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 THE ULTIMATE
CONTENTS

4. How to start architecture photography

5. The best camera for architecture photography DONE
9. The best lens for architecture photography DONE

GUIDE TO
16. The best tripod for architecture photography DONE
22. Lighting for architecture photography DONE
26. Accessories for architecture photography DONE
28. Editing software for architecture photography

ARCHITECTURE
30. Five of the best books for architecture photography DONE
32. Social media and architecture photography DONE

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PHOTOGRAPHY

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 HOW TO START ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY THE BEST CAMERA FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Everybody has to start somewhere and this guide will show you how to start interior photography. BEST CAMERA FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

So if you’re considering a career in interior photography or just want to take better pictures of your
own home, read on and enjoy these simple tips to help you start your interior photography journey.
The largest decision you make when starting out in photography is which camera system to
choose. Currently the big three are Canon, Nikon and Sony, all of which offer a wide variety of
cameras, each with an impressive amount of numbers after their name which seem to serve only
ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS
to confuse consumers. Hopefully this short guide will give you a good idea on the best camera for
architecture photography.
How often have you seen property photography ruined with wonky walls and terribly lit bathrooms? It will largely come down to personal preference. It doesn’t matter what the diehard fans of each
system will tell you on various forums (go there at your peril). Most cameras are now so close
Well the truth is, with a little practise mistakes like that can be easily avoided.
together that you’re probably considering the lens choice (for a full post on lenses check THIS out
Even if you’re totally new to photography, it is possible with a little preparation and the right ) as your defining factor in your purchase.
equipment to get great images.
I would recommend you try each camera which catches your eye out, as the ergonomics and sim-
ple things such as the menu systems may end up being the biggest factor for you.
Probably the biggest decision you will have to make before you purchase your camera is whether
you want to go down the full frame sensor route or opt for the (usually cheaper) cropped or APSC
size sensor cameras.
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FULL FRAME OR CROPPED SENSOR FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY?

This question may be older than photography itself and is the subject of many keyboard warrior
photography forum arguments.
In all honesty, it will all come down to what you’re comfortable paying and carrying around.
A cropped or APSC sized camera will, on the main, be considerably cheaper and lighter. However,
you will see a slight improvement in your images due to the increased dynamic range available to
a full frame camera and better low light performance on a full frame sensor.
It will also let you use the full angle of view of your lenses, meaning you can use that 16-35mm in
all its glory.
One more thing to consider on the technical front is the shallower depth of field which a full frame
camera will give you. Not particularly important for architecture photography, but worth consid-
ering if you’re going to be photographing more than just architecture.

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 BEST FULL FRAME CAMERA FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY BEST CROPPED (APSC) CAMERA FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

CANON The 5DS R features a monster 50.6 megapixel CMOS sensor, which means you can print A0 size CANON The 80D is the hero of the current prosumer Canon lineup and is a very capable camera if you’re
5DSR 80D
images straight out of the camera. Also – and perhaps most interesting for architecture pho- looking for something which can do a bit of everything, as well as being great for interior or
tography – it also features a mirror vibration control system, which is designed to cut down the a backup camera for a full frame camera.
vibration produced from the shutter of the camera, allowing you to capture a sharper image.
It features a 24MP CMOS sensor paired with a Digic 6 processor, which gives you loads of pixels
The obsession with image quality continues with the inclusion of a low-pass cancellation filter to play with. This improved sensor also offers a colour bit depth of 23.6 bits and a dynamic
which, Canon claims, optimises sharpness and increases clarity even further. ranger of 13.2 Evs on DxOMark’s tests.

So if you’re looking for the best image quality this would be a good place to start.
NIKON
This camera is a couple of years old now, so the price has come down significantly since launch D7500 The sensor for the D7500 is the same 20.9MP sensor and Expeed 4 sensor, which Nikon fits in
and you can pick up a brand new body for around £2500. its D500 pro level body so you can be sure you’re getting great image quality. What this gives
you is a camera capable of great low light performance with a colour depth of 24.8 bits and
a dynamic range of 14.5 Evs, which put it above the performance of some of the full frame
NIKON
D850 Many claim this to be among the best cameras ever made and Nikon doesn’t disappoint with cameras on offer above.
a 45.4 megapixel FX sensor which received a DXO rating of 100 – the first DSLR to do so.
The major differences between the two come in the design of the body. The D500 features a
It does this by featuring a backside-illuminated (BSI) sensor which allows it to capture light magnesium body, whereas the D7500 is a “carbon fibre reinforced monocoque construction”,
more effectively, giving a boost to dynamic range (rated at 18.8 EV), colour (offering a bit which is in effect a very durable plastic. It’s used in F1 cockpits to protect the driver, so it should
depth of 26.4) and signal to noise performance to improve low light shooting. All this offers be more than capable of holding on to whatever you can throw at it.

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an image quality in-line with most medium format cameras, all in a package which is much
lighter on the wallet.
SONY A77 The Sony A77 is an SLT (Single Lens Translucent) camera, which basically means the mirror is
MK2
semi-transparent, allowing light to hit the sensor and the mirror at the same time. This allows
SONY A7R Sony joins the party with its 42.4 MP full-frame Exmor sensor mirrorless system. Featuring a for phase-detection autofocus through an electronic viewfinder.
MK3
Bionz X processor, the camera is capable of delivering up to 15 stops of dynamic range, giving
Autofocus shouldn’t be a decisive factor when choosing a camera for interior photography, but
you loads of tonality throughout your shot. Plus, a 14-bit RAW format ensures you won’t be
the ability to shoot at iso 50 with this camera could be, allowing for incredible image quality,
losing details in your highlights and shadows.
dynamic range and colour depth which comes close to that of a full frame camera.
The big benefit of the Sony a7R mk3 is that it features something called “Pixel Shift Multi
Shooting”, where the camera shoots four RAW images, shifting the sensors a single pixel
CANON 7D The 7D mk2 has the lowest megapixel count of all the cameras above. However, in the real
between each shot. This allows you to capture more detail when shooting still images. The MK2
world, your images probably aren’t going to be viewed on anything much bigger than your
one big drawback to this system is you have to import them into Sony’s Remote application in
computer screen. So the 20MP CMOS sensor, paired together with the DIGIC 6 processing
order to process the files, which introduces another step into the post-production workflow.
engine, in the 7D mk2 is going to be more than enough.

One of the major selling points of the 7D mk2 is the quality of the weather sealing, that can sit
CANON 6D This is Canon’s headline prosumer camera at this time and features a 26.2 MP full frame sen-
MK2 alongside even the flagship 1DX mk2. So if you’re ever caught out by the rain or find yourself
sor. It features an upgraded DIGIC 7 processor which offers a colour depth of 24.4 bits. The
in a dirty environment, you can be sure your camera can handle it.
dynamic range of the 6D mk2 is where the camera falls down a little, giving you only 11.9 steps,
which – compared to some modern DSLR cameras – could be a massive letdown. However, where the 7d does fall down is that the dynamic range, which is basically how much
information the sensor records across the highlights through to the shadows, is fairly limited
It also features many extra features you’re probably never going to find much use for, such
at 11.8Evs. That is still a fairly large amount of information the camera is capable of capturing,
as wireless connectivity and a touch screen. If that kind of thing does it for you, then the 6d
it just doesn’t stand up to some of the other cameras on this list.
mk2 could be for you – but otherwise, I would suggest going for one of the cheaper and older
5d models.

NIKON The little brother of the D850, the d750 offers a 24MP CMOS full frame sensor which is paired
D750
to an Expeed 4 processing engine.

It offers the same design and build quality of the older d810, as well as the same RGB metering
system included in the flagship D4 range, so you’re getting a serious amount of technology
for your money here. Which if you find a good deal, can be upto 60% of the price of the D850.
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 THE BEST LENSES FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

One of the most important parts of shooting architecture photography is your lens choice. This
short post will show you the best lenses for architecture photography. Whether you shoot Canon,
Nikon or anything in between!
You’re going to need three main types of lenses in your kit bag which can be separated down into
three categories:
A wide angle lens – this is usually something in the 16-35mm range on a full frame camera, allow-
ing you to capture those gorgeous wide shots of a building in its environment.
A standard zoom lens – something in the 24-105mm range, allowing you to get in nice and close
and capture those details which others may miss.
A tilt-shift lens – this is a slightly more advanced lens but a tilt shift lens will really separate your
work from others around you. As the name suggests, in basic terms, it allows you to tilt and shift
the focus of the lens, eliminating those unsightly wonky lines in your images!
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 BEST WIDE ANGLE LENSES FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

For most architecture jobs, you’re going to want to carry a wide angle lens. Ideally something
TAMRON Another third party lens to consider goes a little wider than others on this list at the expense
within the 16-35mm range is a perfect place to start. 15-30MM
F2.8 FI VC of the telephoto end of the lens.
USD
CANON EF This lens has set the standard for all wide angle lenses to follow since its introduction to the The only lens in this line up with an aperture of f2.8 and optical image stabilisation built-in,
16-35MM
F/2.8L III Canon lineup in 2001. It contains 16 elements in 11 groups and is seriously sharp, producing this is a great choice. Weather and dust sealing also comes as standard, so you can be confi-
USM
gorgeous contrast with very little barrel distortion (which is easily corrected in post) consid- dent at putting it through its paces, come rain or shine.
ering how wide it goes.
Offering a field of view of 110 degrees, this lens is wide and is sharp even in the corners at
Featuring Canon’s USM (UltraSonic Motor), the autofocus is as good as it gets with a manual 15mm. There is a small amount of barrel distortion, which is expected, but chromatic aberra-
over ride if you’re that way inclined. tion is poorly controlled, so you will need to correct that in post production.

As would be expected of Canon’s L line up, it is built like a tank, featuring both water and dust The one drawback of this lens is that it will also put you through your paces. Coming in at a
resistance. So if you do get caught out in the rain on your next architecture photography job, whopping 1.1kg, you’re going to feel it by the end of the day. However, that is the price you
you know your lens can handle it. have to pay for the huge amount of glass needed for the constant f2.8 aperture and the 18
elements which are arranged in 13 groups.
Canon also offers an even wider option, which is the EF 11-24mm f4/L USM. This is so wide on
a full frame camera, though, that you will have to wear shoes which match the floor, as there That’s enough glass to build yourself a very small greenhouse!
is a good chance they will be in the shot.

TOKI-
NA AT-X At the “budget” end of our spectrum is Tokina’s offering. I use the term budget loosely, as it

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NIKON
10

16-28MM
NIKKOR Nikon’s wide angle lens features 17 elements in 12 groups and features a SWM (Silent Wave F2.8 PRO currently comes in at just over £500, but this is under a quarter of what a new Canon or Nikon
AF-S
16-35MM Motor) focusing system, as well as full manual. equivalent would cost you and can always be picked up cheaper second hand.
F/4G ED VR
It is only an f4 lens compared to the maximum aperture of f2.8 on the Canon lens but does This lens offers an f2.8 aperture with 15 elements in 13 groups, bringing it in at a massive
feature inbuilt VR (Vibration Reduction), which Nikon claims offers slower shutter speeds of up 950g weight tag, so imagine an expensive bag of sugar attached to the front of your camera.
to 2.5 stops. Not a huge deal if you’re mounted on a tripod all the time, but if architecture isn’t
The Tokina offers a DC autofocus motor as well as a GMR (Giant Magnetoresistance) module,
the only thing you’re going to be pointing this lens at, this could be something worth going for.
which, apart from sounding like it’s straight from the deck of the Star Trek Enterprise, basi-
Again, Nikon does offer a slightly wider 14-24mm f2.8G ED option in their lineup, but it offers cally means improve autofocus. It also features a patented one-touch focus clutch, which is a
no ability to directly mount filters to the lens, which for architecture photography, in my eyes push-pull mechanism for switching between manual and autofocus modes.
at least, is a bit of a deal breaker.
The lens does suffers significantly from barrel distortion at 16mm, which can be corrected
in post, and is also fairly soft in the corners throughout the whole range of apertures, but is
SONY SSony enters the best wide angle lens for architecture party with the largest amount of random very sharp in the centre around f5.6-8.
VARIO-TES-
SAR T* FE words and letters so far but with a lens that is backed with the great heritage of the Zeiss stamp.
16-35MM Perhaps the biggest drawback of this lens is that it doesn’t allow you to mount filters to the
F4 ZA OSS With 12 elements in 10 groups, this lens features less glass than the competition, so comes in lens, as the glass stands proud of the front of the lens. For me, this is a deal breaker. This lens
at only 518g. The glass which is included, though, ensures there is a minimal barrel distortion has been developed more for speed rather than as a dedicated architecture lens, so you will
through the use of a large AA (Advanced Aspherical) elements. It also minimises colour aber- need to weigh up where you’re getting the majority of your work and also if the price point
ration with three ED (Extra-low Dispersions) glass elements too. can get you through the drawbacks of this lens.

Unlike the Canon and Nikon offers, which both have 9 aperture blades, the Sony only features
7 which will produce a harsher bokeh pattern. Not a deal breaker if you’re just shooting archi-
tecture and staying in that lovely safe f8-11 area, but as an all round lens it could influence
your decision.

This lens has been made purely to create the sharpest and best technical image and cuts out
all the other bells and whistles.

Equipped with Optical SteadyShot (image stabilisations) and an f4 aperture, the Sony lens is
dust and (only) moisture resistant, so if you’re planning to use it in the pouring rain be aware
it doesn’t have the same protection as the other lenses in this line-up.

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 BEST STANDARD ZOOM LENSES FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Now you have your wide angle lens sorted, it’s time to look at the options for zoom lenses.
TAM- 17 elements in 12 groups brings this lens in at 900g. This includes 2 XR (Extra Refractive Index
RON SP
24-70MM elements, 3 LD (Low Dispersion) elements, 3 GM (Glass-Molded) and one hybrid aspherical
CANON EF F2.8 DI VC
24-70MM This lens is a beast. Featuring 18 elements in 13 groups, with three aspherical elements, two UD lens element. According to Tamron, this minimizes axial chromatic aberrations, transverse
USD G2
F2.8L II
USM (Ultra-low Dispersion) elements and one “Super” UD element, this lens is built for image quality. chromatic aberrations, spherical aberrations and distortion.

With an aperture of f2.8 and 9 aperture blades, meaning it is also capable of some gorgeous, If you’re not all aberrationed out by now, then this lens also offers a best in class VC system.
buttery smooth bokeh.
Offering a massive 5 stops of stabilisation and a USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) to give silent
Being an L series lens, it is built to last. With dust and weather resistance built in, it will probably autofocus, it isn’t quite as fast as the Nikon or Canon offering, but we’re really trying to pick
outlast you if looked after well. But with a price tag just shy of £1400, you may well expect it to. faults here. It is also weather sealed and incredibly sharp throughout.

The one drawback of this lens is it lacks any form of image stabilisation, if you’re shooting in To top it all off, the Tamron comes in at under half the price of the big three, so if you’re not
low light or think you’ll be using slow shutter speeds without a tripod under you, then bear brand loyal and the minimal difference in auto-focus won’t matter to you, then this could be
this in mind, as image stabilisation is offered in our remaining four lenses. the best standard zoom lens for you.

Canon does offer a cheaper 24-105mm f/4L IS ii USM lens which offers image stabilisation and
gives you a few more mm on the telephoto end, but it doesn’t come close to the image quality SIGMA
24-70MM Described by Sigma as a “modern workhorse”, this lens is part of their Art series of lenses
of the 24-70mm. As always, it’s a constant fight between cost and use. F2.8 DG OS
HSM which Sigma promotes as its higher end option.
NIKON
AF-S Nikon’s 24-70 features a whopping 20 elements in 16 groups, including two ED (Extra-low Dis- Equipped with 19 elements in 14 groups and weighing in at just over a kilogram, it is a solid

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NIKKOR
24-70MM persion), three aspherical pieces of glass, one aspherical ED glass and one HRI (High Refractive lens and the build quality is right up there with the other mainstream manufacturers.
F2.8E ED Index) elements. In basic terms, that’s a heck of a lot of glass combining to create exceptional
VR The HSM offers super fast autofocus and OS offers 4 stops of stabilisation, which is in line with
image quality which Nikon has become to be associated with.
both of the offerings from Nikon and Sony.
This lens keeps on giving, with Nikon’s VR (vibration reduction) which provides an effective
Where it is slightly let down, and for many this is perhaps the most important reason for buy-
equivalent to a shutter speed which is 4 stops faster. If you think you may be shooting a lot in
ing a lens, is the image quality, which doesn’t quite match the others in the list and is visibly
low light situations, then this may be the lens for you.
softer in the corners throughout the aperture range.
It does weigh in at just over a kilogram and comes in at nearly two grand, but it is a serious
piece of kit.

If you own a Nikon body and want the best standard zoom lens for your interior photography,
then look no further.

SONY FE With a name like G Master, this lens better bring something big to the table.
24-70MM
F2.8 GM
Thankfully, it manages to get most of the way there. Featuring an XA (Extreme Aspherical) lens
as well as two aspherical lenses and one ED and one Super ED glass. So, much like its wide
angle counterpart, this lens is built purely for image quality, which is not a bad thing at all.

It comes equipped with Sony’s DDSSM (Direct Drive Super Sonic Motor) which makes the auto
focus lightning fast, as well as a focus mode switch, focus hold and zoom lock to give you com-
plete creative control of focus with this lens.

As you would expect though, the quality costs. Coming it in at just shy of £2300 at the time of
writing this, this is our most expensive lens.

If that price tag makes you cover your wallet in a protective fashion then you can pick up a
Vario-Tessar T* 24-70mm for around half the price, which features a constant f4 aperture.

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 THE BEST TRIPOD FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Here are five helpful reasons to make your decision on the best tripod for architecture photogra- HOW TO CHOOSE A TRIPOD FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
phy, as well as a roundup of the five best tripod legs and tripod heads available for architecture
Before getting a tripod it is important to understand that many are unique to a certain style of
photography today.
photography.
KEEP YOUR CAMERA POSITION CONSTANT
In order to get the best tripod for architecture photography it’s wise to have a little think about
Mounting your camera on a tripod allows you to keep your camera in the same place. Architec- which of the following points are most beneficial to you and your style of working:
tural photography can need a lot of patience and can involve a lot of waiting for the lighting to be
TRIPOD WEIGHT
right or people to walk out of a scene..
It’s important to get a set of legs which can support at least 1.5 times more than your maximum
This is great if you have something like a CamRanger so you can use live view to walk around while
payload.
your camera stays put.
This will, in most cases, mean you have to get tripod legs heavier than you had anticipated, which
IMAGE QUALITY
can be counteracted by using legs made of carbon to save on weight. This will also save your back
Using a tripod gives you the option of using a lower iso to achieve better image quality as well as if you’re having to walk around a lot.
slowing your shutter speed to use a higher aperture and get a sharper image.
TRIPOD HEIGHT
Having a tripod allows you to eliminate any camera shake when using a longer shutter speed by
The maximum height a tripod will go to will differ massively between certain models.
removing all element of human contact. Using a remote and setting your camera on a timer will
ensure your camera is perfectly still when the shutter fires. If possible, get the tallest set you can – this will give you more possibilities if you ever need to go
that little bit higher.
HDR FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

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It’s much easier to get a smaller set of step ladders to get up to the height of your tripod than try
Having your camera position set is also great for trying out techniques like photo stacking or HDR,
and balance your tripod on top of some boxes to try and get that extra bit of height you need (we
whereby you take multiple images and then use the correct exposure from each to produce the
have all been there).
final image.
TRIPOD TOUGHNESS
USING YOU TRIPOD FOR LOW LIGHT SCENES
The last thing to look out for is how long your tripod is going to last.
We’re not always in control of the lighting especially for architecture photography where you’re
reliant on the weather a lot of the time. If looked after, a tripod should outlive your photographic career. So, although it may look like an
expensive purchase now, if you balance that out over thirty plus years it suddenly becomes a very
Having a tripod there which allows you to dramatically slow your shutter speed while still keep an
small investment.
aperture which allows you to keep all of the scene sharp is imperative to architecture photography.
For certain projects you may need the scene to be dark i.e. if you’re shooting in the evening or at
night where you require the exposure between any artificial lighting and the building to be bal-
anced out..
USING PANORAMIC IMAGES IN YOUR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Mounting your camera on a tripod also gives you the option, if you don’t have a lens which is quite
wide enough or just if the situation calls for it, to stitch multiple images together and create a pan-
oramic image or combine multiple images to create a scene which is far more detailed, similar to
the sensor shift capabilities on many medium format backs.

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 BEST TRIPOD LEGS FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY BEST TRIPOD HEAD FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Tripod heads are an integral part of your tripod but can be a confusing area the first time you
MAN- As well as sporting a really catchy name, this three section, carbon fibre tripod is capable of begin to look into them. Here’s a short introduction into the thee main different types you may
FROTTO
MT055CX- safely holding 9kg of kit. Weighing only 2kg with no head, and a closed length of just 60cm comes across:
PRO3
it’s a great choice if you are looking to travel fast and light while still keep some rigidity and
PAN AND TILT TRIPOD HEAD
the ability to carry a heavy load.
This is the most common type of tripod you will come across and is also sometimes called a three-
It doesn’t come cheap, at around £400, but for a carbon fibre tripod offering all of the above
way head. It offers movement in both the horizontal and vertical axis via single handles which
it’s a great purchase.
control the movement.
BALL HEAD
3 LEGGED
THING This tripod is British made and like its name suggests it appears that Winston Churchill had
WINSTON A ball head differs from a pan and tilt by only having one handle compared to three. By loosening
a hand in the robust design.
the handle, you can move the head around in all three axis at once, making it quicker to work with
Weighing just 1.75kg, this is the lightest tripod here and is also capable of holding an insane but also a lot less accurate if you’re working to a matter of degrees.
40kg, making it one of the strongest carbon fibre tripods in the world.
GIMBAL HEAD
It features three leg sections capable of extending the tripod up to 185 cm and collapsing down
These are traditionally made for longer lenses to keep the lens stable as it is moved around, but
to 60cm, meaning it’s incredibly portable too.
are increasingly being developed for other applications such as panoramas as they allow you to
One of the best things about this tripod is surprisingly the price. Coming in at under £400, it keep the centre of the camera over the top of the tripod.
offers serious bang for your buck.
Now we have a basic understanding of what each kind of tripod head does, let’s dive into five of

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the best tripod heads for architecture photography:

MAN- With a name like “Super Professional”, you know this is going to be good!
FROTTO Mounting your camera on a tripod also gives you the option, if you don’t have a lens which is quite
161MK2B
“SUPER It is marketed as a studio tripod, which means, not only will it hurt your wallet, it will hurt your wide enough or just if the situation calls for it, to stitch multiple images together and create a pan-
PROFES-
SIONAL”
back too. Weighing 9kg and only collapsing down to 105cm, this tripod isn’t built for trekking oramic image or combine multiple images to create a scene which is far more detailed, similar to
around on a long shoot. What it is built for is keeping your camera rock solid and it can hold the sensor shift capabilities on many medium format backs.
unto 20kg of equipment without breaking a sweat.

The great benefit of this tripod, and where all the weight comes from, is the fact that it can REALLY
RIGHT Possibly the best ball head on the market, it does come at a premium price, and, depending on
extend all the way unto 267cm with the centre column fully extended so you’re probably going STUFF
BH-55 which which setup you want to purchase, can set you back anything between £400 and £600.
to want to purchase a ladder with it too.
For that, you do get you a ball head which is roughly the size of a giant’s fist, weighs under a
kilogram (depending on which setup you get) and is capable of holding 23kg of kit. What makes
REALLY Another carbon fibre offering, this time from US company Really Right Stuff. Weighing just
RIGHT this ball head really great and included on the list is it features a friction knob which allows
STUFF TFC- 1926kg and capable of holding 23kg, this is a serious piece of kit.
33 MK2 you to control the amount of friction the head applies to the ball and allows for fairly precise
The drawback of all this weight saving is, even when full extended, you’re only going to be positioning of you camera, without the fear of it sagging when you let go of the ball head.
149cm off the ground, so you’re probably going to need to lean down to look through the
A panning base also makes it great for getting panoramic shots or stitching together wider shots.
viewfinder if using this one!
Manufactured from solid aircraft grad aluminium means the head and capable of holding
23kg of camera.
GITZO SYS- Gitzo’s series 5 giant offers 6 leg sections capable of extending to 278cm, offering the tallest
TEMATIC,
SERIES 5 6-section carbon fibre tripod on the market today, it can also go all the way down to just 10cm
GIANT
from the ground so gives you a massive amount of creative freedom while still being able to ARCA
SWISS C1 This is the grand-daddy of all architectural interior photography heads and allows unrivalled
handle 40kg of camera equipment. CUBE GP
precision. It does this through calibrated, geared mechanisms which are operated by thumb
This is a heavy tripod. Even in carbon fibre, it still comes in at 3560g and if you’re not put off dials on each side of the head which give you control down to single degrees of movement in
by that then the £1300 price tag may do the trick.. all directions.

The cube is made with a full metal anodized body and weighs in at just over a kilogram, which
depending on which you go for, could be as heavy as your tripod legs. But being capable of oper-
ating with over 40g of camera equipment fitted, this tripod head is never going to let you down.

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 BEST TRIPOD HEAD FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

MANFROT- The Manfrotto 410 geared head is marketed as a prosumer tripod head, giving you geared
TO 410
JUNIOR adjustments on all three axis, allowing you to get incredibly accurate positioning of your cam-
GEARED
era through micrometric knobs.
HEAD

Aluminium construction and the simple size of the quick release plates (RC4) that this head
comes with means it isn’t the lightest, coming in at 1220g, but for that weight it allows you
to “safely” carry up to 5kg of camera equipment. That’s roughly the weight of 3 Canon 1DXs,
so unless you’re shooting large format it’s very doubtful you’re ever going to put this tripod
head under much stress.

MANFROT-
TO 405 Manfrotto also offers a larger 405 geared head which is squarely aimed at the professional
GEARED
HEAD market. It’s capable of holding 7.5kg of kit, compared to the 5kg of the 410. The weight of the
head is increased by just shy of 400g to make this possible though, so if you are carrying this
round all day, take that into consideration.

It also feels quite a bit more rigid than the 410, probably due to the increase in material size
used to manufacture the head.

They both take the RC4 quick release plate to fasten your camera to the tripod, but 405 also

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has bubble levels on all three axis giving you confidence that your camera is completely level
before you start shooting. The 405 also has slightly redesigned knobs, which also reduce the
degree of rotation for each full turn of the handle down from 7.2 degrees to 6.5, so if that 0.7
degrees really matters to you then is the head for you

MANFROT- If you’re looking for the control of a geared head but don’t fancy the price tag of the 405 or
TO 460MG
3D­ the 410 then the 460MG 3D may be the tripod head for you. Coming in at just over £80, this is
a great budget entry into a 3 way tripod head.

Cast from magnesium, this tripod head is light, coming in at only 430 grams, but this comes
with the drawback that it is only capable of holding 3kg of camera equipment. It also doesn’t
offer the fine adjustments which the slightly more expensive heads can give you, so if you’re
a stickler for getting everything exactly straight in camera you may need to wrestle with this
a little bit to get what you want

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 LIGHTING FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
BEST LIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Lighting may not be something you instantly think about when thinking about architecture pho-
PROFOTO If you’ve got a bit of money to burn then take a look at the Profoto lineup. The B2 now offers
tography but for small projects and lighting up specific areas it can be key. B2
TTL and HSS shooting, offering shutter speeds of up to 1/15000th of a second!
This guide will give you a basic outline of the various different lighting techniques for the architec-
This kit is also super small so it’s really easy to use if you’re on your own. You can just sling it
ture photographer and also gives you some little tips to get you started.
over your shoulder and away you go.
ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY WITH NATURAL LIGHT
The downside of this is it only offers around 215 flashes on a full charge, meaning if you’re
The easiest and most obvious place to start with lighting your architecture photography is just going to be shooting all day, you either better nail your exposure every time or be prepared
using available natural light. to buy a couple more battery packs.

This comes with a number of benefits, first, and probably most important if you’re just starting Profoto also offers the B1X system where the battery is built into the head. This offers TTL and
out, is that it’s free! HSS as well as 325 full power flashes but will set you back around £1700 per head.

You don’t need any extra equipment to get started and in most cases you can just rock up with
your camera, tripod and lens and away you go, ELB
The Elinchrom system offers a bit more power at 424W, compared to the Profoto’s 250W which
But the problem with natural light is that you can’t control it. If you only have a very short window really comes in handy and also gives you 350 flashes from a full charge, but is 25% heavier and
in which to shoot a property and the sun just isn’t shining or is at the wrong side of the property doesn’t offer TTL metering on the basic kit.
then you will either have to try and make do with the natural light available or go to the dark side.
The Elinchrom kit also has a range of different flash heads which you can buy either in a kit or
THE BEST PORTABLE FLASH FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY as individual heads to add to your existing setup to increase the kinds of photography which
you can do.

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The quickest way of counteracting the drawbacks of using natural lighting is by introducing some
artificial light into your scene. Pro Head

There are some great portable kits around at the moment that allow you to take the functionality This a head for general photography offering a good balance of power to flash speed duration
and power of a studio based flash setup out into the field.
Action Head
Some of the most popular today are:
This head is perfect if you’re shooting fast moving objects as its fast flash duration helps to
freeze motion.

HS Head

The HS head is specially for hi-sync photography, allowing you to sync at shutter speeds up to
1/8000th of a second with the additional EL-Skyport Transmitter Plus HS.

This a great if you already have an existing Quadra battery, as you can just add new heads as
you need them for far cheaper than having to buy a full kit.

GODOX Available in two power options – 180 and 360W – the Godox system is a cheaper alternative to
WISTRO
most mainstream flash systems. Offering 450 flashes on the 360W version for just shy of £400
seems like a great deal, but the drawback comes from the reliability of this flash unit. If you’re
working somewhere where colour constancy is important, this pack probably isn’t for you.

With a rating of +/- 200 kelvin shift this could be a deal breaker – pair that with the cheaper
plastic construction and you begin to see where the money is being saved. That being said,
if you’re looking for a quick and cheap way to get into flash photography they’re definitely
worth a look.

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 BEST SPEED LIGHT FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

USING YOUR SPEED LIGHT FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

CANON This is the flagship flashgun in the Canon lineup and offers a guide number of 60, making it
If you already have some speed light flashes lying around then they are a great place to start with 600EX
II-RT one of the most powerful flash guns available and offers a zoom range of 24-200mm so will
your architecture photography lighting, as it won’t cost you anything to get practising.
cover most situations you are put in.
One of the biggest benefits of flashguns is they are usually powered by the humble AA battery.
As would be expected from Canon, the build quality is amazing and it is completely weather
This means unlike the external power packs of studio lighting ,which need a plug to recharge, you
sealed, meaning you really can put it through its paces and it will come out of the other side
can just keep replacing the batteries and shooting all day long.
smiling. It also offers HSS mode and an RF (radio frequency) mode for syncing multiple flashes
If you are new to the market of flash guns, there are loads of options available with the big names together without needing to buy multiple triggers.
offering their own brand speed lights as well as some third party manufacturers offering great
CANON The robots are coming.
alternatives too. 470EX-AI
This flashgun features an “AI bounce” mode, compatible with cameras launched after the
It’s important to know that you won’t be able to get anywhere near the same amount of power
second half of July 2014, which works by firing two pre-flashes and then self adjusting to cal-
from a speed light as you would from a portable studio flash and, just to complicated everything,
culate the optimum bounce angle.
where as portable flash is measured in watts, flashguns use a guide number which is worked out
by multiplying the subject distance from the source of the flash by your fstop i.e. A flashgun with That may seem like a great idea but it comes at the cost of other desired features, such as
the guide number of 20 in metres, (64 in feet), at ISO 100, with a subject at a distance of 2.5 metres, the RF feature of the 600EX meaning you need some way to trigger the flash off camera and
(8 feet), would give an answer of ƒ8, (Guide Number 20 ÷ 2.5 Meters = ƒ8). it can’t function as a master flash to trigger others.

This may seem complicated (and only gets worse when you’re bouncing flash off walls) but there It does come with a respectable guide number of 47, but it can burn through batteries, with
are accessories and apps out there which can help you work it out and as you get more confident Canon giving it a very wide “115 to 800” shots on a set of 4 AA batteries.

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you will be able to work this out on the fly fairly easily.
NIKON Nikon’s high-end offering comes in with a guide number of 55 and offers HSS, the ability to
SB-5000
For the purpose of the below, all the guide numbers are shown at 100iso at their maximum zoom. programme repeatable flash patterns as well as a slightly dumbed down RF system as it’s
only fitted with a receiver and not a transmitter. It does also have the ability to work as a
As flashguns are a lot less powerful than a portable studio flash, it means you’re probably going
wireless master, allowing it to trigger other flashes which comes in handy if you’re having to
to need multiples of them if you’re looking to get the shot right in camera or you’re going to need
using multiple flashguns.
to use your flashgun to light specific parts of the image and then combine them all in post-pro-
duction afterwards. Doing it this way is fine and gives you great control over where you can add It does feature a zoom range of 24-200mm so can be used for a wide range of photographic
and remove light later on. activities outside of using it to light your interior scenes. If you are using it for other genres
then one great thing about the speed light is the ability to rapid-fire off over 100 continuous
Also, if you are hoping to use a speed light for your architecture photography and your camera
shots at full power, meaning you’re never going to miss that important shot.
doesn’t have an inbuilt system for controlling external flash guns, you will need to purchase a
wireless trigger system, such as the Pocket Wizard range. NIKON
SB-700 The baby brother of the SB-5000 only features a guide number of 38, which will probably leave
So if you’re not already put off from using your speed light, here are a few different models to give you wanting more. However, it is packed with other features, which if interior photograph
you an idea of what is available. isn’t your main source of income, may turn your head.

It features a zoom range of 24-120mm so you should be covered in most situations, has HSS
and RC modes built-in and also is able to function as a master as well as a slave for firing oth-
er flashes, which could come in really handy if you have some older flashguns but don’t want
to have to pay the extra price of the SB-5000 just for the ability to trigger your other flashes.

METZ TMetz has been a great third party manufacturer of flashguns for years and this beast fea-
MECA-
BLITZ 64 tures a guide number of 64.
AF-1
What is different about this flashing is it also features a secondary sub-flash module, which
helps to get a nice even light by providing a fill flash, not important for interior photography
but great if you’re shooting something else on the side too.

It has a zoom range of 24-200mm and features HSS, RC and repeat flash modes as well as the
ability to work as both a master and slave for syncing other flashguns together.

Where this speed light does suffer is the recharge time could leave you wanting a bit more.
On full power you’re waiting 3.4 seconds if using NiMH batteries.
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 ACCESSORIES FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

HOT SHOE This is a great little gadget which slots straight into the hot shoe on your camera and is a must
BUBBLE
LEVEL if your tripod doesn’t have bubble levels to ensure that your camera is level.

There is nothing worse than starting an edit on some images only to realise that all your ver-
tical lines aren’t straight.

Having this on your camera could save you ages in post-production.

NEUTRAL
DENSITY Neutral density filters come in a range of different options to suit most problems you will
FILTER
come across in your architecture photography.

There are two main types – a solid neutral density filter will apply the same amount of light
filtration i.e. 1 stop across the whole image or you can choose a graduated filter which will
only apply the filtration to a certain part of the image, which is usually graduated from the
top to the bottom.

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POLARIS- A polarising filter would always be in my bag for an architectural shoot. It blocks polarised
ING FILTER
light (light travelling in a single plane) from coming into your lens.

They’re great for cutting out unwanted reflected light and haze in a subject, creating a really
crisp image which is rich in colour and contrast.

CABLE A cable or trigger release is a really cheap and handy way to trigger your camera without
RELEASE
touching it.

If you’re using long exposures, which is highly likely with architectural photography, and your
camera is on a tripod then every little movement you make will affect how stable the tripod
is and decrease your image quality.

CAM Architecture photography is often a game of patience and you can sometimes spend hours
RANGER
after you have got your camera in position just waiting for the light to change or moving props
around the frame looking for that perfect picture.

Using a Cam Ranger allows you to use the live view on your camera through your tablet or
phone, so you don’t have to go back to the camera to check how things look. This not only saves
you time but also gives you a larger screen to work with and helps people act more relaxed
around the camera if you’re not constantly having to look through it.

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 EDITING SOFTWARE FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY

1
Once you have shot all your amazing interior photography using our equipment guides you will ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

need some way to edit and catalogue all of your images. There are only a handful of options for
editing software for interior photography out there, so thankfully most of the choices are already
made for you.
1. ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

Photoshop has become that synonymous with image editing since its conception in 1987 that it’s now even classed
as a verb.

(And it’s used far too often on set as a way of somebody dodging putting in the effort, “can you just photoshop that out”.)

It’s a must-have if you intend on doing any form of editing to your images. From simple spot clean ups to full on image
compositing, Photoshop is the unrivalled king of the editing world.

There is also an open source program called GIMP which offers some of Photoshop’s functionality without the price tag,
but if you want to say, out loud, on set, to your client that you’re just going to drop their image into GIMP, be my guest.

2. ADOBE LIGHTROOM
2
Carrying on Adobe’s domination of the editing software suite, Lightroom is a great cataloguing tool which offers a host ADOBE LIGHTROOM

of basic to intermediate editing functions too.

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The main reason you will be using programs such as Lightroom is their ability to develop RAW files from your camera
with a huge degree of consistency. This gives you control of every last detail within your image, as well as the option
to file all your images in one place, which can be shared via the cloud across all your devices.

Lightroom offers all of the basic editing tools you would expect to receive, such as exposure, contrast, the ability to
change the temperature of your shot, crop, rotate etc etc as well as some more advanced tools such as dust removal
and keystone correction, which are vital for interior photography.

The reason you still need to use Photoshop is when you want to go deeper in to your images and involve multiple layers
and composting techniques to really bring your interior photography to life.

If you have purchased Photoshop on Adobe’s subscription model then Lightroom comes packaged with it, so is a great
way to catalogue your images and get a semi-decent editing tool to boot for free.

3. CAPTURE ONE
3
Phase One is holding back the tide with its own software which is pretty much the industry standard for professional
CAPTURE ONE
photography studios now.

If you shoot tethered then Capture One is the best choice. It is head and shoulders above Lightroom in terms of speed
– when you’re on set, you don’t want to be standing around waiting for your images to come through. Even with some-
thing as slow as interiors, if you’re waiting 5-10 seconds for each image to come through by the end of the day and 300
shots later you will have lost nearly an hour just waiting for your software to catch up to you.

Capture One is also a definite step above Lightroom in terms of the tools it offers and if you class yourself firmly in the
amateur camp then it may be too much for what you need. With features such as layers and the ability to set your own
LCC profile, it really is targeted at the professional market which wants to get as much right as close to the camera as
possible and save vital time having to open their files in Photoshop.

If you own a Phase One or Sony camera then you can currently get this software for free, otherwise it will set you back
€20 a month.

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 BOOKS FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
1
1
PROFESSIONAL BOOKS FOR INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY
ARCHITECTURAL
PHOTOGRAPHY
Learning is earning and reading books on any subject is a great way to improve in that area.

MICHAEL HARRIS I’ve compiled a list of my five favourite books for architecture, which are guaranteed to get you inspired!

1. PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY - MICHAEL HARRIS

This book is a great starting point and can now be picked up for just a few pounds on Amazon, which is even better!

It’s packed full of images and an accompanying history of architectural photography which really help you to under-
stand some of the technical considerations which the book then goes into.

It is perhaps a little out of date now, concentrating too much on the pros\cons of digital V film but the basics are pretty
2
much the same.
SHOOTING SPACE:
ARCHITECTURE IN
CONTEMPORARY 2. SHOOTING SPACE: ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY
- ELIAS REDSTONE, PEDRO GADANHO AND KATE BUSH

ELIAS REDSTONE, If you’re looking for a good coffee table book, then this could be the one for you. It follows a number of photographers
PEDRO GADANHO
AND KATE BUSH as they shoot different spaces and concentrates more on the artistic application of knowledge rather than technically
perfect imagery.

It’s separated into five chapters: covering collaborations between photographer and architect, global urbanization,
alterations to the natural landscape, reappraised Modernist icons, and imagined environments, each of which is gor-

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3
geously illustrated along with accompanying text telling you a little more about the images.
ARCHITECTURAL
2 PHOTOGRAPHY:
COMPOSITION, CAP- 3. ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY: COMPOSITION, CAPTURE,
TURE AND DIGITAL
3 4
IMAGE PROCESSING
AND DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING - ADRIAN SCHULZ

The author, Adrian Schulz, is a qualified architect and it shows, this is probably my go to book if I was to recommend
ADRIAN SCHULZ
only one book for architecture photography.

It’s a step-by-step guide through everything architectural photography, whether you’re an ameteur or have been a
professional photographer for years, you’re guaranteed to find something ne win this book.

The latest edition, released in 2015 has been updated to including a hefty section on the developments in architectural
4
photography such as current cameras (as of time of printing) and photoshop.
PHOTOGRAPHING
BUILDINGS INSIDE
AND OUT 4. PHOTOGRAPHING BUILDINGS INSIDE AND OUT - NORMAN MCGRATH

This book was written pre-digital photography but it’s still a classic in the field.
NORMAN MCGRATH
It covers everything from pre-planning your shoot right through to the event and goes into meticulous detail on aspects
of architectural photography which you may not have thought about previously.

Don’t expect it to be a step by step guide on how to achieve perfect images every time but it will give you a handful of
tips and tricks which will help you in your architectural photography career.

4. PHOTOGRAPHING ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS - JULIUS SHULMAN

This is a great book for looking inside the mind of an architectural photographer.
5

PHOTOGRAPHING It will give you a good outline of the fundamentals of architecture photography which have stood the test of time. Sad-
ARCHITECTURE AND
INTERIORS ly the author has now passed away and much of the book is still dedicated to analogue photography but if you don’t
mind applying some of the theory on film temperatures into your white balance application then there are some great
JULIUS SHULMAN little nuggets to dig out of this book.

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 SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

The first thing to remember is that social media is for socialising and like any friendship it can take Concentrate on your target audience and spend 80% of your time searching them out and interact-
a while to grow. If you’re expecting it to bring you a full diary of work within the first few weeks, ing with them in a way which they will understand. Spend some time really getting to know your
then I can also suggest you some pyramid schemes to get involved with. potential clients. Going as far as writing down your ideal client i.e. mid-thirties (same age as you),
mother of one (you can talk about your kids), likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain (in
You really need to put the time in and create genuine connections with those in your social media
case you run out of baby stories), so you can always refer back to it and make sure you’re on track.
circles, it doesn’t matter if that’s via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Nobody is going to buy from
What are their concerns or “pain point” and what can you offer them which is going help them?
you just on the basis of you regularly (or un-regularly as the case maybe) posting new work and
This doesn’t have to be directly related to your architecture photography at first but if you’re avail-
hoping for the best. In fact, if you are just posting work and not giving anything back your follower
able to help somebody when they need it, you will be growing the know, like and trust side of your
count may start moving back towards that zero mark.
relationship and they will come back to you when they need your services.
Secondly, remember that nobody likes to be sold to. People don’t go onto Instagram or Facebook
As I mentioned before, social media needs to be social, so it’s important you aren’t just using it
to purchase your photography, especially something as niche as architecture photography, they
in a professional capacity. If you want to look corporate you’re better off taking out an advert in
go on there to look at pretty pictures of cats and their friends’ babies. Outside of this, you are on
the paper. Make good use of platforms such as Instagram’s stories feature, using this great little
the periphery and it’s your job to stay there so that when they do need your services or hear of
guide from Hootsuite here to show your audience was you are up to on a day to day basis.
somebody who does they can remember you exist. If you’re blatantly in their face screaming “BUY
ME!” all of the time, they will quickly hit that unfollow button. Everybody is used to seeing a polished final product of everybody’s life now so it’s important to
show behind the scenes of what really goes into making your photography. This shows potential
Finally, and this one may hurt but nobody cares about your business or what you’re trying to sell
clients how you work and helps build a layer of trust which wouldn’t otherwise be there. It shows
them until they have a need for it, not your potential customer and certainly not Facebook or
everybody you’re a real person and not just a robot capable of pumping out great architecture

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Instagram.
photography.
Social media is over saturated with content right now and according to HubSpot your organic reach
Also, use analytics to your advantage but don’t over obsess! Most of the large platforms now offer
is only 2% of your entire market, i.e. if you have 100 followers, only 2 of those followers you spent
great analytic tools, so you can track how people are interacting with your content, showing you
months getting on board are actually going to see what you post. The social media platforms want
how many likes, follow, comments etc etc you have received at any given time. This gives you
you to spend money on paid advertising so will drive down your organic reach to make it appear
a real insight into what your audience likes and can help you tailor content specifically for that
like you have to spend money to be getting any results.
platforms but it’s important to stay true to your company’s beliefs and the way you want to grow
This is a bit of a double edged sword as far as having a niche business on social media like architec- the business. Just because you posted a picture of your dog on the set which got 120x more likes
ture photography is considered. It is great to have thousands of followers and it does add a certain than your previous picture, doesn’t mean every picture from now on should a picture of your dog
amount of credibility to your work when you’re approaching potential clients if they research you on the set.
and find you have a massive social following, this can get you a job in of itself.
However, I would rather have 20 really engaged followers over 1000 followers who never interact-
ed any day of the week. At least then you know your work is resonating with somebody and they
are making a genuine effort to take the time to sit and write something back to you.
HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s important to get a solid social media strategy in place to help you achieve your goals, as only
you will know where you want it to take you. Is it brand awareness, customer services or simply a
way of getting a quick dopamine hit from seeing that tiny red heart float up the screen?
How much time are you able or willing to give to social media?
If you can only spend ten minutes a week posting, then it’s probably best to devote your time to
one platform and give that your undivided attention rather than spread yourself too thinly and
weaken your message. If you can spend ten minutes a day or hop on and off your phone through-
out the day then you’re going to be in a much better place in terms of growing your architecture
photography brand through social media.

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 FACEBOOK FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Even with all the recent negative press, Facebook is still the big gun when it comes to social media.
With an estimated 2.07 billion monthly active users, having a presence here could make or break
your company.
However, as mentioned before it’s not how big it is that matters, it’s what you’re doing with it.
Users don’t come to Facebook to be sold to, but this can work in your favour as if you pitch your
content correctly, they will be far more receptive to engaging with your brand.
Extend your reach on Facebook by posing questions to your audience, alongside your architec-
ture photography and other related content – when they reply, these responses will be seen by
each individual’s network of contacts (regardless of whether they like your page or not), therefore
extending your reach – and potential customer base – with every like, share and comment.
Again, remember not to sell and simply to discover what kind of content motivates your audience
to engage, then allow them to see a little of your personality through the way you engage with
them. You can now post stories to Facebook from your business page, too -so you can utilise this
feature in the same way as you would for Instagram (more on that below).
TWITTER FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Twitter is great if you’re looking to start a conversation. This may seem slightly backwards consid-
ering we’re selling images, but people still buy from people. If you take the time to sit and start a

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conversation with somebody, you’re creating a real connection with that person. It’s far too easy
BEST HASHTAGS FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
to tap like and scroll on by than actually take the time to formulate a response to somebody.
Here’s the bit you all came for, right? The secret sauce which will gain you thousands of followers
Twitter also allows you to start conversations with relevant people in architecture photography,
across all the platforms?
whether that’s with other photographers from all around the globe talking about kit or techniques or
with architects who are looking for some advice, use it to start and join in with these conversations. Well, sorry to disappoint but you will still have to put a little bit of work in, as each platform is
slightly different and some don’t even use them as a searchable function.
USING INSTAGRAM FOR YOUR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS
HASHTAGS FOR YOUR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHS ON FACEBOOK
Instagram is growing day-by-day and for engagement is head and shoulder above the rest.
Hashtags are relatively low key on Facebook but the research shows that posts with 1-2 hashtags
What better way to promote your architecture photography business than a platform which liter-
receive the most interactions.
ally allows you to share images and get real time feedback from all around the globe?
This is great if you’re trying to create a hashtag for yourself to tie all your work together, i.e. I use
Instagram is built to share visual content and it does it wonderfully well. Creating a visually appeal-
#SchoolofSped to tie together all of my marketing advice across my social media, if you want to
ing portfolio on Instagram gives your potential clients the ability to view all your work in one place
learn more about that click here. So people click your hashtag and all your work will come up,
without ever having to visit your website and also gives them a look behind the scenes of your
this is great if people have just come across your work and want to see more of it all in one place
company. Slightly scary, but also hugely successful if you can find the right balance to make it work.
without having to trawl through your page.
Hashtags are massive on Instagram and it’s important to have a good schedule of posting times to
So think of a catchy hashtag for your architecture photography business and drop that in at the
properly harness the power of Instagram and get your images in front of as many people as possible.
end of all your posts.
HOW TO USE PINTEREST FOR YOUR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
HASHTAGS FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY ON TWITTER
Pinterest is built as an image searching platform – think of it as Google images with prettier pic-
Twitter recommends you use no more than 2 hashtags per tweet as best practice, and tweets with
tures, as it’s far more of a search engine than a social media channel.
at least one hashtag are 55% more likely to be retweeted.
It allows users to share images from their portfolio which others will find and add to their own
With only two hashtags to play with, it’s best to go really specific for Twitter:
boards for inspiration. This can create a huge snowball effect and is only reaching your perfect
client as they are specifically searching for what you are offering. #architecture #architecturephotography
It can take a little longer to get to grips with Pinterest, but it is great for driving customers to your These two will give you a good cross section of other photographers or hobbyists searching for
website as every “pin” links back to your website which they can follow. A great benefit for your architecture photography and also give you access to the architects or clients looking for archi-
SEO too! tecture inspiration.
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 WHICH HASHTAGS TO USE ON INSTAGRAM FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Instagram is big on hashtags and allows a whopping thirty hashtags per post, so it’s important to
#architecturephotography
be using all that real estate they give you to get your image in front of as many people as possible.
It’s a great idea to put the majority of these in your first comment rather than the actual post to
hide the fact you’re spamming. There are also benefits to this which you can read more about
#architecturelovers
here if you like.
Having a good mixture of relevant hashtags is a great idea to really niche down on your topic, for
example #architecture has over 107 million posts associated to it, small fish big pond, but #bru-
#architectureporn #archidaily
talistarchitecture has just over 125k – big fish small pond. Again, this needs to be tailored to your
ideal client so do your research first and if it gets really desperate throwing in a couple of #picoft-
heday #instalove #followforfollow will quickly gain you a few extra followers, they may just not
stick around for too long.
#archilovers #architexture
It’s best to start with a good solid base of hashtags which are general, i.e.
#architecturephotography #architecturelovers #architectureporn #archidaily #archilovers #archi-
#lookingup_architecture
texture #lookingup_architecture #archdaily #ic_architecture
And then choose the remaining hashtags to specifically match your content. This way it targets
your specific audience and avoids all your images having the exact same hashtags, which Insta-
#archdaily #ic_architecture #jj_
gram doesn’t like.

architecture #architecturedesign

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For example, if you’re shooting a brutalist building, adding these on the end will get you a really
specifically targeted audience looking for exactly what you’re posting:

#tv_buildings #architectural
#brutalist #brutalism #betonbrut #brutal_architecture #modernist #concrete #modernism

#architectures #archimasters
#rsa_architecture #building
#arquitectura #arkiromantix
PINTEREST AND HASHTAGS FOR ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHERS
#modernarchitecture #buildings
Hashtags aren’t a big deal on Pinterest and in their own guidelines they state using too many can
negatively affect your rankings, but they are still a viable way of searching on the platform. #architecture_hunter #arcblu
Place them in your description and, similarly to Facebook, using unique hashtags and avoiding
frequently used search terms seems to gain the most traction leading other winners back to your
content. #architect #architecturelover
So get that memorable hashtag in your pins and make sure your target market can find you.

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