Does this look like spring? The first day of spring is here but there is still snow on the ground!
Ok yes, I did take this photo two weeks ago, but there is still snow on the ground and more coming. But soon it will look more like this!
Putting People in Architectural Photos
For many years I believed that architectural photos were best done with no people in them at all, to maintain focus on the lines and shapes of the architectural space. But the last few years I've been adding people to my shots where possible - sometimes as a stranger crosses through the space, sometimes using models (i.e. my clients or assistants who join me on the shoot).
100 Summer Street Lobby in Boston, shot for Columbia Construction
Having a person or two in the shot gives a better feel for how the space is used, and after all, architecture is built to be used by people, not to be kept empty. Consider this shot by Ezra Stoller (scroll down to the last photo). The curves of the TWA terminal at JFK are beautiful on their own, but with the people in the space, it becomes more than curves and lines - it becomes a space that people use. The people give the space a three dimensional feeling, when it might otherwise look flat and hard to understand.
Republic Fitness at International Place in Boston, shot for PCA
We are people, so when we view images, we want to be able to picture ourselves in the space. Having people in the photos draws your eye and gives the architecture the human scale for reference. A blurred person can also fill a space that has less architectural interest. The direction the person is walking can help emphasize the flow of the space.
MCLE shot for PCA
When I take photos with people in them, I take note of my shutter speed (shooting in aperture priority to get the depth of field I want). Then I instruct the people how quickly or slowly to move to create just the right level of blur. Sometimes it is trial and error, so I shoot a lot of options to get the result the client and I are looking for.
Of course with Photoshop, it is relatively straightforward (I won't say easy) to take blurred people from one shot and place them in another - that way adding more people than might have been there in just that one version, or picking and choosing the best blur for each person.
Finally, people in a space can make it more lively and bustling!
Longwood Center shot for Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Elisif Photography provides high quality architectural photography to companies in the building industry, including architects, builders, developers, commercial and residential real estate brokers, interior designers, interior decorators, remodelers, and more.
I love going to NAIOP events in Boston. NAIOP is a great way to network with people in the building industry (also called the A/E/C industry - architecture, engineering, construction). So far this year NAIOP has had events about the new construction near North Station and Bulfinch Triangle, about providing amenities in buildings to draw peoples' interest in working there, a new restaurant (Mastro's) in the Seaport, and a wonderful tour of the offices and sets of America's Test Kitchen on Dry Dock Avenue. If you want to stay informed about what is happening in the city and meet all kinds of people in A/E/C fields, NAIOP is a great way to do it.
PHOTO TIP OF THE MONTH: DETAILS
How much of a car do you need to have in a photograph to know it is a car? Just a rear-view mirror? Maybe even just the outline of the gas tank door. When you are taking a photo of something that draws your eye, think about photographing just part of it - you don't always need the whole car, the whole building, the whole tree or flower - photographing details can lead to simpler photos, and simplicity has great impact. Try to capture to the parts of the image that really appeal to you - what is it about it that made you want to take a photo? Was it a specific curve, a bit of contrast in color or light? Simplify to that detail and see what amazing and unexpected results you can get.