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Highlighting the details .. Architecture .. How to take the most beautiful pictures .. Photography book

Architecture

Highlighting the details

A small section of a building, a detail such as a carved decoration or a section of a wall covered with grass, can often give a stronger impression or form a more beautiful composition than a whole, especially if this part is placed in a frame with a first-level element, such as the arch of a dome.

Details or parts of the composition, lines or volumes accurately inform the main concept of the building. In the subtle changes in the material of the stone itself, we can distinguish whether the building is solid and heavy, if it follows the Gothic style with soft sculptures or if it is modern made of prefabricated materials. Rhythm is often expressed in the concept of architectural drawing itself: in the alignment of columns or in similar windows. In regular balustrades or in the arrangement of a brick wall. The dome of a church and even the supports of old houses are often decorated with complex decorations with very beautiful motifs. The bare metal structure of buildings presents abstract drawings drawn in the sky.

As for rhythm and composition, the changes in volumes determine the nature of the materials used for architecture. Cement, for example, can become thin, twisted barriers or take on strange shapes. Glass, on the other hand, is often used in flat, rectangular spaces and is particularly distinguished by its reflective properties. Modern high-rise buildings have facades of steel and glass that draw strange, illuminated, sinuous lines or look like a mirror in which the photographer can capture the image of the neighboring buildings reflected in them. The most precise architectural details are found in carved stone: the protruding subjects give an additional dimension of depth, especially under oblique lighting. It is the combination of light and shadow that brings out the soft volumes. For details like these, use the correct exposure: here it is essential to use a tripod to provide a perfect support for the long exposure camera.

There is a method that involves taking a picture of the building first - for example the whole façade - and then selecting a number of distinctive details that are recorded on closer surfaces: thus every particular point photographed, whether documentary or ordinary, is placed in the whole. Small cameras are well suited to photographing details, provided that a film with low grain is used. Also, a complete set of lenses will find its use, especially long focal lengths, to reach the subjects of the roof and the roof. The use of extended rings and extended bellows requires correction of the exposure to compensate for the lengthening of the exposure: for example, a triple exposure (three times the focal length of the lens) requires a stop or position nine times longer. When photographing a part of an urban structure, try to make a picture that is sufficient in itself, but at the same time one that shows the special qualities of the whole of which it is an integral part.

How to show the details

I used various focal lengths to record the different details of the building. To the right, a telephoto lens brings the columns of the church transept closer, giving an almost two-dimensional image. Below, I used a wide-angle lens for this repeated alternation of arches and the tops of the columns. Below left, the normal focus interprets the composition of the doorway, giving a beautiful effect to the material and stone thanks to the semi-reflective lighting. In the middle right, the same normal lens and side lighting give a beautiful character to the silver candlesticks. Below right: wide angle lens and mettle light for this medieval sculpture.

Techniques for lighting high domes

To detail the fine decorations of this Gothic lantern, the contrast of the lighting had to be reduced. I calculated the exposure on the stained glass: I gave myself a small aperture and then lit the shadow areas with four flash lights.

Hasselblad 20 sec. Aperture 22 Ektachrom EX

Coloring with light

To get a very detailed image in very dark interiors, first change the shutter for a few minutes. Wear dark clothes, if possible position yourself outside the frame and light the important parts with the flash in succession. The drawing shows how to light an entire group with a single light source, emphasizing the selected areas.