For years, architecture photographers have carried around heavy bags and cases full of hardware all over the world. One case held the camera rig, stands, film holders, a loop, dark cloth and a selection of lens boards. Inside duffel bags a giant tripod, light stands,gobos, gaffer tape, gels, flares and reflector cards.
This was a rare kind of photographer. They spent numerous hours adjusting minute increments. Correcting vertical lines. And adjusting perspectives beneath a dark-cloth as they carefully checked the photograph's sharpness. Their eyes bulged out, as their brains figured out the upside down, revolved image before them. They were forever meticulous down to the millisecond of natural light required for the correct exposure.
Finally, a film holder would be inserted in the shoot as they lifted the A-slide revealing the film to the inside belly of the 4x5 camera. A press of the plunger cord opened the aperture to its definite coordinates letting light continuously fall across the film and then closing it off. After that, the A-slide was pushed down as you flipped the film holder, opened the B-slide and exposed the second sheet of film. Repeating as required until you believed that you had the shot. Before moving your camera and all the rest of the gear to the subsequent location to set it all up once again and fire off a few sheets of film.
Fast-forward nearly a hundred years into the digital age of photography and you'll find a new type of architectural photographer. No longer contrained to a film case and 2 sheets. No longer strapped down to an eye-loop beneath a dark fabric, architectural photographers are starting to invent new strategies using software interfaces. They are now not without a darkroom as your digital darkroom in the shape of a laptop PC can be by your side during each shoot.
However the difficulties concerned in architecture photography - attempting to capture the quintessence of a building, the lines, the light, the environment - are just the same. The method of capturing the light is different, the equipment is different, but the same sense of what makes a great picture remains.
This was a rare kind of photographer. They spent numerous hours adjusting minute increments. Correcting vertical lines. And adjusting perspectives beneath a dark-cloth as they carefully checked the photograph's sharpness. Their eyes bulged out, as their brains figured out the upside down, revolved image before them. They were forever meticulous down to the millisecond of natural light required for the correct exposure.
Finally, a film holder would be inserted in the shoot as they lifted the A-slide revealing the film to the inside belly of the 4x5 camera. A press of the plunger cord opened the aperture to its definite coordinates letting light continuously fall across the film and then closing it off. After that, the A-slide was pushed down as you flipped the film holder, opened the B-slide and exposed the second sheet of film. Repeating as required until you believed that you had the shot. Before moving your camera and all the rest of the gear to the subsequent location to set it all up once again and fire off a few sheets of film.
Fast-forward nearly a hundred years into the digital age of photography and you'll find a new type of architectural photographer. No longer contrained to a film case and 2 sheets. No longer strapped down to an eye-loop beneath a dark fabric, architectural photographers are starting to invent new strategies using software interfaces. They are now not without a darkroom as your digital darkroom in the shape of a laptop PC can be by your side during each shoot.
However the difficulties concerned in architecture photography - attempting to capture the quintessence of a building, the lines, the light, the environment - are just the same. The method of capturing the light is different, the equipment is different, but the same sense of what makes a great picture remains.
About the Author:
See Saw Photography is the premier Brisbane Photographers. Award winning photographers will help capture the quintessence of your commercial photography project, from architecture or ad shoots to stills for your annual report.
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