Architecture #52Assignments No. 23

This week’s 52 Assignments challenge is not one I can add cats to. This week it’s Architecture. Buildings, urban environments and the opportunities they can offer to you the photographer because even cat lovers need a change sometimes.

Why would you photograph buildings if you love cats and want to photograph them?

Easy. If you go on holiday, you are bound to visit locations that impress you that you want to share with social media friends! You might find more interesting buildings if you explore things like cultural centres, theatres or concert halls, like the Kauffman Centre, Kansas City but wherever you go, the world is different, so share it.

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The Architecture Assignment

The 52 Assignments book chapter includes a lot of useful suggestions about how to photograph buildings and what to pay attention to for the best results.

Take some ordinary ‘I am here’ shots as you wander through an area, then try something to make your Instagram feed look a bit different. An overcast midday kind of light is ideal (no shadows) for clean and simple shots that focus on uprights, or angles.

• 52 Assignments Instagram has several light and location tips too to help, so check it out.

Find a corner of a town or city that you find visually interesting. Pay attention to the interplay of of lines and surfaces, and look for abstract images of walls, windows…….

Adam Juniper 52 Assginments – Instagram

You need to walk around your chosen building and remember not to just point and shoot but maybe crouch down or find an elevated viewpoint. Think higher and lower and remember to use all of the lenses you have (especially if you have a more recent smartphone). Many smartphone cameras now have a wide-angle lens (x1 or 0.5 zoom).

Many of the photos featured in this chapter in the book focus on dramatic closeups, lines and curves. Interestingly, they also use black and white or subtle monochrome shading to focus on the shapes, not the ‘location’ as a record. I love this mural from Kansas City, of Buck O’Neil first baseman and manager in the Negro American League. It’s not a close up but it is vivid and spectacular.

The Architecture Tilt-Shift Lens

Professional photographers taking pictures of buildings use a specialised lens called a Tilt-Shift. A real estate agent might call on a photographer with this lens to ensure the building doesn’t look as though it is leaning! I am including a link, at the bottom of the post, as the lens is specialised but quite fun to read about. It’s also expensive at over $1,000 (US).

The upside? Instagram has a tilt shit function in its editing menu. Look for Edit when you reach the filter options.

Archtecture Hashtags

#architecture #architecturephotography also the town or city location, your personal hashtag.

Now you have some helpful tips on rather artistic shots you can add to your next holiday trip. If you need some inspiration then Joel Filipe on Instagram is a good place to start.

Photography and Lens Resources

• What is a Tilt Shift lens?
• Dash Kitten’s Photo Blog Pages

The 52 Assignment Posts Details:

• Join the journey in my special DashPhotos2021 account on Instagram.
• You can find ALL the Assignment posts HERE.
• You can find the book 52 Assignments Instagram and the rest of the series via this Amazon link.
• Read the book review that started the series.