If you love capturing the beauty and complexity of buildings, you might want to enter an architectural photography competition. But how can you stand out from the crowd and impress the judges? Here are some tips to help you win an architectural photography competition.
Before you submit your photos, make sure you read and follow the rules of the competition. Different contests may have different requirements for the format, size, resolution, number, and theme of your images. Some may also have specific criteria for editing, cropping, or post-processing. You don't want to waste your time and effort on photos that will be disqualified or rejected.
Winning an architectural photography competition requires a combination of technical skill, artistic vision, and attention to detail. Firstly, thoroughly research the competition guidelines and criteria to understand what the judges are looking for. Focus on capturing unique perspectives, interesting compositions, and compelling narratives that showcase your interpretation of architectural subjects. Pay attention to lighting, as it plays a crucial role in highlighting the form, texture, and ambiance of architectural structures. Experiment with different angles, viewpoints, and focal lengths to create dynamic and visually engaging compositions.
There are rules of the competition and then their are rules that go unwritten. The rules of the competition will let you enter, but those unwritten rules are what become the foundation for a winning photograph. Understanding the creative, unique vision you bring to the table is the second ingredient, and being able to use it with the tools at hand, with the software required, in the guidelines laid out . . . that is fully understanding the rules of the competition. Be creative inside the understanding of what makes a great photograph, learn to blur the lines just that little bit to achieve a perspective that wasn't quite there before, and put it all together with a mood and character that you personally can feel. Those are the rules.
To win an architectural photography contest, you need to master the technical, artistic, and meticulous aspects of photography. First, study the rules and standards of the contest to know what the judges expect. Aim to capture original perspectives, appealing compositions, and captivating stories that reflect your vision of architectural subjects. Be mindful of lighting, as it is essential to emphasize the shape, texture, and mood of architectural structures. Try different angles, viewpoints, and focal lengths to create lively and attractive compositions.
Another way to increase your chances of winning is to research the judges and their preferences. Find out who they are, what kind of photography they do, and what kind of photos they have awarded or praised before. Try to understand their perspective, style, and vision, and tailor your photos accordingly. Of course, you should still be original and creative, but you should also show that you can meet their expectations and standards.
Concentrating on our unique and original point of view are more valuable than searching on the judge’s demands. Provided that we read carefully the terms and conditions of the contest in details.
The subject of your photo is the most important element of your architectural photography. You should choose a building or a structure that is visually appealing, interesting, or unique. It should also fit the theme or the category of the competition, if there is one. You should also consider the context, the history, and the meaning of your subject, and try to convey that in your photo. For example, you could show how a building relates to its environment, how it reflects its culture, or how it expresses its function.
We have to read about the building we want to capture. It’s history or legend about it. Sometimes we can use stars on the background at night or place a man or woman in the foreground for emphasizing depth and scales with costume. We can create an atmosphere by available light and artificial light, day and night.
To capture the best quality and detail of your architectural subject, you need to use the right equipment. Depending on your budget and preference, you may want to invest in a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, a tripod, a remote shutter release, and a polarizing filter. You should also choose the right lens for your photo. A wide-angle lens can help you fit the whole building in your frame, a telephoto lens can help you zoom in on specific features, and a tilt-shift lens can help you correct perspective distortion.
Since in wide angle lenses we have distortion, it is necessary to have a lens which it’s distortion is minimum. Or we can correct in editing software like photoshop, sometimes base on the lens manufacturer and it’s model, there is special filter to correct the distortion.
The composition of your photo is how you arrange the elements in your frame. It can make or break your architectural photography. You should use the principles of composition, such as the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, the leading lines, the symmetry, the balance, and the contrast, to create a harmonious and dynamic photo. You should also pay attention to the angle, the perspective, and the orientation of your photo, and try different options to find the best one.
Most of architectural structures have symmetrical orders. We can emphasize it by putting our camera in the middle or we can break the symmetry by putting our camera decenter of the location. If we make an unbalancing in composition we have to compensate it somehow by adding an element like contrast, patterns, shapes in foreground. Aerial photography also can give us a new concept and point of view.
The light is another crucial factor in your architectural photography. It can affect the mood, the tone, and the texture of your photo. You should be aware of the natural light conditions, such as the time of day, the weather, and the season, and how they change the appearance of your subject. You should also use artificial light sources, such as flash, reflectors, or lamps, to enhance or modify the light. You should also adjust the exposure, the white balance, and the color temperature of your photo, either in-camera or in post-processing.
Different session make different atmosphere. Empty building creat a meaning that crowded one does not. We can search about a poet, a writer or a politician who wrote something about the building and it may inspire us. Or we can creat poetic mood ourself, or military or religious atmosphere by adding figures in the scene like a cinematographer.