Architectural Photography Project Perth: Archdeacon House

Architectural photography is the best way to document and capture your design or building project.

Sure you can snap a few photos while the building is under construction and you can certainly use those on social media, but if you have any desire to have your masterpiece featured in a magazine or online portal, you really need to have professional, architectural photographs of your project.

The Difference Architectural Photography Makes

I know it can be difficult for the untrained eyes to see the difference between an architectural photograph and an iPhone photo. But believe me, an editor will be able to see the difference straight away, and they will request architectural photographs of a certain format and file size - requirements you simply can’t achieve with a mobile phone, even if you’re an architectural photographer.

Architectural photograph of the beautiful Archdeacon House, Perth, during blue hours

Creating Interior and Exterior Photography of the Archdeacon House

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to photograph this stunning house just a few days before the owners moved in with their young family for Master Builder, Pete Douglas.

We had the appointment for early in the morning to be able to capture this beautiful home during blue hour, twilight, and in full daylight.

It’s incredible to see what a difference lighting makes.

Twilight architectural photograph of the Archdeacon House - without “light painting”

The darker it is outside, the whiter the light seems inside the house and draws the attention to the interior. In full daytime the attention goes to the structure of the building.

Architectural twilight photography is stunning but it is in decline. For best results architectural photographers would use the “light painting” technique to bring more light to the facade of the building. They use constant light and take long-exposure photos. Then they bring the photo together in Photoshop. So for one photograph we are talking about 15 minute time investment on site, and 30-45 minutes in post-production.

Again, it can be stunning, twilight photographs are usually “thumb-stoppers” on Social Media, but also because they are heavily processed photographs, and don’t necessarily portray the truth, I’m seeing a rapid decline in this genre.

Of course there are numerous architectural photographers that don’t use the misleading “light painting” technique, and let the shapes and forms of the building appear exactly as you would see it in real life.

Archdeacon House in full daylight

Architectural Photography Using Natural Light Only

Have a look at any Australian architecture magazine, and try to spot light-painting, oversaturated colours, way too contrasty “commercial” images.

You won’t.

The whole world has come full circle and we are finally getting back to portraying everything as true and natural as possible.

The most celebrated and highest-paid portrait and fashion photographers are using less and less retouching on the skin, letting the natural smile lines come through even on a celebrity’s face.

Same as architectural photography: why try to create beautiful light with strobes or constant lights, when they are all just trying to replicate natural light.

I also love to leave our beautiful Perth blue skies blue, as opposed to replacing the sky with some dramatic clouds, or sunset colours.

Show it in its original beauty, don’t put fake light, sunset and clouds in the photo if they weren’t originally there, and just let the subject of your photo dominate the frame.

My two favourite photos are definitely the blue hour image and the daytime photo.

Which lighting style fits your practice’s branding?