Architectural Photography: Composition is Key
I don't know about you, but I am NOT a good photographer. Now for every 50 pictures I take, by luck, one will be a winner. Also, thanks to digital photo editing, I can usually salvage a few other photos with some creative adjustments and cropping.
One way I try to improve my skills is by looking at how others do it well. A few things I've learned so far:
1. If you don't have a bunch of fancy photography lights, natural light is best.
2. Make sure to style a space so that it is clean and uncluttered. Hide those wires and clutter.
3. For the love of all that is staged, put down the toilet seat lid if you are photographing a bathroom! I can't believe how many real estate ads I see where the seat is up, the plunger, toilet brush, messy toothpaste tubes and lotions, et. al. are in plain sight.
4. It's all about the composition. In fact, I'm impressed by every shot below because of composition. Let's take a look at why these images are so compelling.
One way I try to improve my skills is by looking at how others do it well. A few things I've learned so far:
1. If you don't have a bunch of fancy photography lights, natural light is best.
2. Make sure to style a space so that it is clean and uncluttered. Hide those wires and clutter.
3. For the love of all that is staged, put down the toilet seat lid if you are photographing a bathroom! I can't believe how many real estate ads I see where the seat is up, the plunger, toilet brush, messy toothpaste tubes and lotions, et. al. are in plain sight.
4. It's all about the composition. In fact, I'm impressed by every shot below because of composition. Let's take a look at why these images are so compelling.
OK, Fluffy is the ultimate in styling! Another pet peeve I have about kitchens is when everything is clean except for some lame dishtowel that doesn't match at all hanging from a stove, refrigerator door or faucet. The folded towel here is white and neat and keeps the kitchen from looking too staged. As for the composition, I love the way the ceiling lights are centered and lead the eye down the kitchen. The perspective is enhanced by those light fixtures.
Aerial shots from loft spaces above are always very dramatic. The hint of the second floor in the upper right corner and along the bottom helps us see the point of view.
Using a mirror to frame and show off other parts of the room is a great trick.
This shot reminds me of the greatest modern architectural photographer of all time (IMHO), Julius Shulman. I put "modern" in there so I'm not dissing my other favorite, Margaret Bourke-White.
The centered light fixture sets up the shot, as does the peak of that triangle in the cathedral ceiling. The relationship between the wood of the ceiling and the floor is also nice.
Framed by cacti - a great view to the house! I love that the one on the left goes off the page.
The table is centered, and the room looks like it's lived in without being cluttered.
The symmetry of the back wall sets up the shot, and the icing on the cake is that glowing fire. The room looks light, cozy, and warm, and the photography conveys this.
This is a great balance between interior and exterior. The building in the background is perfectly centered so that it doesn't distract too much from the room.