You are the first american person I see or know that actually pronounces italian words and names correctly. Also, you are very competent and I'm learning a lot from your videos. Thanks!
Is there a way to capitalize on color contrasts/adjacencies in architectural photography? For example, when photographing a blue building, is it best to have a blue sky? Or a late afternoon one?
Hi, Catalina. This is a good question and a situation I've also faced. There are several solutions. When shooting, you can use a polarizing filter, which will darken the sky, but not the building, particularly if you are shooting the building on-axis. You can also make multiple exposures, layering a darker sky with a lighter overall image. And of course, you can photograph early morning and/or late afternoon, depending on the direction of the elevation. The lower sun angle will provide a view with more contrast and a warmer sky. (1) Photoshop has several options. But, you have to select the sky independently of the blue building to effect localized changes. I often use “COLOR RANGE” and the “FUZZINESS” slider to specify the color. If you have clouds, the FUZZINESS slider allows you to exclude them from the selection. Once you select the sky there are these options (there are more, but these are convenient to use): HUE/SATURATION: To darken the sky, go to the blue channel, then use the color picker in the BLUE CHANNEL to specify; then, increase the “saturation” and/or darken the “lightness.” Do the opposite if you wish to lighten the sky. If you do lighten the sky, be sure to carefully burn the corners to frame the overall composition. SELECTIVE COLOR: This allows you to change just the blue channel; you can add “black” to the channel to darken it. Be careful. It's easy to muddy the color. You can also try this with the CYAN channel. (2) You can try to select just the building and perform the above manipulations on the architecture. Be careful of the edges so that you don’t change anything bordering the building. It's easy to make things look "unreal" if you manipulate the colors too much.
Great video, I have learned some new things indeed! Also will try with lowering my wideangle shots, as I tend to set up the camera pretty high, using a tilt/shift lens.
Thanks for stopping by and subscribing! Glad you enjoyed the video. Lowering your camera for your wide-angle photographs will make a significant difference, especially if you are using a 24mm or 17mm lens.
Thank you Steven Brooke for your videos on architecture photography - this is by far the best channel on the topic! I am just now getting into the field and have learned to easily enjoy the slow-paced shooting style in contrast to street photography (not saying that you shouldn't or can not combine both of them). Maybe you can make a video on contemporary architectural photographers that inspire you? Greetings from Germany
Thank you for your kind comments. I hope you'll ask your friends to subscribe. Here is a suggestion for you. From 1986 to about 2005, Architectural Digest employed the finest group of architectural photographers in the world. I was honored to be among them. Paige Rense, the editor in chief, had the highest standards for photography and graphic layout. If you review the magazines from that era you will see truly excellent work.
This is such great information, Steven. It's very useful and interesting to study the work of master painters who put so much thought into their compositions. I have been building an architectural and interiors photography business over the past year, and this very well presented info is so helpful for me. I'm very glad I have found your channel! Thank you - Patrick
Interesting way to look at how to photograph architecture. I never considered how good paintings use the same sort of compositions as good photography.
Thank you for your note, Win. Actually-and hoping not to sound pedantic -I think it’s more accurate to say that good photographers use the same compositional paradigms as the great painters and engravers. The painters and engravers I recommend studying in my book and videos-in addition to being artists of titanic genius-depicted architecture without the kinds of constraints that photography often has to deal with-digital less so than film, of course. But there are still things painters and engravers can do that photographers can’t - or can do only with very involved photoshop manipulation. Thus, their precise handling of compositional elements, masterful control of color and tonality, shadow placement, and even the location of subject matter within the picture frame-Piranesi often manipulated perspective and moved buildings around!- are highly personal, not restricted by any technology, and, consequently, never stereotyped. Their work is truly the apogee of the art.
@@stevenbrookephotography I appreciate the thought, time and effort you put in to your response to me. You are correct; I realized my error and transposition of the words "paintings" and "photography" in my earlier comment, but I did not take the time to edit them. You make great points about the freedoms and the constraints of each. I plan to take a good look at these artists' works. Thank you from your newest subscriber. ~ Lin
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Great video Steve. I really appreciate your drawing the relationships between art history ad architectural photography. Keep them coming!
You are the first american person I see or know that actually pronounces italian words and names correctly. Also, you are very competent and I'm learning a lot from your videos. Thanks!
Tantissima grazie per questo complimento. Cerco di farlo bene.
Thank you Steven for the clear and concise architectural references!
This is absolute gold. Would love to see more videos on how to make architectural composition more painterly.
That is a great thought, Hank, and worthy of more discussion. I will definitely put some thought together for our channel. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video! Its full of very helpful information. Greetings from Chile!
Thanks for the amazing content Steve
You're very welcome, Santi.
This is nice information. I will leave my 14-24mm on for a while and explore. Thank you Steven!
This video is simply amazing! Thanks for this wonderful lesson!!!
Is there a way to capitalize on color contrasts/adjacencies in architectural photography? For example, when photographing a blue building, is it best to have a blue sky? Or a late afternoon one?
Hi, Catalina. This is a good question and a situation I've also faced.
There are several solutions.
When shooting, you can use a polarizing filter, which will darken the sky, but not the building, particularly if you are shooting the building on-axis. You can also make multiple exposures, layering a darker sky with a lighter overall image.
And of course, you can photograph early morning and/or late afternoon, depending on the direction of the elevation. The lower sun angle will provide a view with more contrast and a warmer sky.
(1) Photoshop has several options. But, you have to select the sky independently of the blue building to effect localized changes. I often use “COLOR RANGE” and the “FUZZINESS” slider to specify the color. If you have clouds, the FUZZINESS slider allows you to exclude them from the selection. Once you select the sky there are these options (there are more, but these are convenient to use):
HUE/SATURATION: To darken the sky, go to the blue channel, then use the color picker in the BLUE CHANNEL to specify; then, increase the “saturation” and/or darken the “lightness.” Do the opposite if you wish to lighten the sky. If you do lighten the sky, be sure to carefully burn the corners to frame the overall composition.
SELECTIVE COLOR: This allows you to change just the blue channel; you can add “black” to the channel to darken it. Be careful. It's easy to muddy the color. You can also try this with the CYAN channel.
(2) You can try to select just the building and perform the above manipulations on the architecture. Be careful of the edges so that you don’t change anything bordering the building. It's easy to make things look "unreal" if you manipulate the colors too much.
@@stevenbrookephotography thank you so much for the thorough response, I will definitely put this advice to the test!
Brilliant video! I study photography in college, and up until now, I had never found an interest in historical paintings/engravings, thank you! 🙏
You’re very welcome. Please check out other videos on the channel that discuss other artists that are important for architectural photography.
@@stevenbrookephotography Thank you! Will do. Hope you have a great week!
Great video, I have learned some new things indeed! Also will try with lowering my wideangle shots, as I tend to set up the camera pretty high, using a tilt/shift lens.
Thanks for stopping by and subscribing! Glad you enjoyed the video. Lowering your camera for your wide-angle photographs will make a significant difference, especially if you are using a 24mm or 17mm lens.
Thank you Steven Brooke for your videos on architecture photography - this is by far the best channel on the topic! I am just now getting into the field and have learned to easily enjoy the slow-paced shooting style in contrast to street photography (not saying that you shouldn't or can not combine both of them).
Maybe you can make a video on contemporary architectural photographers that inspire you?
Greetings from Germany
Thank you for your kind comments. I hope you'll ask your friends to subscribe. Here is a suggestion for you. From 1986 to about 2005, Architectural Digest employed the finest group of architectural photographers in the world. I was honored to be among them. Paige Rense, the editor in chief, had the highest standards for photography and graphic layout. If you review the magazines from that era you will see truly excellent work.
Thanks Steven, I'll try to find some old AD's and check out your photography as well. Really looking forward to the upcoming videos on the topic!
This is such great information, Steven. It's very useful and interesting to study the work of master painters who put so much thought into their compositions. I have been building an architectural and interiors photography business over the past year, and this very well presented info is so helpful for me. I'm very glad I have found your channel! Thank you - Patrick
Masterful guidance. I learned a few things here, even though I shoot architecture for living! Thank you.
Interesting way to look at how to photograph architecture. I never considered how good paintings use the same sort of compositions as good photography.
Thank you for your note, Win.
Actually-and hoping not to sound pedantic -I think it’s more accurate to say that good photographers use the same compositional paradigms as the great painters and engravers. The painters and engravers I recommend studying in my book and videos-in addition to being artists of titanic genius-depicted architecture without the kinds of constraints that photography often has to deal with-digital less so than film, of course. But there are still things painters and engravers can do that photographers can’t - or can do only with very involved photoshop manipulation. Thus, their precise handling of compositional elements, masterful control of color and tonality, shadow placement, and even the location of subject matter within the picture frame-Piranesi often manipulated perspective and moved buildings around!- are highly personal, not restricted by any technology, and, consequently, never stereotyped. Their work is truly the apogee of the art.
@@stevenbrookephotography I appreciate the thought, time and effort you put in to your response to me. You are correct; I realized my error and transposition of the words "paintings" and "photography" in my earlier comment, but I did not take the time to edit them. You make great points about the freedoms and the constraints of each. I plan to take a good look at these artists' works. Thank you from your newest subscriber. ~ Lin
great selection. thank you so much.
Thanks for checking out the video. Much more to come.I hope you'll consider subscribing if you haven't yet.
Awesome video! 👏
Thanks. In a few days, I'll be posting a similar video on "5 Artist to Study for Landscape Photography." Check it out when it posts.
@@stevenbrookephotography Oh, that's great. I'll definitely check it out 🙂