Working With the Sun

The position of the sun can make a huge difference when it comes to architectural photography, especially for exteriors.  After all, the sun is the brightest light that we can use and how that light, or any light, is positioned will effect not only the dynamics of the image, but what the viewer pays attention to.  This is key for any architectural photographer; not just to create spectacular images, but to also draw attention to the important aspects of the design.  Such was the case for a recent project of the Canoe Club.  

The Canoe Club is a 100+ year old boat house on the Schuykill river that was in serious need of a make over.  I actually have first hand knowledge of this since my high school crew team rowed out of this very building.  

(I am now happy to say the building has heat, the roof does not leak, there is no mold, the bathrooms are actually usable, the landscaping and parking lot are not disasters, along with many other things.  I have to hand it to my client, The Heritage Design Collaborative.)  

For my client, the main aspects of the project were the longer elevations of the building and the roof.  Although there was some work done to the shorter elevations, this was not as important.  Also, since the building was so long, it would be best to photograph the project on an angle showing two sides, or at least partially.  So we needed to time each image for when the sun was illuminating the long elevation we were looking at while the short one was in the shadow, thus drawing our attention to the prominent side but also creating highlights and shadows.  

Such was the case for the main image of this blog post. Even though the short elevation takes up more of the image then the long one, the longer elevation is still what we look at since it is the side that is lit. Additionally, since the lit side is in the center of the image, the viewers eye is drawn into the scene down the river, not off to the side, which helps make the image more dynamic. This image was captured in the late afternoon around 5:30 PM, as was two of the other three images (see below).

The fourth and final image, which was a reproduction of the historical image from the 1930s, was captured in the morning around 8 AM. Once again, we wanted our focus to be drawn to the longer elevation, which was lit in the morning whereas the short elevation was not. Additionally, for compositional reasons, we choose to shoot from an elevated position to show Strawberry Mansion bridge and give a better sense of location.

Insofar as determining all of the appropriate times, I opened suncalc.org, a favorite website of mine, and located the Canoe Club on the river.  Using their sun overlay of Google Maps function, I was able to determind that 8 AM would be best for the land side of the project, and 5 PM would be best for the river side.  After this it was just time to set the date and go out and shoot.  

We planned on the beginning of the summer, shortly after the parking lot was repaved.  But then … the City decided to drop off a dozen port-a-potties in the parking lot two days before our shoot date.  Never underestimate public utilities from screwing up a photo-shoot.  Throughout the summer we waited and waited and watch the potties being moved around the parking lot like musical chairs until finally we got our chance in August to capture the images.  

Sidney Kimmel Theatre: A Lesson In Compositing

Sometimes architectural photography is about capturing that perfect moment when the lighting is just right and the scene has been carefully staged, showcasing the project when it is at its finest.  And other times, it’s about creating the magic in post production, even if the image being shown would never have actually happened.  Such was the case with a project I shot last year for Elia Architecture & Interiors. 

The project was the Sidney Kimmel Theatre at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia.  In person, the theatre is beautifully designed with an entertaining theatrical and lighting show.  The problem though is that any singular moment of the show looks quite boring.  Of course, this is not something one would really think about when there; rarely do people remove themselves mentally from what is happening around them and focus just on the overall lighting.  However, as an architectural photographer, this is a practice I commonly do and realized work would be needed here for this image to sing. 

The issue with the theatre is that it is either evenly bright and flat, when the show is off, or very dark and too contrasty, when the show is playing.  Capturing either or would not be a great image.  So instead I decided to capture various images through out the show and layer them in PhotoShop to create a singular image, showcasing a more dynamic lighting scenario.  Specifically I captured four different theatrical scenes to layer in post. 

The first image captured was when the show was off and the theatre was at it's brightest.  A theatre this large is almost impossible to light, so this image was really captured just for overall fill.  I used this image as a base layer in PhotoShop allowing me to easily show detail where I wanted it.  Next came the capture for the overall mood of the image.  

When the show first starts, the entire theatre gets dark except for the track lighting on the steps and star lights on the main floor.  This produces a really nice feel throughout the theatre, which is what I was going for.  It would also allow me to replace the "Sidney Kimmel Theatre" lighting on the floor with something a little more interesting.  Although this scene is actually quite dark, causing the seats to turn almost black, since I captured that fist image I was be able to burn those seats in, in post. 

My third capture was a lighting senecio that occurs at the end of the show with a large white spot on center stage.  Although a quite boring image by itself, it allowed me to add a subtle uplighting effect in the final composite.  I of course got rid of that bright spot in the center.  

Last was the capture for the screens.  After watching the show in its entirety, my client and I decided on image from the very beginning of the show to drop in.  

Overall it took about two hours for the production of this image, and about an hour in post production.  Although one could say I am not being completely truthful with this image, at the end of the day, my client was happy and it added greatly to his portfolio.  And anyway, my client here was the architect, not the lighting designer.  

May The Force Be With You

It’s always fun to photograph a project for the children, bringing you back to your younger days.  Such was the case with a project we photographed in the beginning of the year at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ.  My client, JKRP, was part of the design team to renovate the existing iMax theatre, which is the largest indoor theatre in the Western Hemisphere, along with adding an interactive digital science display outside of the theatre, named the Weston Lobby.  

Of course the whole purpose of this was to give something to keep the kids busy while waiting for the next show to start, and I thought it was a rather good solution.  As a kid, I was a science nerd that would have certainly loved to fool around with this, especially since they mixed real science with science fiction. 

The Weston Lobby consist of a hanging white globe with 6 projectors wrapping around it that can project any number of things on the globe.  The most used displays are various scenes of the Earth, including the weather in real time, the Moon, Mars, Venus, a giant eye ball that blinks and can follow people, (my favorite) the Death Star with the Millennial Falcon, and plenty of others.  The kids really loved this, so much so I had plenty of finger and mouth smudges to clean up on the glass in PhotoShop.  

In addition to this, the inside of theatre was quite extraordinary too just due to the scale, but also because it uses 8 high-def projectors to fill the screen.  Shooting this large of an interior can be somewhat difficult in trying to find the spot to place the camera to illustrate the scale.  We decided to shoot from the left side standing about half way up the stairs.  This gave a nice view of the stairs and the massive screen.  

I’m not going to lie, I was kind of sweeting it here with this shot.  We only had a limited amount of time and each exposure was two minutes long due to how dark the theatre was.  So I did not bother flagging the lens for flares.  This did not really pose a problem, which I had known, for the overall lit image and the initial Saturn scene.  But when we got to the big bang scene, one of the projectors was casting light right into the lenses.  I kind of knew this would produce a flare, but to my surprise it was one of those real dramatic flares, not the usual ugly ones.  The photo Gods blessed US!  Both my client and I thought this was the best version and kept it as is.  

Last, I kind of wish I could have captured children in all of the images, like with the entry shot.  However, the exposures for the theatre and the Weston Lobby were just way too long, two minutes and 45 seconds respectively.  I probably would have had to gone up to 6400 ISO to get something useable, but I doubt the quality would have been there to use anyway.  

Winchester Gardens: Lighting Review

A better and older architectural photographer than I once told me, “if people start to think about your lighting, then you failed.”  Ever since then, I always strive to have my lighting appear natural and non-present, to at least the layperson.  However, this often leaves people wondering exactly what I did, if anything, with the lighting.  So for those interested, whether you’re a designer, a fellow photographer, or just a curious bystander, here is a quick lighting overview of a recent project. 

The project was Winchester Gardens, a retirement facility in northern NJ, designed and photographed for KDA.  Overall, we (myself, two assistants, and two designers from the client's office) created 10 interior images in a day, and I will be reviewing 4 of them.  (Just to note, all final images shown have had the highlights layered in from shorter exposures.) 

First image of the day was the 4th floor common area.  The goal here was the show the overall space, give a sense of the layout, and have the finishes come out.  A wider composition a good deal away from the fireplace felt best.  First order of business was to light up the fireplace with a 650w Fresnel.  Since the fireplace is dead center and very dark comparatively, this was necessary to avoid having a black hole in the image.  Next was to imply the hallway/dining area left of the image and between the two pillars.  Adding a bounce and strip box in that area did the trick.  This also added nice shadows to the fireplace wall, bringing out the woodwork.  Last, a 3x4 soft box and another bounce light was incorperated for overall fill. 

Later in the day we moved to the 3rd floor common area, which was actually at grade, for a similar image.  The layout was basically the same and to avoid capturing the same image twice, we moved closer in.  First thing was to light the fireplace again (along with the table), which had a greater effect since the wood was lighter.  We also added another bounce light and 3x4 soft box for fill.  Initially I decided to use the same bounce and strip light combo on the left as before, but felt it was too obvious since the pillars will not being shown.  So I removed them, but doing so made the far wall look a little dead.  I made up for this by placing a strobe with a hard reflector outside illuminating the fireplace. 

Towards the end of the day, we moved into the lobby.  This image was the most complicated since two different rooms were being shown.  In order to have the viewers eye travel through the reception to the far room, I decided to use soft light in the foreground and harsh light in the background.  First, we placed a strobe with the narrow beam reflector outside and hitting the far bookshelf, and added a strip light just right of the shelf to reinforce that look.  A 3x4 soft box was also used in that same room for fill.  For the reception area, we opened the inner door of the vestibule (on the left), allowing sunlight to come in, and placed a strip light there to help break up the room.  A wall bounce was place left of camera to simulate soft window light and add fill.  The right side of the room still looked a little dull, though, and I decided to use a bare bulb strobe, which creates a look similar to a sconce, to brighten it up.  There was also 2 or 3 tungsten Fresnel lamps used in various places too. 

(If I could go back and make one change on this image, I would have gelled the bare bulb strobe to be warmer.  Although I do not feel it is obvious what I did, making the light warmer would certainly feel better.) 

Last, we moved in for a detail of the far bookshelf.  Really, much of the work was already done here from the previous image.  We kept the narrow beam and large soft box where they were, moved the strip box (on the right) a bit and added a ceiling bounce on the left. 

Pro Tip: an issue that came up on this shoot, and others, but probably does not deserve its own blog post, is how to deal with soft box reflections on wooden walls.  Often is the case that I will place a large soft box in just the right spot only to get a glare on a semi-glossy wooden wall.  Most people would choose to just move, which would compromise the lighting.  My solution often is to leave it where it is and gel it to be warmer.  Usually it is the bluer light of the strobe that makes the reflection stand out.  Bringing the color down to 3200K or warmer will make it less noticeable and appear natural, especially if there are windows in the image. 

Cross Polarize Your Light

For those who have never heard of it, cross polarization is a rarely used (anymore) but effective technique at eliminating reflections from light sources.  It is a valuable yet simple tool for any tabletop photography with non-metallic reflective objects, such as liquor bottles like the one above.  Why?

The primary problem with producing a striking bottle shot is how to light the label without creating an odd reflection.  Lighting a bottle is all about reflecting light (or black cards) at the edge of the glass, separating it from the background.  This means all the lights for the bottle are behind the set and never illuminate the label.  So the label needs to be lit with an additional light from the front, which will produce a reflection. 

Notice the dim reflection of a soft-box at the top of the bottle just before it had been spun into the exact position to be cross-polarized.

In the today’s digital world, typically this reflection is removed in post, or the label is not lit but airbrushed and/or cut out from another picture and dropped in.  For simple bottles and labels, the additional post-production can be minimal.  However, for complicated bottles/labels, advanced lighting scenarios, or images that need to be captured in a single shot, that post-production can add on significant cost and time.  In these cases, cross polarization is a much better option and requires minimal setup.  Here's how. 

After all of the lights are in place, apply a polarizing filter on the lens and spin it so it effects the reflections of the lights for the bottle as little as possible.  Next, place a sheet of polarizing gel over the light for the label and turn on the modeling lamp.  Then, while looking through your viewfinder, spin the light modifier for the label.  You will see the reflection progressively get dimmer until it completely disappears, which is when you stop.  Now that light source is cross-polarized to the lens and will not create a reflection regardless of how bight.  

Now, of course, this method does have its drawbacks.  Polarizing gel is expensive, a special order item and progressively looses it effect, especially when it becomes creased or warped from heat.  Also, placing a polarizing filter on the lens eats up a stop and half of light, requiring all lights to be at least 3 times brighter.  For the light being cross-polarized though, it is being filtered twice and will need to be 8 times brighter. 

However, if you have the strobe power, and the little extra money and patience to purchase the gels, it will certainly save time, and money, in post. 

Staying Connected in Cuba

If you ever travel to Cuba, you’ll notice that the Internet is like rocking horse manure.  Even though they do have a cell phone network, which you’ll be charged excessively to use, there is no data through the network.  If you want to get connected, it’s like going back to AOL. 

First, you need to buy an Internet access card that cost 1.50 CUC (about a $1.50).  This gives you one hour of Internet at any hotspot in Cuba, most of which are in Havana. 

Then comes the task of finding a hotspot, none of which are labeled.  Fortunately many parks are hotspots, along with some intersections.  Moreover, as it gets later in the day, you’ll happen across an odd scene, groups of people all looking at their cell phone.  This is an obvious sign you’re in a hotspot. 

(I say odd, but as I am writing this, I realize you can’t swing a dead cat here without hitting at least a dozen people on their cell phone.  Makes me think who got it right?) 

The final undertaking is actually getting and staying connected.  If you found a hotspot by searching for the crowds, good luck, it’s overcrowded.  You might as well light up a cigar; you’re going to be a while.  Also, I believe the Cuban government gives priority to Cubans.  I have no proof, but while I was struggling to get and stay connected I saw many Cubans face timing with ease. 

It’s better to find the hotspots, remember where they are, and visit in the early morning when very few are connected.  Then you should be able to check Facebook, send tweets and read emails with comfort. 

Havana is changing fast though!  Now that I am planning a return visit for next winter, I have to wonder if connectivity will improve by then.  Part of me wishes it will not.  Traveling while being so far removed from the constant nagging of social media was blissful.   

The Lady & The Linens

I was recently in Havana, Cuba for a personal project and spent the better part of 4 days photographing the city.  I got many great images and, so far, many great responses.  The image above though really captures and intrigues people. 

When I was planning my trip to Cuba, I wanted to make sure I visited at least one very good restaurant.  So I did my research and found la Guarida in Central Havana.  Unfortunately I did not book early enough to secure a dinner reservation, and had to settle for lunch, which may have been for the best. 

The restaurant is on the third floor and roof of this old building, and to get there, one must walk through this 2nd story landing.  Now in Cuba, modern amenities are sparse, including laundry driers.  Most Cubans dry their clothes on their balcony, which you'll see all over the city.  However with a restaurant, there just is not enough balcony space for all the linens.  So the owners of la Guarida simply decided to hang them to dry in this unused landing. 

What you see her hanging is actually the table cloths for the restaurant.  Directly behind where I am standing are all of the napkins.  Here are two more (less interesting) images showing a little more of the story. 

So in the end, maybe only being able to get lunch was worth it, since I am sure no one would have been hanging the linens to dry in the evening. 

Back Label? Leave It, Sometimes!

            Typically, whenever we do a bottle shot, the back label is removed.  This is because in order to make the bottle glow we need to reflect light through it from behind with either silver foil or bounced light off of the background.  If the back label was left in place, it would shade that reflection and make the trick look obvious, not to mention it would be distracting.  Sometimes though, it is best to leave it in place.  Such was the case with this Bulleit Bourbon image. 

            Unlike most liquor bottles, the Bulleit Bourbon label only has one label that wraps around the bottle.  To remove the back label would mean we would need to cut the label in half at exactly the point where the label turns to the back, which would be dependent on the angle of view.  If we cut just a little before or behind this point, the cut would be seen, so we would need to be very precise.  Being this precise is always an issue, not to mention it cements our view and keeps it from changing. 

            Another issue is that those who know Bulleit Bourbon know the label wraps around the bottle.  Altering the label would not look right to the aficionado and could be distracting in itself. 

            So we decided to leave it in place, and, with this bottle, it works very well.  First, the back label is not overly large, so it only blocks a minimal amount of light from coming through.  It is not really that distracting.  Second, because of how the bottle is light, the front of the label is bright where the back of the label is dark, and vice versa.  This creates a nice contrast, adding dimension, and helped accent the dye cut of the label.  

The Hybrid

            Usually when you see a liquor ad in a real location, the bottle was shot in studio and dropped into a stock image.  There are a couple reasons for this.  First, properly lighting a bottle requires 5 to 12 lights, depending on the effect, and at least one diffusion panel.  This takes up space, which real life locations rarely have.  Second, if you have a generic bottle shot on white (or black), you can drop it into many different stock images, giving you some variety. 

            However, you will never be able to reproduce the nuances of how the bottle fits into the environment.  The image will look somewhat fake, maybe not enough for someone to articulate why, but enough for them to feel. 

            In some cases though, the bottle was actually shot on location for that nuance.  However, since real spaces are small, you usually can not light the bottle as well as you could in studio. 

            To solve this, I prefer a hybrid method, shooting the bottle on location and in studio, and compositing them in post.  This gives you a nicely light bottle while still maintaining some of the nuances of it being in a real environment, and you will still have a studio bottle shot in case you need to change it up later.  Here is how it works. 

            For the image above, we first started with the location shoot.  Working on a tripod, we composed and styled our image, and then lit the bottle with one light.  This light’s main purpose was to illuminate the reflector behind the bottle so the bottle would reflect on the bar.  It was not flattering, but all we wanted was that reflection.  We then proceeded to light the rest of the image, capture the final, and measure the exact placement of the bottle to the lens. 

            Then, in studio, we carefully replicated the bottle and lens placement and lit the bottle correctly, which required 6 lights.  Specifically we used three rim lights, one side light shooting through a diffusion panel, and two snooted lights, crossed polarized to the lens, hitting the main and neck labels.  We also paid mind to the colors of the location image and gelled the lights accordingly.  Now it was off to post-production. 

            Anthony, from Pixel House, helped me with the post production by layering the studio bottle shot over top the location image.  Then, to add even more depth, I also had him layer in some car light streaks and a brighter left bar from two additional location captures.  A little tweaking in PhotoShop and we ended with a well lit bottle shot that seamlessly fits into its location.   

Classroom Management

            When looking at my images, many think I just show up the magic happens.  However, often, the logistics of a shoot can account for more than half the work.  Such was the case with a recent project of the new School of Business at LaSalle University.  My client, Kimmel Bogrette Architects, not only wanted great images of their project, but wanted most to have students and staff, including in an image of a classroom.  This took some planning and coordination on my part. 

            To start, after getting through the usual stuff (contacting the VP of facilities, sending over my certificate of insurance, reaching out to security, etc.), I also contacted the dean of the School of Business, Dr. Gary Giamartino.  I discussed with him our need to photograph the building while in use, which he was apprehensive about at first.  I explained for all the images, but one, everyone would be unrecognizable.  However, with the classroom, I would only capture this image if I got permission from him and a professor, and would bring model releases to be signed by all.  This put him at ease and he referred me to his secretary, Joanne, to get the ball rolling. 

            After obtaining permission from the dean, my client and I decided on two possible classrooms and that morning light would be best for each.  I then sent this information to Joanne, she looked at class schedules for both Mondays & Tuesdays and reached out to professors.  After a week, a few professors gave us permission, so long as we would only be there for the first 5 to 10 minutes of class.  I worked this into the overall shot list and scheduled the shoot. 

            A couple days prior to the shoot, when the weather forecast was more certain, I contacted the dean’s office again to give them the exact day.  Joanne confirmed with the professors and found out if any were giving exams.  Of the four classes we had access to, two were giving exams and one overlapped with the timing of another image, which meant our best option was Professor Meghan Pierce’s 11 AM. 

            We arrived at the classroom at 10:45 AM, when the prior class ended.  I quickly composed and setup the camera, while my 1st assistant straightened the desks, chairs and whiteboard.  My 2nd assistant explained to the students what was happening, had them sign releases or sit on the other side of the room if they were uncomfortable. 

            Since we wanted as natural of a look as possible, I choose to use no additional lighting.  People tend to anticipate flashes and look awkward, and continuous lighting for photography is bright and uncomfortable.  Plus, I had little time for setup.  To make up for this, I captured an HDR bracket, at base ISO, prior to the room being filled.  Then, my exposure for the class in session was ISO 100, f/8 at 1/15 second, fast enough to freeze the seated students and to ensure at least a handful of captures would (mostly) freeze the professor. 

            All this ensured we could create a balanced image in post with sharp subjects.  Also, a week prior, Capture One (my raw processor of choice) version 9 was released with a new color editor that helped me seamlessly correct any color shifts and casts from our mixed light environment, which are more noticeable when no professional lighting is used. 

            At the end of it, my client was happy with the image, along with all the others, and all of the work paid off.