stray piece of dirt or gravel stands out. I also had to be very selective about which areas to photograph, as a lot of grit had been placed on the ground due to a frost the previous night. There were also some very harsh reflections from the wall surfaces.
Some of the shadows were quite dramatic, which contributes to the overall feel of the shoot.
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There's a little more to it than that, and I'm pleased that Jeremy Segal, a Canadian architectural photographer www.jsegalphoto.com has put this up on Youtube to explain his way of doing things, and just how complex it can be to make the unprocessed image presentable, especially when the shooting circumstances are unfavourable.
Of course each of us has our own way of processing in the style we prefer, but I think this gives a pretty good idea of some of the details that need to be considered https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QxmhU-XxkU
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Some of the techniques used on this shoot include the use of a shift lens, some work with an ultrawide (Sigma 12-24 at the short end) and lots of fine lens and perspective correction. Interior shots required multiple layers for balancing general light levels with 'hot spots' of luminaires and windows, as an alternative to using off-camera flash.
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A feature of this set of images is that I had to paste in a number of the coping blocks and their attendant shadows (the installation wasn't quite complete) - there won't be a prize as such for spotting them, but never mind. Also, some areas were still wet from an earlier shower, and these have been cloned out. Some debris had to be removed as well. Some of this was done in Photoshop. Some was done with an old-fashioned tool called a 'broom'.
Whilst this was a relatively modest shoot, it does illustrate some principles of architectural photography well. The most important of this is a combination of orientation, timing and meteorology. Getting these factors right enabled me to get sunlight on the surfaces in a way which brings out the textures, light in a narrow passageway, and also some indication of what is going on behind the wall, to give it context and relevance.
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The course was useful in getting to grips with the current, volatile market for professional photography. It helped in terms of presentation and positioning, and in turning ideas into strategies.
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And here is this piece of juvenilia, from 1983.
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A really strong write-up in the region's main professional and cultural newspaper.
But who's the ugly bloke?
"A Birmingham-based professional photographer has received recognition for his architectural photography after being awarded a Licentiateship by the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP).
Having originally studied architecture, Richard Ellis LBIPP, has been rewarded for his insight into buildings and the way they are constructed.
Mr Ellis started his photography business in 2011 and specialises in architecture and interiors. Clients include construction companies, architects, interior designers, Birmingham City University, and the Royal Albert Hall.
Richard said: “I’m delighted to achieve my first BIPP qualification. It enhances my reputation, gives me a sense of pride, and brings me to the heart of the profession.”
BIPP President, Roy Meiklejon FBIPP, said: “BIPP qualifications are among the most rigorous in the world. Qualification with the BIPP requires hard work, determination, commitment and lots of creativity.”
As the qualifying body of professional photography in the UK, BIPP requires any photographer going for qualification to follow strict criteria and provide a substantial portfolio of commissioned work, together with supporting information about themselves as a professional."
Text by Stacey Barnfield / Birmingham Post
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I was commissioned to photograph the apprentices in the building for company publicity.
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1. Full image and details, St Albans Cathedral
2. Lichfield Cathedral using large format camera
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The first image shows no shift in the lens, and is similar to most ultrawide angle shots in that the verticals converge . The following images show this corrected in Photoshop CS6 (other versions do similar things in slightly different ways) using the lens correction feature.
Note that the edges are lost due to the distortions making a significant crop necessary. Typically this increases the effective focal length by 15 - 20%, and means that the corrected picture may have a very different composition to that seen through the viewfinder.
Tomorrow I will demonstrate the difference that using the shift lens can make.
... as promised, the lens is 'shifted' upwards so that the focal and sensor planes are parallel. The verticals do not converge, and as such appear more natural that those of the uncorrected image. The very short focal length is used to full effect in that no cropping is necessary. There is no loss of quality because there is no distortion.
I previously showed diagrams of how to set up a camera with a shift lens. These illustrations show the results. Again, they are derived from the manual to my MPP Mk viii field camera.
Below are some images of a similar but inverted approach, with the lens shifted downwards. This way, the elliptical appearance of the top of the glasses, viewed from aside and above, is combined with keeping the stems vertical. Some would argue that this is trickery, but in fact the brain would process the image in this way when confronted with the real object rather than a photo. Therefore it is actually a more realistic interpretation.
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A lens shifted vertically and/or horizontally can make eradicate this problem.
Here's its big brother, a monorail version (made by Toyo, about 30 years ago). The 5x4 format is identical but it is much more flexible when working with ultrawide lenses. On the downside, it's unwieldy and needs to be carried around on a trolley.
Of course, these days it's a relatively simple matter to achieve this effect using the tools in Photoshop. But this does lead to a loss of definition especially in the upper (expanded) part of the image, and the end result does not resemble what was seen through the viewfinder. Another problem is that if the perspective is corrected in post-processing, some of it will be cropped from the resulting trapezoidal frame; this may cause part of the intended image to be lost.
A similar principle applies when pointing the camera downwards, and this can be useful when photographing atriums and stairwells:
Of course these principles also have an application in, for example, product and food photography:
The photographs in this set are to show MAC's public spaces, and how design, branding and public art are integrated.
Here, the final image conveys deeper colours than are present in reality - there is often a conflict between technical accuracy and impact. And you may notice the half closed door has been fully shut!
]]>Excellent stuff, loads to digest - really recommend this organisation.
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The Marlborough, Anderton Road, Sparkhill
The Plough and Harrow, Coventry Road, Small Heath
The Clifton, Clifton Road, Balsall Heath
The Samson and Lion, Green Lane, Bordesley Green
Ever wanted to know about perspective control, lighting, composition or the useful bits of Photoshop?
I will be running a workshop in Birmingham at MADE, 7 Newhall Square, Birmingham B3 1RU on Friday 4th October from 2 - 5.30pm.
If you are interested, please book in advance, on 07760 295 279 or email [email protected]
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Some recent shots at Manchester Salford Quays using a Toyo large format 5 x 4 film camera, along with DSLR images (Canon 6D with 17mm tilt-shift lens).
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