Brian’s Photo Tip #1: Lenses

16th June, 2010 by Melanie Archer | 1 comment

In addition to being a talented architect and quite possibly the most organised person any of us has ever worked with, acla:works director, Brian Lewis, is a highly skilled photographer. His favourite subject? Architecture, of course! In this ongoing series, Brian shares tips on successfully photographing buildings.

Photo Tip #1: Lenses

Wide-angle lenses are essential in architectural photography. The wider the angle of the lens the more difficult it is to use – you need to try to keep the film plane vertical, and, when taking a one-point perspective, to keep the film plane parallel to the building or you will get unsightly distortion.

When composing through the viewfinder try to line up verticals and make sure there is no planar distortion before you press that shutter. It is important to remember that sometimes a distorted detail can express the essence of the building but most of the time photographs of buildings are intended as a record so they need to look right. Try this tip.

– Brian Lewis

Below: Republic Bank Trincity shot with a wide angle [no distortion] and without [intentional distortion to emphasize form]. Also, read about composition and taming the sun in Brian's Photo Tip #2 and Photo Tip #3.