Unit 9- Characteristics and Contexts | Architectural Studies
- Admin
- Sep 5, 2018
- 5 min read
Bibliography:
Google Images
Wikipedia
Definitions
Architectural photography is the photographing of buildings and similar structures that are both aesthetically pleasing and accurate representations of their subjects.
Architecture the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings.
Proposal
I am proposing for unit 9 to take the theme of architecture and take my own spin on it as there are some beautiful buildings in and around the places I live and I don't think they get the appreciation they deserve. Photographing architecture on this project allows me to think of other fashion ideas for future projects whilst I shoot architecture, and will help me build my skills in multiple fields.
Research
Hélène Binet
Hélène Binet is a Swiss-French architectural photographer who is based in London, she is
also one of the leading architectural photographers in the world.
She is one of my main inspirations for this project, as her work really stands out from the crowd and is truly breath taking.
Take a look at a snapshot of her work below:
Lucien Hervé
Lucien Hervé was a Hungarian photographer who is one of the only photographers to combine a humanist outlook with an architects eye, ie including models in his architecture shots which I think is very cool and empowering that he does that and it certainly is going to inspire me during this project as I usually shoot models and not architecture, so to include both would be a dream come true.
Take a quick look at Lucien's amazing work below:
Kevin Saint Grey
Kevin Saint Grey is a minimalistic fine arts photographer who specializes in architecture, landscapes and abstracts. I have noticed he mainly uses a neutral density filter which means he can keep the same f stop but keep the lens open for like 8 or more seconds depending on the filter but no matter the neutral density filter you can get really cool shots that you wouldn't regularly be able to get.
Below is a screenshot of some of his amazing work:
Mood Board
Above is a screenshot of my developing architecture mood board on pinterest, if you follow the link you can view my full mood board.
Practical Skills
Camera- F-stops, shutter speeds, ISO, meter reading, spot metering, ND filter, different lenses etc - utilising materials, techniques and processes accurately drawing from my skills building throughout last year and the start of this year to help me photograph architecture beautifully with a vision.
Location Scouting- Utilising my skills as a photographer to find and scout interesting architectural locations which will photograph well taking into account time of day, light, camera settings and my eye for perfection. Location scouting will mean going out of my comfort zones to go to new places.
Equipment
Camera Body
Lenses
Reflector
ND Filter
Locations
I have two London trips coming up so I am definitely going to go for a wander around the city, camera in hand of course to photograph all of the exquisite variety of buildings and how the old buildings and new buildings live together in harmony and sometimes in none harmony and the controversy this regularly brings to the table. London is filled to the brim with architecture of all shapes and sizes, I am particularly interested in photographing in and around Lime Grove, the main city centre and even the smaller suburbs.
I have also been traveling a lot over the summer holidays to cities, small villages, towns and other interesting architectural places so I am already focused on this project and I am very excited for this project.
I am also planning to head to Liverpool and Liverpool China Town to shoot the beautiful traditional buildings and neon lights which I think will add character and an artistic flair to my architectural work which others may not think about.
Couture Magazine takes on the city
I have decided like my FMP last year I am going to create my own magazine but instead of calling it just "Couture Magazine" I am going to call it "Couture Magazine takes on the city" as instead of it being about fashion and models etc like last time it is about architecture so I thought the title is very fitting.
I will add my favourite architecture shots from all of my location shoots as well as my favourite architecture quotes from google and then I will also add my own text which will give it a real magazine feel.
Neutral Density Filter
A neutral density filter is a "photographic or optical filter that absorbs light of all wavelengths to the same extent, causing overall dimming but no change in colour."
I have been researching Kevin Saint Grey as shown above and he is very fond of using neutral density filters which attach to the front of the lens and they come in all shapes and sizes and just make your photos look dream like.
How do neutral density filters work?
Neutral density filters work by letting less light pass through the lens to the camera's sensor, they come in all different sizes for different lenses but one thing they all have in common is they generally come in +3 stops, +6 stops and +10 stops but you can get special darker filters and all of the filters have different price points depending on quality and brand but arguably the best filters out there are Lee Filters as they are a quality company that specialise in filters for Hollywood films and other major events.
The neutral density filter I am going to be using is a +10 stop filter which I am very excited to try out the ND filter as it will be a new experience and will just give the sky a milky dreamy feel and will make my images stand out from other plain architecture photos but I will be doing shots with and without the filter.
Here are examples of what these filters can do:
I am planning to go to Liverpool on Wednesday 26th September to shoot architecture both in the city centre and in China Town, I also visited London this weekend and I shot lots and lots of architecture and I am very pleased with the outcomes.
Problem Solving
Weather- I couldn't exactly problem solve terrible weather but I can shoot on a different day or even go out in the rain and take some cool rainfall shots with architecture included.
I have rounded all my images down from around 150 to 46 of my absolute favourite shots which I will display in my magazine as well as printing them off individually.
I love each and every one of my chosen shots and they all portray architecture in different beautiful ways.
Presentation
I decided to present this project both as a gallery on my website and in magazine format.
We printed my magazine and did a group critique on my work from this project, the feedback I got was very motivating and empowering as every one loved the magazine and work I have created. I am very happy with the outcome of this project.
Evaluation and Reflection
I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this project and I feel like it has changed the way I look at architecture and changed the way I photograph it. I love architecture, photographing it and looking at it and I have adored this project but in my next project I will be going back to my fashion roots, which I am very much excited about.
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