The archi-photographical oasis…

Further to my last post on PATTERN AND DECORATION IN ARCHITECTURE here’s a fantastic assortment of images from the archi-photographical oasis flickr group.

Thanks to gherm, archidave, oxfordshire church illustrations, lawrence op, cybergabi, ambidexy, jonwild, and richbos for the great pics - check out their photostreams for more.

Recommended books on Pattern and Decoration in Architecture

The Classical Language of Architecture (World of Art)
Definitive book on classical architecture with great photo’s for style guru’s
The Grammar of Ornament: Colour Plates (Dover Pictorial Archives)
The ultimate book on pattern and decoration in Victorian Architecture
Pugin’s Gothic Ornament (Dover Pictorial Archives)
Great introduction to Gothic decoration by the master of Gothic
Handbook of Ornament
Packed with a visual cornucopia of pattern and decoration
Owen Jones Design Ornament Architecture and Theory
All his key designs with world wide influence
Pattern of English Building
Emphasis on materials, textures, and colours
Visual Encyclopedia of Ornamental Design (PEPIN PRESS DESIGN BOOKS)
Wonderful book full of images of world wide pattern and decoration
Christopher Dresser The People’s Designer
Beautifully illustrated and remarkable story
The Style Sourcebook: The Definitive Visual Directory of Fabrics, Wallpapers, Paints, Flooring, Tiles
Great for interior style, pattern and decoration
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
- excellent images and great for learning about the theory of
architecture. One of my favourites.
The Elements of Style: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail (Mitchell Beazley Art & Design)

- Sumptuous and well referenced covers US and UK styles

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Introduction

Have you ever been in a quandry as to where to start, or what to take with your photographs?

This can be particularly problematic at the start of a project, and especially with a difficult and complex subject.

I have sometimes turned up on a quick-shoot and been completely overwhelmed by the building standing in front of me. Where should I start?

The first thing that I do is to run through my MANTRA, then if I need to get a few decent photograph’s under my belt I start to look for ‘pattern and decoration‘. (For examples, see my photo medley here)

This is a great ’starter’ project, because it focuses your mind on one subject and you can let the building start to ’speak for itself’.

BUT before you pack your camera, it helps to know a little more about this key component of architecture:

Sometimes, I get caught up in the sheer wonderment of pattern and decoration in buildings.

Both are key elements in how a building is expressed to the observer. Without it our buildings would be just mundane backdrops to our lives.

Buildings are decorated in a myriad of ways. Pattern and decoration can reveal the sheer virtuosity of the designer, or encompass the message within the structure. Repetition of a material, or colour or form can enhance and reinforce a message or a feeling. Soft and circular patterns can convey a feeling of grace and comfort, whilst sharp and angular patterns can relate to domination and danger (think about the masculine strength of the Romanesque diaper work and chevrons)

All styles of architecture have used pattern and decoration to express their raison d’etre.

Classical Architecture

Classical architecture in particular relies upon the repetition of key motifs to create a feeling of melodic order and harmony. In fact some classical facades do look like (and can be read like a sheet of music).

When working with a classical building, take time out to look for rhythm and syncopation and try and capture it. A straight on shot can tell the story as it is, and create a valuable record; whilst a raking side on shot with a zoom lens can emphasise the repetition, and rhythm of a building and convey order and strength.

Gothic Architecture

Gothic Architecture is a much freer style with strong emphasis on decoration. Look for decorative elements on doors, roofs, buttresses, windows and walls. Gothic has a freer spirit than classical, and you can capture this by isolating individual elements such as gargoyles and grotesques.

Islamic Architecture

Islamic architecture uses common geometrical forms and motifs which helps unify and perpetuate a cultural style which is recognised throughout the world. Pick up some of the patterns you find on Islamic buildings and bring them together in a single image to help others digest the whole.

Modern and Contemporary Architecture

Contemporary architecture has a strong relationship with formal geometric patterns and how they change as you move around the building. Architects are more self-conscious about how their building interacts with its environment and you might notice a strong emphasis on how shadow and light affects the building. Reflection, refraction and translucency is another strong element of contemporary architecture. Spatial values are also key. Look for vistas and views inside or outside, pick up reflections and record how shadows change the visual drama of a building.

Specialisation

If (like me) you like to go one step further and specialise in a particular subject - then you can study an indivual designer and follow their stylistic development. I particularly like the Victorian Period and find great pleasure in tracking down designs influenced and created by Owen Jones and Christopher Dresser.

To Summarise:-

1. When starting a project look first for pattern and decoration to kick start your shoot.
2. Look for the ‘messages within’ pattern and decoration.
3. Get to know the key pattern and decoration characteristics of the different styles of architecture.
4. Specialise on a particular style or design and create a valuable record of that style.

Further Study

Here’s some Amazon links to my favourite books on pattern and decoration

The Classical Language of Architecture (World of Art)
Definitive book on classical architecture with great photo’s for style guru’s
The Grammar of Ornament: Colour Plates (Dover Pictorial Archives)
The ultimate book on pattern and decoration in Victorian Architecture
Pugin’s Gothic Ornament (Dover Pictorial Archives)
Great introduction to Gothic decoration by the master of Gothic
Handbook of Ornament
Packed with a visual cornucopia of pattern and decoration
Owen Jones Design Ornament Architecture and Theory
All his key designs with world wide influence
Pattern of English Building
Emphasis on materials, textures, and colours
Visual Encyclopedia of Ornamental Design (PEPIN PRESS DESIGN BOOKS)
Wonderful book full of images of world wide pattern and decoration
Christopher Dresser The People’s Designer
Beautifully illustrated and remarkable story
The Style Sourcebook: The Definitive Visual Directory of Fabrics, Wallpapers, Paints, Flooring, Tiles
Great for interior style, pattern and decoration
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
- excellent images and great for learning about the theory of
architecture. One of my favourites.
The Elements of Style: An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail (Mitchell Beazley Art & Design)

- Sumptuous and well referenced covers US and UK styles

Check out my del.icio.us tags on Pattern and Decoration in architecture
Here’s my fotofacade blog posts on Pattern and Decoration in architecture
Google image search on Pattern and Decoration in architecture
Here’s my flickr set on Pattern and Decoration in architecture

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I’m not going to write much here about the rule of thirds, because I have said it here already.

The archi-photographical oasis flickr group is jam packed full of remarkable top shelf architectural shots and here’s a selection of some of the images which I think illustrate best the different uses of the rule of thirds. The final image is an image which does not use the rule of thirds AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!

THANKS TO: harrybo73 , luzzzelmann, oxfordshire church illustrations, corydora, malona, perikita, jonwild, archidave, richbos, cybergabi, vsz, and dcka

ENJOY!

AND FINALLY - THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY….

This one breaks the rules - and it succeeds because of the sheer virtuosity of the shot. You ask yourself - how on earth did the photographer get up there? No need for any type of rules here - the photographer’s broken them all.

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When I went to photography class we had a brief discussion about the rule of thirds, but I just let it pass me by. Until, that is, I analysed some of my best shots and realised that I had been naturally framing points of interest around a series of imaginary lines - known as “the thirds”. Realising that my most memorable images of buildings are focused around “the thirds”, I started to absorb the principle and try and use it during every photo shoot.

Rules are, of course, meant to be broken - but you can’t break a rule without knowing it in the first place….

This shot of The Duomo in Verona is an example which helps illustrate the basic principles.

For some time it has been understood that our brains like to order and organise patterns and images in a certain way. This knowledge has been used to great advantage by artists and photographers.

Above, on this photo of the duomo in Verona we have a rough outline of lines which correspond to the thirds of the composition. The aim is to get points of interest along the lines of thirds, or where the thirds intersect. Here, for example, we have the tower of the duomo along the right hand vertical third and the nave along the bottom horizontal third. We also have the top of the hill lined along the top horizontal third (as near as dam it!). This creates a much better composed image than say a photo with the duomo right in the centre of the shot. We also have a neat dissection of the colours and textures of the landscape within the boundaries of the thirds - check out the warm colours of the terracotta against the lucid greens of the foliage on the hill, which is contrasted against the light blue blanched sky.

Using the rule of thirds is particularly useful for architectural shots , whether it be a cityscape or door handle, because

• it helps create key points of interest
• can also help provide a dynamic edge to your image and create visual movement along structures
  
• can neatly dissect or emphasise architectural elements within your composition
• can help focus on the main subject matter
  

Here is a medley of architectural images with which I have used and abused the rule of thirds - enjoy!

Here on this image of an Aumbry we have used a couple of techniques to highlight the subject matter. Firstly, with the use of selective colourisation and secondly by placing the aumbry along the intersection of the bottom horizontal third and the left vertical third. The capitals to the columns also move along the line of the bottom horizontal third.

You can use the technique across the ‘diagonal’s of your thirds. Here on this photo of a gargoyle at Saint Severin, Paris the line of the roof roughly mirrors the diagonals of the thirds (it doesn’t have to be an exact science!); whilst the head of the gargoyle resides at the intersection of the thirds. This gives a dynamic impact to the ‘grotesque’ - enhancing the ‘horror’ effect of the image.

This one simply uses the vertical third on the left to bring added interest to the tower. Imagine if it was just right in the middle of the pic - it would devalue the image somewhat.

This image of the Necropole in Saint Denis Basilica, Paris uses the thirds to full effect. Most of the geometric lines fall within the lines of the thirds. Each style of architecture is also compartmentalised within the square zones of the thirds.

This panoramic image of Tatton Hall, Cheshire aligns the horizon along the top horizontal third and the columns along the vertical thirds.

And finally, sometimes working along the thirds just doesn’t help. Here we have a strong visual, with receding geometrical shapes. I tried cropping this image along the thirds but it detracted and competed with the feeling of movement to the centre. So I placed the axis of the stairway just off centre and this really worked.

By contrasting the symmetrical geometry of the subject matter with the asymmetrical location of the focus point we have created extra interest.

So to summarise:-

1. Get to know and absorb the rule of thirds and think it through the next time you take a shot

2. Bring in key points of interest in your image along the intersections of the thirds

3. Especially with architecture - try bringing a line or form across the diagonal of your thirds to create dynamic impact

4. Use the spaces within the imaginary thirds lines to compartmentalise different areas of your image

5. Break the rules - if it doesn’t feel right - try something else

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Here’s a showcase of some of the Archi-photographical oasis flickr group photo’s that have caught my eye over the last week

Pete Sieger has an ‘architects eye’, because he is an architect! The shot is taken on a Canon 5D digital SLR, but the perspective and careful composition reveal a photographer who has regularly worked with large format cameras. It is a great shot because it brings out the bold forms of the building and highlights it’s context in terms of landscape and circulation. He is showing the buildings impact upon its surroundings and how it interacts with the road. He has cleverly picked up and conveyed the original architects (Jean Nouvel) intent to create surprise and astonishment.

Perkita has produced a really appealing shot here. She has caught the geometry of the building and enhanced its standing with the reflection in the water. It is slightly off centre - but sometimes this enhances a photograph. The composition is once again carefully considered.

I love detail shots like this - here Archidave has shown us a unique piece of door furniture. When photographing buildings we often forget to focus in on the detail. Here, it is not only the appeal of the subject which makes the photo, but also the colour and texture. Dave has also used a clever cropping or framing technique - he has cropped or framed part of the leaf detail out. This gives emphasis to the top detail and intrinsically denotes a level of importance to the door lock which challenges the standard notion of a lock as being mundane. Here Dave is showing his reverence for the subject matter. This lock detail is too big for the picture….

If you want to see more great architectural shots then check out the flickr group here

So to Summarise :-

• Use a composition to reveal a buildings setting. Show how it relates to the landscape.
• If you have a symmetrical building - try taking the shot slightly off centre to add extra interest.
  
• Use reflections to enhance the structure and repeat important characteristics of a building.
• Grab attention to specific areas of your shot by including a localised crop of the subject matter.
• Change pre-concieved notions by photographing items which might be considered as mundane.

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