Photographing old architecture

[andreios]

In the last couple of months I find myself being more and more interested in photographing architecture - mostly old buildings - churches, cloisters and such.
I have been looking around trying to find some (preferably large format) photographers who are working in this field - not to copy their work or anything - just to see what could be done, what approaches are used etc.. - in a word, just to broaden my horizon and see a new thing or two.
So far, I have not been very successful. I have found David Heald and his Architecture of Silence and not much besides. Therefore I am asking

- Are there any names that are worth looking into?
- Any good books on the subject? Not only photo-books - textbooks and essays are also more than welcome.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I cannot answer your question directly, but I do know that the Czech Republic has some excellent libraries and if I were embarking upon such a project, I would immerse myself in information and pictures of all Czech architecture. Consider doing a re-photography project comparing early works (and drawings) to the same places today, even if the architecture pictured has disappeared.

I rather envy your opportunity.

[Richard Wasserman]

I suggest looking at the early 20th century British photographer Frederick Evans. He can be easily googled, but if you ever have the chance to see his original platinum prints, do whatever it takes to get there. Oh my, he was good.....

[andreios]

Jac, thanks! It is a good idea - and I have to shamefacedly admit one that I have not thought about... Maybe it is partly because of the laziness of digital age...

Anyway, the re-photography idea really does not sound bad.. I will have to make some research into this... However, I seem to be mostly interested in romanesque and gothic architecture and have a considerable dislike towards baroque - which is rather omnipresent here. But that may make the challenge even more interesting - trying to find what's left untouched...

Thanks again - this only shows how useful can be to ask even simple questions...

[andreios]

I suggest looking at the early 20th century British photographer Frederick Evans. He can be easily googled, but if you ever have the chance to see his original platinum prints, do whatever it takes to get there. Oh my, he was good.....

Thank you, Richard - I never heard of him - first google search looks very interesting - reminds me of "our" Josef Sudek and his St. Vitus Cathedral.

[Drew Wiley]

Evans was an early master at creating a sense of interior atmosphere and space. He made platinum prints. A modern master who works with a lot of old cloisters etc
in a rather dramatic style with modern VC paper is Roman Loranc. For a more surreal look, reminiscent of Atget, I'd check out Philip Trager of NYC.

[andreios]

Thank you, Drew.. I started reading some essays on Evans, looks very interesting to me - his work - from those first glances - seems to reflect somehow the "aesthetics" that is not wholly contemporary with our age but maybe more with the age of the builders of the cathedral. As I have studied theology and have been reading on the attitude between theology and aesthetics I find this very interesting indeed.

I am very well aware of Roman Loranc's work - quite a lot of his architectural work is in fact from Poland, which is not that different from this country..

Thanks for the tip on Philip Trager, I'll check him out.

[Armin Seeholzer]

Look also at the work of Bruce Barnbaum his work on UK Cathedrals is amazing.

Cheers Armin

[Brian Ellis]

I think it depends a lot on what you're trying to accomplish. But for a more "contemporary approach" to architectural photography you might take a look at Iwan Baan's work if you haven't already. http://www.iwan.com/iwan_index.php

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

Or maybe don't read anything, walk into the buildings and spend a lot of time with them, see what you see, and then photograph it.

[andreios]

Or maybe don't read anything, walk into the buildings and spend a lot of time with them, see what you see, and then photograph it.

Kevin, maybe that is the best answer... Thank you.

[JW Dewdney]

Funny- i just re-shot Evans' 'sea of stairs' photo a few weeks back.

as for the main question you had - I would STRONGLY recommend picking up Paul Wainwright's book 'colonial meeting houses of new england' or something along those lines. He's on the web. Stunning and fastidious work in a more 'traditional' vein. But the rigor really pays off...

ps - his prints are just unbelievable...if you get a chance to look at one... DO IT! :)

[andreios]

as for the main question you had - I would STRONGLY recommend picking up Paul Wainwright's book 'colonial meeting houses of new england' or something along those lines. He's on the web. Stunning and fastidious work in a more 'traditional' vein. But the rigor really pays off...

ps - his prints are just unbelievable...if you get a chance to look at one... DO IT! :)

Thanks, I'll have a look at it.. One trouble is that there are very few possibilities to see prints by these masters round these parts...

[Brian Ellis]

I really liked the video and slide show mentioned in this blog. They're by and about a photographer named Robert Borowiec, who I had never heard of before. His statement in the video that he gets nothing out of photographing something just because it's old and dilapidated really hit home with me because that's exactly what I used to do years ago. Today he (and I though I'm nowhere as good as he is) try to find an idea or a point or something else that makes the photograph more than just a document of what an old building looks like. Try the video, it's only 4 minutes, if you like it try the slide show.

http://reciprocity-failure.blogspot.com/2013/05/andrew-borowiec-update.html

As an aside, I liked the name of the blog. Years ago I belonged to a photography group that called themselves The Reciprocity Failures.

[Drew Wiley]

Thank you for that Wainwright link. New to me and looks delicious. But it's his Mt Washington frozen stuff that I'd really like to see actual prints of.

[JW Dewdney]

Yes- you definitely should look into it Drew. Most of his subject matter isn't really my 'thing' but honestly his prints are SO GOOD I'm thinking of buying one just for the sake of reference - to inspire me before I go into the darkroom to rise to the occasion...

[Louie Powell]

I agree with the recommendation about Paul Wainwright's work - it is stunning.

Another photographer who has done very similar work is Steve Rosenthal. His book 'White on White' features New England Churches.

A photographer who frequently posts on this forum in Ed Richards who has done some fabulous work in the New Orleans area.

And there was a group of photographers in Texas that had a collaborative effort they called the Texas Church Project in which they photographed some of the old churches in Texas. Sadly, the group has moved on to other things and I believe that one of the group has passed away.

Another photographer who has done a lot of work in this genre is Tillman Crane. His first book (Structure) was exclusively old architecture and should be relatively easy to locate. His two books on Scotland (Touchstone and Odin Stone) blend old architecture with landscape, but because they were limited editions, they are much harder to locate.

[Leonard Evens]

For external architecture, I've found that looking at what other people have done didn't help me much. You do have to understand the basics of how to use a larger format view camera. Often the most difficult thing is to find a good position from which to take the picture. Sometimes, there is only one position which will work, but otherwise spending a lot of time walking around with a cardbard frame to see what you can see from different positions with different focal length lenses is necessary.

In my experience, internal architecture is much more difficult and that is where seeing what masters have done will be most useful.

[Richard M. Coda]

I am not, generally, a fan of "re-photography"... I tend to enjoy photographing things that no one else wants to photograph. That said, I am not a fan of the "Klett" re-photographic surveys, especially the most recent iteration (where they actually digitally paste AA and EW images on top of their images)... but I was in Restoration Hardware this past weekend with my wife (in Scottsdale, AZ). Beautiful building... they tore down a Sonoma Deli or something stupid like that and re-built a store across the street from their old location... really did a nice job. But what REALLY caught my eye was a $40 book, and I can't remember the name or find it on their website, but it was a re-photographic survey of Berenice Abbott's work in NYC... really well done...

[andreios]

In my experience, internal architecture is much more difficult and that is where seeing what masters have done will be most useful.

Well, and I have to say that these interiors are what interests me most - all those odd corners rarely touched by human feet or brooms... :-) I've never felt too much inclined to make images of buildings - however beautiful or interesting - from the outside. And if so, then it was some detail that cought my interest - doors or stairs... I always felt that there is no point FOR ME to make these images - others have done it so much better - either in pure "documentary" or "topographical" way or even in the artistic rendering like Sugimoto or felow forum user and excellent photographer Claudio Santambrogio aka csant here...

[andreios]

I am not, generally, a fan of "re-photography"... I tend to enjoy photographing things that no one else wants to photograph. That said, I am not a fan of the "Klett" re-photographic surveys, especially the most recent iteration (where they actually digitally paste AA and EW images on top of their images)... but I was in Restoration Hardware this past weekend with my wife (in Scottsdale, AZ). Beautiful building... they tore down a Sonoma Deli or something stupid like that and re-built a store across the street from their old location... really did a nice job. But what REALLY caught my eye was a $40 book, and I can't remember the name or find it on their website, but it was a re-photographic survey of Berenice Abbott's work in NYC... really well done...

I have to say that upon thinking about it I am not much inclined to take up any re-photographing "quest" upon myself either.. I do not doubt it might be a good exercise, but... I think that it would be better to attempt to find one's own way of seeing and looking.
I have now a short list of places within a couple hours of driving and will start to seek permissions to visit and photograph there...