Photographing Architecture

In my mind photographing architecture use to be shooting buildings.  Period.  I didn't think in terms of the full definition of the word and how architecture applies to landscapes, design of light and shadow, physical structures of all types, ambiance of space, materials, technology, social consideration and environment.

Condominiums in Downtown Seattle, Wa
The features of this condo seem appealing at first glance and
geometrically speaking it looks nice.  But with the proximity
of the office building hovering immediately over each balcony
it feels intimidating.  Then the terraces or balcony of each
of the units have a very clear view of the balcony just to one
side of them.

Structurally speaking I really like the look of the condo and
the office building right behind it.  But socially it seems
awkward.

Once I started thinking in terms of something other than just a geometric structure I began to look at how I wanted to photograph architectural structures and how they fit into the space they occupy.  In fact once I began thinking differently, I began to see differently.  I still look for geometric shapes as one of the first things that catch my eye, but now I look a little closer. Walking around the subject, going in it, looking closely at the texture of the materials and looking at how it sits in relationship to other buildings. In the urban landscape the social factor is important as well.  As a cultural symbol of city dwellers do these condos/apartments offer a feeling of being socially connected or separated?  Do the towering office buildings fit comfortably in the whole landscape and offer a welcoming presence or a foreboding one?

Some structures are true works of art, others appear to have been built with efficiency only in mind.

When traveling I used to get up in the morning grab my camera, batteries, extra cards and take a walk around the city looking for interesting building to photograph.  Now I prep my walk the same way but know that my time out will be much more interesting and a great deal more enlightening and maybe a bit more challenging. Photographing the way I do now I'm more likely to meet people because I'm getting in closer.  I'm learning a little more about the area I'm in and the history of the building(s) I'm shooting.

Office building downtown Seattle, Wa
This rather featureless structure only offers a static geometric design and
a textured veneer of some interest.  The fact that it's sitting alone (there are other building just outside
the frame of this shot) gives it this monolithic feel, which I kind of liked.

The artistic design work and thought that goes into the interior of urban buildings is also important to how the structure fits into an area.  That foreboding feeling you can get from a building that doesn't have any inviting features or a welcoming presence can feel intimidating.

The Convention Center in downtown Tacoma, Washington is a
perfect example of a welcoming building.  It's all glass, metal
and wood.  Standing outside you can see right through
it and standing inside you still feel like you're right in the
heart of downtown.

Fitting into the area and asking people to come in is important. It can give a kind of personality to the place.  I've walked past buildings that I thought I wanted to go into only to find an unwelcoming feeling at the lobby door.  I suppose that could be on purpose in some situations but I prefer a personality that's a bit more inviting.

Getting into some of these buildings may seem like a daunting task in itself but I've found that, like most things, a smile and a sincere approach can get you in to most places. The day I photographed the inside of the Tacoma, Washington Convention Center it was closed and locked.  I walked around the building and saw the convention center office, went in and told the front desk that I was an amateur photographer and was interested in architectural photography, loved this building and would love to have a little tour.  In just a couple of minutes they were kind enough to find someone to take me around.  You just have to ask.

As far as camera gear goes it's a matter of what's important to you with regard to image quality.  But the one thing that is important is having a little bit of a wide angle lens.  I find at least a 28mm wide lens is good and most cameras can achieve that easily.

For any interior photos a tripod would be helpful but you can always look for a ledge of some kind to rest the camera on and put your 2 second timer to work.  I like plenty of depth of field so a larger f stop, say f5.6 to f11, works best for what I like but remember that the bigger the f number the slower your shutter speed so you'll definitely need a solid purchase for your camera.  I like to keep my ISO number relatively low also, say around 200 to 400, so I can avoid the digital noise issue. Again, low ISO, high f stop equals slower shutter speeds, so you'll need support for your camera.

Seattle, Washington, office building

Seattle, Washington, condominium

The Westin Hotel, Seattle, Washington (one of the two towers)

So for me the whole idea of shooting buildings has become a more encompassing process.  Look up, look down, walk around and look in, when you can.  Meet some folks and ask some questions.  You'll find out something about the building, meet some new people and maybe get access to places you might not have otherwise.

I go light too.  One camera, one lens and the usual extras; batteries, cards, cell phone and business cards if you have them. You may meet someone who might like to see your photos.

A few more photos can be seen here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomcollinsphoto/sets/72157623792319688/


Thanks for following along.

Tom

My Fuji X100s and My 45 Year Old Canon QL17 ~ Photography Gone Full Circle

I've been taking pictures for a long time, never professionally although I have been paid a few times, but always just for the fun of it.  I have struggled to understand what kind of photographer I am, nature; city; architecture; landscape; fine art, and have decided that I'm a little bit of all of them.

The one thing I am clear about is that I love taking pictures, I love seeing the world around me and I love looking at it through a lens.  And I always, always have a camera with me.

Fuji X100s 2.0s @f4, ISO 500 ~ Bell Town in Seattle, Washington
photographed through a hotel room window

About 3 years ago I moved away from the large dSLR's in favor of the smaller more compact systems that are easier to have with me all the time.  I should point out that I'm 66 years old now and loading a bag or backpack with big heavy camera bodies and lenses and filters, and flashes just isn't that much fun and it's just not convenient for my style of shooting.  But I really enjoy good image quality and don't like sacrificing IQ for convenience.

Fuji X100s 1/320s @f8, ISO 200
Gig Harbor, Washington

So when the camera manufactures began producing the micro four thirds lines and the mirror-less lines I got excited about the possibilities and didn't hesitate.  I jumped right in.  I started out with the very first Panasonic micro four thirds right after it came out and graduated over the next couple of years, through a variety of other cameras,  to the Olympus OMD EM5, which I still have and like very much (especially with the Olympus 45/1.8 lens attached).  But even with the fine EM5 I found myself carting around a bag and lenses, albeit small ones, and that still just wasn't what I was looking for.  Simpler, easier, more convenient, great IQ and no bag of lenses, that's what I wanted.

In 1969 when I first got interested in photography SLR's were just coming into their own and rangefinder style cameras were on the way out, more or less.  I shot with a Canon Canonet QL17 with a fixed 40mm f1.7 lens.  It was with that camera that I learned to see the world around me with photographic eyes.  No zooms, no interchangeable lenses.  

Oddly enough it wasn't until after I got my Fuji X100s and unboxed
it that I realized how similar it was to my original Canon - Canonet QL17
purchased in 1969, 45 years ago.
I was very pleased with how they compared in looks.

Forty five years later enter the Fuji X100s.  Small, convenient, great IQ, fixed 23mm lens (35mm equivalent) and an APSc sensor, it's beautiful and can just hang around my neck as if there's nothing there at all.  Perfect.  But, fixed lens.  How would that work out for me after having access to such a wide variety of lenses?  So I looked back through a large collection of images over the past several years and found that the vast majority of my pictures were taken at or near the 35mm range.  I've shot a lot longer and tighter and I've shot a lot wider too, but picking through my favorite pictures over the years, I tend to like the 35mm to 50mm range.  After shooting the Fuji X100s for just a few weeks I realized that it's all I need.  35mm is where I see the world around me and my feet work perfectly as a zoom, in or out.

So it's been a long journey to end up right where I started with almost identical cameras and fewer choices to make that get in between me and what I want to photograph and I've never been happier.  A happy snapshooter grabbing shots of the stuff I see around me everyday, everywhere.  And, maybe, some of the best news is what my wife said; "You don't look like a photographer, you just look like a tourist". Yes!  I love being a tourist.

Here are a few more shots:  One from a day trip up to Port Townsend, Washington a couple of days ago with my good friend Mark for lunch and few snapshots.  The other from last weekend in Seattle, Washington to see Bruce Cockburn.

Electric Port Townsend, Washington
This bicycle is electrically operated and the gentlemen with the gracious smile having lunch is the owner.
Fuji X100s 1/125s @f5.6 ISO 200

Bruce Cockburn at Neptune Theater in Seattle, Washington.  I didn't have good seats so this is cropped way tight
to get this NO flash shot.
Fuji X100s  1/30s @f4 ISO 500

Thanks for reading.
Tom