Friday, June 11, 2010

Architecture Photos | Architecture Photography

As a photographer, architecture offers many different challenges, especially for the new photographer. Technically, buildings can be very demanding to photograph, but the key in solving this and attaining good images is understanding image distortion and finding the best time to capture the building at its most glamorous moment.

Image distortion: When we look at a standard building, we see lines running horizontal and vertical. These lines often appear distorted and will make your image look warped. Image distortion occurs when we choose the wrong point to take our picture or use the wrong equipment.

With most SLR cameras a certain amount of image distortion will occur. Shooting directly in front of the building will limit your options but will limit the amount of distortion in your image.

View cameras are ideal cameras for architectural photography. They minimise distortion and allow you to shoot from any angle. If you are serious about architectural photography, an investment in a View Camera is something to consider.

Your lens may also make your image look distorted. A wide-angle lens will make the front of the building look massive compared to the rear.

If you are photographing a tall building, don't shoot too near to the base. This will make the base of the building look too large compared to the top. Find a high advantage point, if possible, to take your picture.

Different light brings out different moods in a building. Just as with all other types of photography, studio photography being the exception, the time of day can make a big difference to an image. A building that looks plain and uninteresting during the day can be transformed by lighting at night. Also look out for photos that tell a story such as an office block with a single light on.

Side lighting will create long shadows along the front of the building adding mood to your image.
Back lit buildings are extremely difficult to photograph and are only effective as a photograph when captured as a silhouette.

Most buildings are best captured at night and if possible shoot when there is detail left in the sky. You don't need the most costly camera gear on the market to get great building pictures at night - bring plenty of film and a good sturdy tripod.

Architectural photography doesn't finish when the outside of the building is finished. Images of the interior of buildings are also in demand with many agencies. Great care should be taken when photographing the interior as elements within the interior may be distracting to the final image result. Remove any object that may interfere with your image.

Industrial photography is also as demanding and rewarding as any other type of photography. Take extra care when approaching large structures, use standard photography techniques and use the light creatively to add humour and mood.

Architecture photography is very demanding, but the rewards are great for any person that masters the technique. But like all types of photography - practice makes perfect.

TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer. For more tips you can visit his photography site. To view his images visit his on-line gallery of pictures of Ireland or see his travel site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TJ_Tierney

Architecture Photos | 5 Techniques For More Appealing Architectural Photography

We Have All Seen The Bad

A hurried real estate agent needs some last minute photos for a new listing, a construction company with a limited advertising budget saves some money by taking their own pictures for their website, a desperate developer finds a friend of a friend to capture a new development in time to have brochures made for the grand opening, and the list goes on and on. Millions of pictures exist online that are the result of situations like these, but the reality is that a great first impression is the most powerful tool you can use to your advantage when presenting a property.

Professional Photography Sells Homes

I know people that believe that the accuracy in that statement is dubious, but there is undeniable evidence to prove its point. If you were to show two separate sets of photos from two comparable homes, the home that had professionally taken images compared to "hurried agent" pictures will not only illicit more showings, but will have a final sales price closer to the original asking price.

The most recent experience I had with this came from only a two hour session with very minimal lighting. The experience, equipment, and knowledge allowed me to get some quality shots of a moderately sized home. The morning after the listing was posted, there were five parties scheduled for a showing. Not only that, but a full price deal was accepted within the same week. In an economy where the main focus lies on joblessness and the depressed housing market, we managed to pull off what many others endlessly struggle with.

You Can Do It Yourself

I strongly advocate investing a few hundred dollars with a professional photographer as it will pay off in multiples when you go to sell or rent your house. I do realize, however, that sometimes people simply can not afford it. Luckily, this post will have 5 different steps you can take to increase the appeal of your architectural photographs. The main focus of the article is geared towards somebody renting or selling a house, but the information is relevant in any situation.

1. A Neat House Looks Less Lived In

The allure of a brand new home is extremely enticing. Regardless, people love buying lived in homes because they are less expensive and often have valuable upgrades already installed. The optimum situation would be a slightly older house that has been well taken care of, and when you are planning on renting or selling, that is what you want to portray to potential buyers.

Besides the obvious things like vacuuming and dusting, you should remove everything from view that transforms "your house" into "your home". This will help potential renters or buyers to see a clean slate in a place that they can make their own, rather than moving into your old house.

Some people might not consider certain things personal items, such as the TV (large ones are OK because they are considered furniture) and phone, but every little item counts, including cords sticking out from behind furniture if you are able to hide them.

2. Clean It Up, But Don't Clean It Out

It is best to take photos of a property when it is still furnished, assuming the furniture has at least some essence of quality. Furnished rooms give a sense of size and dimension, as well as presenting layout ideas for a space. Partially furnished spaces are the worst for photos. They show that the space was lived in, but was not utilized for some reason. This can lead someone into thinking that it would be wasted space for them as well.

3. Show Your Stability

Use a tripod. The average lighting in a home is quite dark, around 1/60 shutter speed at f/4-5.6 and ISO 400 for you camera buffs. Higher ISO settings lead to more noise, while slower shutter speeds, like 1/30, 1/20, and 1/15, lead to blurry photos. For the sharpest image you should use a tripod and a lower ISO (50 or 100 is best) along with your cameras timer function.

4. Avoid Converging Lines

Converging lines appear when a photo is taken when the camera is not level. Tilting the camera up or down causes vertical lines to converge, giving the appearance that the building or room is leaning back or forward. If you want to capture more of the floor or more of the ceiling then you should physically move the camera up or down while keeping it parallel with the floor.

5. Use The Light You Have

For rooms with blinds, the best thing to do is point them directly at the ceiling. By doing this, the light will bounce off the ceiling and scatter around the room for more even lighting. It will also keep direct light from coming in, causing windows to look blown out. In many bathrooms there are glass block windows. These make for great, soft light sources. If possible, avoid shooting directly towards open windows. However, it is sometimes nice to have it partially visible as a special feature.

More Resources And Bonus Techniques - A professional photographer can definitely give you an edge against the competition, but these tips will get you pointed in the right direction of you decide to do it yourself. David Hobby of the popular Strobist blog did a series on photographing to sell a house with some similar points and more lighting tips.

J.T. Shaver
Shaver Studios Design and Photography

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._T._Shaver

Architecture Photos | Architectural Modeling, 3D Modeling For Photographic Views

Architectural modeling is the most effective technology used widely to get realistic views for future buildings. Architectural modeling is a technical art of developing a wire frame representation of any object. Innovation in architectural industry has introduced 3D modeling for accurate and better outputs. User can view future building from all the angles and can make changes accordingly. This technique is not only limited for buildings, but it is widely used for product modeling.

In the past time there is no such technology available that shows future building on your TV or computers. So there may be possibility of redesigning and rebuilding. But today professional architects have introduced architectural 3D modeling to avoid redesign and rebuilding. Using this technology, architects are generating 3D models for various objects and allow users to apply their own thoughts to get better design for interior as well as exterior. Interior 3d models and exterior 3d models are the photo prints that shown on computer.

This technology is used in various types of buildings like residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and special mega structures like sky scrapers. For mega structure maximum accuracy is must required. 3D models serve every detail from all corners with maximum accuracy. User can view moving objects on computer and can make changes in applied designs.

To get actual photo realistic view all architects, engineering consultants, interior designers, real estate developers, multimedia firms, contactors and builders are using modeling technology. Builders use it to make demonstration models for presentation among customers. These type of model shows all details to customer as a moving object.

3D Architectural Modeling can be used for various purpose described as below:

• Architectural home designs
• 3D building Models
• Product modeling
• Interior models
• Exterior models
• Furniture models
• Landscape design models

As it provides more advantages, architect industry is using it widely. Exploration in internet world makes it a better resource for outsourcing. Various firms are offering affordable 3d modeling services. By outsourcing you can save your precious time and money.

If you want to get instant quotes for 3d architectural modeling projects please email us at info@architecturalmodelingindia.com

To view more about our services please visit us at http://www.architecturalmodelingindia.com/architectural-3d-modeling/

Jenny Shield
Email: info@architecturalmodelingindia.com
URL: http://www.architecturalmodelingindia.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jenny_Shield