Basic Photography Course

have shades or blinds, they should also all be in the same
position.

INSPECTION AND SURVEY
PHOTOGRAPHY

As with the other types of architectural

photography-buildings or facilities-inspection and
survey pictures play an important role in the Navy. The
Naval Investigative Service (NIS) may need pictures of
a building to point out weaknesses in physical security.
The fire department uses pictures of the station theater
to train the fire fighters in evacuation measures. And the
safety officer certainly needs good pictures to show the
extent of damage or existing hazardous conditions to
buildings or personnel.

Exterior Photography

Buildings must be photographed pretty much as

they exist. With portraits, for example, you can ask the
sitter to smile and pose, and with still life you can alter
the arrangement. You cannot do either of these with a
building. The main controls you have over the picture
are the viewpoint and the lighting.

For exterior architectural pictures, the position of

the sun in relation to the subject is a very important
consideration. Which sides of the building are lighted
and at what time of day? Where are the shadows cast?

Architecture is dead without light. Like the sculptor,

the architect shapes forms in relation to lighting. The
lighting at a site is often studied long before the first

plans take shape on the drawing board. The lighting
becomes a deciding factor in determining the character

of a building, the choice of materials, and the location
of the building.

The nature and direction of the light are the two

main components of our concept of lighting. "Normal
lighting" is often preferable for perfect reproduction of
materials; that is, light from a slightly overcast sky. This

diffused light reduces contrast in the texture of the

material just enough to create a good balance between
the highlights and shadows. A building as a whole is
often depicted better in direct, angled sunlight from a
cloudless sky. Filters are used to control the contrast
between subject and sky. Direct sunlight often produces

contrasty pictures with simplified lines that may
sometimes be preferable as an illustrative effect. The
light in cloudy weather is the worst kind of lighting for
architectural photography. Try to avoid making pictures
of a building in cloudy weather. The direction of the light
on sunny or slightly overcast days governs the form of

the building and the ability of the photograph to bring
out its characteristic features. Since the position of the
sun in relation to the building constantly changes, there
is only one way to determine the best lighting-study the
building at different times of the day. Only then is it
really possible to identify the best lighting for the
building. Moreover, you should be prepared to study the
lighting from different angles. Do not be content with
your first camera angle. You should always check to see
whether there is a better angle.

A building should be depicted so the viewer

experiences its volume and materials. This is often

impossible, except with side lighting. The greater the

angle of the light, the greater its ability to produce a
forceful re-creation of materials and shapes (fig. 6-21).

Also to be considered are the surroundings. Is there

construction going on in the background? Is there a
distracting landscape or unrelated building that must be
concealed? What is the best camera position for making
this particular picture ? Can I get far enough away to
present an undistorted image? Should I have a ladder to
stand on or can I make this picture from on top of another
building or must I arrange with public works for a bucket
truck? What number of viewpoints are required? What
focal-length lens is best for each view?

Viewpoint

The greatest difficulties in photographing buildings

is converging verticals. When you hold the camera so it
is pointing horizontally, you often find there is too much
uninteresting foreground included in the picture, and
you may be "chopping" the top of the building off. So,
tip the camera back to eliminate most of that foreground
and get the top of the building back into the picture.
Now, look what has happened-the vertical lines are
converging; they are no longer parallel; they are sloping
in at the top of the picture. The picture is distorted. A
good architectural photographer does not produce such
a picture. Instead, he uses a view camera and does it

properly.

Interior Photography

Photographs of interiors can be grouped under three

headings:

Public interiors of all kinds, such as assembly

halls, places of worship, libraries, galleries,

auditoriums, and theaters

Residential interiors, both large and small

6-36

contents

Basic Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> have shades or blinds, they should also all be in the same position. INSPECTION AND SURVEY PHOTOGRAPHY As with the other types of architectural photography-buildings or facilities-inspection and survey pictures play an important role in the Navy. The Naval Investigative Service (NIS) may need pictures of a building to point out weaknesses in physical security. The fire department uses pictures of the station theater to train the fire fighters in evacuation measures. And the safety officer certainly needs good pictures to show the extent of damage or existing hazardous conditions to buildings or personnel. Exterior Photography Buildings must be photographed pretty much as they exist. With portraits, for example, you can ask the sitter to smile and pose, and with still life you can alter the arrangement. You cannot do either of these with a building. The main controls you have over the picture are the viewpoint and the lighting. For exterior architectural pictures, the position of the sun in relation to the subject is a very important consideration. Which sides of the building are lighted and at what time of day? Where are the shadows cast? Architecture is dead without light. Like the sculptor, the architect shapes forms in relation to lighting. The lighting at a site is often studied long before the first plans take shape on the drawing board. The lighting becomes a deciding factor in determining the character of a building, the choice of materials, and the location of the building. The nature and direction of the light are the two main components of our concept of lighting. "Normal lighting" is often preferable for perfect reproduction of materials; that is, light from a slightly overcast sky. This diffused light reduces contrast in the texture of the material just enough to create a good balance between the highlights and shadows. A building as a whole is often depicted better in direct, angled sunlight from a cloudless sky. Filters are used to control the contrast between subject and sky. Direct sunlight often produces contrasty pictures with simplified lines that may sometimes be preferable as an illustrative effect. The light in cloudy weather is the worst kind of lighting for architectural photography. Try to avoid making pictures of a building in cloudy weather. The direction of the light on sunny or slightly overcast days governs the form of the building and the ability of the photograph to bring out its characteristic features. Since the position of the sun in relation to the building constantly changes, there is only one way to determine the best lighting-study the building at different times of the day. Only then is it really possible to identify the best lighting for the building. Moreover, you should be prepared to study the lighting from different angles. Do not be content with your first camera angle. You should always check to see whether there is a better angle. A building should be depicted so the viewer experiences its volume and materials. This is often impossible, except with side lighting. The greater the angle of the light, the greater its ability to produce a forceful re-creation of materials and shapes (fig. 6-21). Also to be considered are the surroundings. Is there construction going on in the background? Is there a distracting landscape or unrelated building that must be concealed? What is the best camera position for making this particular picture ? Can I get far enough away to present an undistorted image? Should I have a ladder to stand on or can I make this picture from on top of another building or must I arrange with public works for a bucket truck? What number of viewpoints are required? What focal-length lens is best for each view? Viewpoint The greatest difficulties in photographing buildings is converging verticals. When you hold the camera so it is pointing horizontally, you often find there is too much uninteresting foreground included in the picture, and you may be "chopping" the top of the building off. So, tip the camera back to eliminate most of that foreground and get the top of the building back into the picture. Now, look what has happened-the vertical lines are converging; they are no longer parallel; they are sloping in at the top of the picture. The picture is distorted. A good architectural photographer does not produce such a picture. Instead, he uses a view camera and does it properly. Interior Photography Photographs of interiors can be grouped under three headings: Public interiors of all kinds, such as assembly halls, places of worship, libraries, galleries, auditoriums, and theaters Residential interiors, both large and small 6-36 contents Basic Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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