Architectural Photography Tips?

[brian steinberger]

I have a project to photograph a bunch of local historical biuldings. I'm just going to shot the exteriors. The images are going to be used on websites, and also archived. I'm very familiar with landscape photography but haven't done much architechural photography. I'm planning on using my toyo 4x5 field camera. I have a 90mm and 210mm lenses. any suggestions as far as other lenses, films.. transparancy or negative, technique. thanks!

brian

[Ernest Purdum]

Regarding lenses, nuch depends on how much room there is around the subject buildings. It is much easier to photograph when you are not cramped.

Another factor is whether realistic or dramatic views are desired. For historical buildings I would guess straightforward recording would be wanted. In this case, if you have enough room to employ your 210mm, the job should be a piece of cake.

[steve simmons]

You should read Photographing Buildings Inside and Out by Norman Mcgrath.

You may not have room for the 210 and the 90 may crimp the bellows too much for the movements you need.

Are you doing this in black and white or color? Color negs may not be as archival and if this is for historic purposes you need something that will last.

Are you getting paid for this?

steve simmons

[brian steinberger]

steve,

So you think that I might want to get a mid range lens, like a 135, or 150 to add to my 2 lenses I have now? Also, I'm definaltely going to shoot in black and white, but color also. Which is more archival, color neg or transparancy? I'm not getting paid for this. I'm doing it as a volunteer for the local historical society. They approached me, and I'm happy to help out. Thanks!

[Will Strain]

I use a 90, 135, and 210 as my standard architectural kit. The 135 gets used the most. My little Caltar II has plenty of room for movements and is a sharp little lens - won't break the bank neither. (Or rent one - obviously always an option.)

Tho I have not seen actual numbers to back it up, my guess is Color Negative film will age more gracefully than Chromes.

Make sure you get some sort of credit - if not payment, a thank you and a donation write off might be nice.

Anyhow, sounds like a nice project. Have some fun with it.

[Jeffrey Scott]

I recently photographed a historic building for a client and I used lensed ranging from 58mm to 150mm. Most of the images were done with a 72mm and 90mm. I had a 240mm and 305mm but they never got used. You will probably find the 90mm seeing a lot of use. The Toyo barely can do much with the bellows cramped, can you use a camera better suited to the task? I used my Ebony 45SU and on one shot with a 110mm I had to use full rise (70mm) to get the image required.

[steve simmons]

Something in the 120-135 range would be a nice mid range lens. I too am concerned about the camera allowing enough movement with a 90mm.

Check with your color lab for their suggestions re color neg or transparency film. It might depend on the final output product and if there is a possibility for any type of reproduction.

Good luck. I have done this type of thing a few times and I enjoyed it.

steve

[Kirk Gittings]

For many years I used only a 90 and a 210 on a Tachihara while I was a stringer for Architecture Magazine. That tool kit worked fine and I had many covers in those years.

You might want to check out the arch. photo manual for the National Trust for Historic Preservation that I wrote many years ago.

http://www.preservationbooks.org/showBook.asp?key=23

[brian steinberger]

I have room for movement of a 90mm lens on my Toyo, but my 90 is an f/8. This image circle doesn't allow for much movement. What other options do I have other than to buy a wider aperture 90 lens?

[Merg Ross]

When I was working for Architectural Record in the 70's my three lenses were 90, 150 & 250 on Calumet cameras, the wide and the longer rail. For the exterior work you propose perhaps a 125 would work better with the Toyo Field. I have that camera and for extreme movements it may be a bit constricted. Give it a try, it really depends on your distance from the subject. Enjoy your project and do not worry too much about the archival aspects.

[tim atherton]

Brian,

I've done lots of architectural photography with a Toyo 45A before I got an Arca for the times I need more movement. At first much of it was done with a 90mm f8 (Nikon) 50mm and 250mm - only later on did I get a 75mm, 125mm and a 250mm, 300mm etc and various other lenses.

With the 90mm Nikon I can get enough rise on the Toyo for most exteriors unless it's a multi storey building (bellows scrunch up a bit) certainly enough for most of the exteriors I did.
Also, if you spend some time hunting through the archives here, there are lots of hints on architectural photography.

Neither transparency nor colour neg are as "archival" as B&W tends to be - but unless you are shooting for a rigorously controlled programme of documentation, either would be good - best choice would be the one you are most comfortable with/used to shooting. Both have their pros and cons for different circumstances, but this project probably isn't the time to be going through a learning curve like that...

Check you library for the McGrath book and also any of the books from the HABS/HAER project

http://www.cr.nps.gov/habshaer/

(Their photo manual is very technical - but it might give you some ideas on how to document your shoot - photos without documentation aren't much use to an archive - etc
http://www.cr.nps.gov/habshaer/habs/guidelines/photospecs.pdf )

Indeed, hunt around at the library for any books documenting historic buildings (or in fact, archliberal photography in general) - get some ideas from them of approaches to take and figure out how the shots were done - without restricting yourself, give yourself a checklist of ideas to cover for each building.

In fact I nearly always find it valuable to check out the buildings first - as my old Sgt Major used to say "time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted..." You can see what the possibilities are, what might work, what problem their could be with physical access, where the light falls at different times of the day etc.

[John Cook]

These buildings will be lit by the sun.

The sun's angle will determine the beauty of the lighting.

The sun will be constantly moving.

The buildings don't move.

It is critical to know which way the buildings face and where the sun will be (azimuth and elevation) at each minute of the day.

Check a local road map for the position of the building facades.

Find sun information online from NOAA or commercially from the Sunpath computer program.

[John Cook]

p.s. - Just which time of day and sun position to chose is what will make you a great outdoor photographer.

p.p.s. - The Sunpath program is on sale until the end of the month:

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/sunsoffowwin.html

[ronald moravec]

Not as much fun, but all you need for a website is 35mm with a couple of shift lenses. 4x5 just doesn`t come across on a monitor as better. Photoshop will resolve any perspective issues you can`t solve with the shift glass.

Go there at least once without a camera and observe the light and figure out what the best time is to get proper lighting. Then wait for decent weather.

North facing buildings are a pain as you only get sun early morning and late evening in June when the sun raises and sets as far north as it gets.

[jnantz]

brian -

i have done a fair amount of habs/haer photography and the most used lens in my "kit" is a 90mm lens.
i use the longer lenses for detail shots - ornament, design feature &C, but for the most part it is the 90mm.

from the habs manual, they look for well exposed, well composed ( no stuff like cars & people walking into the frame ) perspective controlled images. they look for a building in the context of where it sits ( streetscape view &C) ... and 3/4 perspective shots ( front elevation and side, back elevation and side ) elevation shots ( if there is an important feature that can't be seen well in 3/4 view, or if a 3/4 view can not be taken ) and detail shots ( brackets, ornament, cornice-line, window detail, clerestory, builder's placque &C).

if the building is a industrial building, you will want to include the dam, sluce/tail race, spur/rail line - external aspects of the building that help it "work" ... historic preservation or archaeological lingo for this is "feature system"

if you can get far enough back you can probably get away with the toyo field-view ( i have used a speed graphic at times ), otherwise, as some have suggested, you might rent a view camera.

don't forget to have fun!

[brian steinberger]

Thanks to everyone for all your help! I have a better idea about what I'm planning to do now. You can always email if you have anymore suggestions! Thanks again!