Architectural Digital Photography

Architectural Digital Photography

Photography and conical perspective are two ways of representation widely used in the graphic field of architecture, which share the same geometrical foundations. The difference, in a radical principle, between their corresponding physical supports and elaboration processes, has been reduced drastically thanks to graphic computing. This phenomenon not only allow to include photography as an habitual and controlled way of representation in the field of architecture, but also it allows to use its perceptive and geometric similarities for the creation of graphic montages of photographed spatial elements, built in a virtual way or drawn, in the environment the projected work will be located, and that will be a very valuable help to the realisation of architectural projects.

The subject has as the main objective the analysis and control of the relation between a photographic image and an architectural scene based on a study of two common elements of the two phenomena: space and light. This means, to understand photography as an element that definitely takes part in the extensive repertoire of architectural representation techniques. The second objective is to develop photographic and geometric concepts needed to overlap and merge very diverse images coherently as integral of  photomontages related to the different fields of architectural activity.  

The common thread of the subject is based on controlled photography of buildings and architectural spaces, and on their geometric and perceptive study with the purpose of convert it into a part of the repertoire of architecture representations or photomontages with very specific objectives. The development of the different mechanisms that allow to elaborate, control and materialise this kind of works will be realised, fundamentally, with computer-based ways.

The course is complemented with basic concepts on three-dimensional restitution based on panoramic photography and three-dimensional rectification of photographs.

Contents

• Perspective and photography. Common geometric concepts to perspective images and photographs. Optical and geometrical distortions. Visual perception of three-dimensional reality. Two-dimensional representation of space. Analogies and conceptuals differences. 

• Applications of photography in related fields of architecture. Obtaining geometric information from a photograph. Restitution from frontal, angled vertical frame and inclined frame perspectives, or their correspondents photographic images. Photomontage constructions. 

• Photographic camera. Components and lens. Exposure value and parameters to control it. Depth of field. Analogue photography and digital photography.

• Digital Image. Obtaining systems: Digital cameras and scanner systems. Light in the digital image: contrast and brightness control; analysis by histograms. Study of light intensity, overexposures and sub-exposures. Colour control: numerical systems RGB and CMY. CIE diagram, variation of colour temperatures and tones. Study of colour saturation and its correspondents with the light intensity. Lab systems.  

Basic bibliography

Villanueva, L.. Perspectiva lineal: su construcción y su relación con la fotografía. Barcelona: Edicions UPC, 2001. ISBN 84- 8301-501-3.

Jantzen, E. Traite practique de perspective: de photographie et de dessin appliqués à l'architecture et au paysage. 2ème ed.. Paris: Editions de la Villete, 1983.

Heinrich, M. Architectural photography. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2009. ISBN 9783764386665.

Langford, M. J. Fotografía básica. 7ª ed. Barcelona: Omega, 2003. ISBN 84-282-1287-2.

Daly, T. Manual de fotografía digital. Köln: Evergreen, 2000. ISBN 3822858218. 

Other resources

Web links:

WEB about architectural photography.

WEB about architectural photography.

WEB about architectural photography.

WEB about digital cameras

WEB about digital cameras

WEB about digital cameras

Educational WEB about digital cameras SLR

WEB for camera's lens SLR

WEB for camera's lens SLR