Level up: how to improve your architectural photography

Canon Ambassador Fernando Guerra knows a thing or two about buildings. He graduated as an architect in his home country of Portugal, before spending several successful years working for an architectural firm in Macau. Despite enjoying his job, however, he could never quite let go of his childhood love of photography.

Fernando's passion for shooting buildings grew until, with his brother Sergio, he began photographing architecture for leading magazines and personal clients. Now with a string of awards to his name, he's never once looked back.

Here, Fernando shares some of the insights, tips and tricks that he's learned over the years.

Architectural photography isn’t just about imposing office blocks or ornate churches. While these will make for spectacular images, any building can be beautiful according to Fernando – if you look hard enough, or rather don’t!

"Don't think about finding the right location," he advises. "You can get incredible buildings in horrible locations. Think about individual buildings and what makes them interesting. It could be anything from a ramshackle barn or humble house to a magnificent museum or cathedral. I don't even think there are 'bad' buildings to shoot. It's just about waiting for the right light and the right moment. "

Once you’ve found and fallen in love with a building, something else Fernando recommends is adding layers to your imagery. It’s a technique he picked up from one of his biggest inspirations, Magnum photographer Alex Webb, and it will – as Fernando explains below – help add another dimension to your photography.

"His photography captivated me, in the way that he would use layers on top of layers to build more elements into a shot,” says Fernando of Webb. “For example, you might get people here, a dog there, a guy walking by with an umbrella over there. His shots are composed with several layers, and you get a real feeling of life and context.

"As an architect, I try to find the perfect proportions, the perfect material and the perfect colours and finish. As a photographer, I'm still trying to convey exactly that – to make things look beautiful," Fernando continues. "I'm not looking for geometry that 'works', I'm just trying to make the building look wonderful. That's the message that I'm trying to deliver."

One of the first rules of architectural photography, you might think, is to use a tripod. Not so according to Fernando.

"I like to have freedom of movement, so I prefer not to use a tripod, which many think is a fundamental tool for architectural shooting," he elaborates. "I'd rather keep moving around, exploring a building from different angles, so I shoot handheld. From the moment I arrive on site, I'm moving non-stop until I leave.

"Another advantage of not using a tripod is that if you're in a crowded place, you can shoot without drawing attention to yourself. Otherwise, people in the scene can be intrigued and be looking at you and what you're doing, rather than just acting in a natural way. The vari-angle screens of many Canon cameras are perfect for this. You can shoot from different angles, and it doesn't even look like you're taking photos."

In fact, as far as Fernando is concerned, when it comes to the dos and don’ts of architectural photography, there’s only really one rule you should follow.

"Verticals need to be straight, so never point the camera upwards or downwards, unless you're using a tilt-shift lens which can correct perspective," he explains. "You can correct perspective at the editing stage in software, but I don't think it looks right. There are often many other rules discussed, but I believe you have to break rules to create your own distinctive work which stands out. Just keep the verticals straight and shoot like there's no tomorrow."

Something else that’s a misconception according to Fernando is that the best light for architectural photography is in the early morning or late afternoon, often called the 'golden hour'.

"If I'm going to shoot a building, I like to go early in the morning and stay until the stars come out in the evening. In a way, it's the same approach that a photojournalist might use. I follow the light around the building and different aspects will look better at different times of the day. You also get to see how people use the building, adding that element of life again. It's like shooting 'a day in the life of a building'. I want to capture more than the building itself.

"If the light is harsh, you can play with the shadows. I recently got some great shots of a house at midday with the sun high in the sky. The light was pouring through skylights in the roof and illuminating the whole interior of the building, and it just looked fabulous. When the sun is lower in the sky, a building can look bad from one side but great from another. You just need to move around and keep looking. Even if it's grey and foggy, you can get some interesting shots with a real softness to them. Another wrong assumption is that once you've shot a building from one point, you're done with that view of it. Come back later in the day and see how the change in light has affected it.”

When starting out, Fernando recommends lenses which strike a good balance between a relatively wide field of view and low image distortion. "I love the Canon RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM and the Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM," he enthuses. "They're small and unobtrusive so you can shoot unnoticed. The quality is great, and they're relatively inexpensive. I also use the Canon EF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM because it's so versatile. I can't accept any distortion in my architectural shots but, thanks to in-camera corrections in EOS R-series cameras, it becomes a distortion-free lens."

Another gateway lens that’s particularly suited to architectural photography is the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM. This prime lens with 16mm focal length is not only ultra-affordable, but also ultra-wide, allowing you to get more in shot, for example, an entire bridge. Architecture enthusiasts will also love the interesting effects on lines and angles the lens offers.

Once you’ve settled on a camera and lens that suit you, and got to grips with the genre basics, Fernando advises experimenting further with your architectural photography, everything from the angle of your shot to lens filters.

"A neutral density filter is great for enabling long exposures even under bright lighting,” Fernando explains. “For shooting architecture in a busy place, a long exposure will make all the people and traffic that are moving around effectively disappear, taking them out of the shot. A circular polarising filter is great for removing reflections from glass windows. It works equally well on buildings with a glossy finish. I had to shoot a concrete building that was painted red and was super-shiny. I just gave the circular polariser a twist and all the shine was gone, letting the colour sing out."

For Fernando, shooting architecture is more than just a job, it’s a calling. And one inspired by beating hearts as much as buildings.

"Ultimately, I shoot architecture for a living, but I still feel the people who are inside or who use the building are the most interesting element," he concludes. "To me, architectural photography is about capturing life."

Are you ready to get started?

Written by Matthew Richards