I am preparing to build my portfolio as an architectural photographer. I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of working toward a new profession with something that I love to do coupled with a subject that I have always been interested in. It seems the more involved I become in photography the more desire I have to make it the thing that puts bread and butter on my family’s table.
Starting in January 2010 you will probably be seeing more photos from my outings around Salt Lake City as I seek out seventy-eight separate architectural elements. By the way, the photograph above is one of an architectural element called a “capital”. Capitals top columns, can be very decorative, and serve as a load bearing structure dispersing weight down a column. This style is found in the Greek Ionic order , but I will not go into any long drawn out detail here and now about this really “cool” element.
I want to talk about preparing for this series and a portfolio. I had thought that building a portfolio was relatively simple. It consisted of taking some pictures get them printed up and putting them in a pretty leather sleeve for easy portability. My assumption was completely off the mark as you might imagine and I promise my perception of it was not that simple. I knew there was more to it, but I just did not know how much more.
The fact of the matter is this; I have just “hit the tip of the iceberg” with this process and can already see that building a portfolio for this particular subject is nothing short of “herculean”. The effort has nothing to do with the leg work involved with taking photographs. Hey! I am a photographer and making pictures is the pleasant part. The more difficult parts seem to be, at least for me, gathering as much information as I can about the expectations of people who use architectural photographers and then getting everything put together appropriately for presentation based on what they see as important.
In conjunction with the above, I have set about learning what I can about architecture and its elements. My thought behind this is really two-fold. First, knowing a little about why architecture is the way it is historically will foster some background to lean on as I visualize what a potential client maybe asking for in way of imagery. Also, having an understanding of some of the terminology that architects use seems to me to be key as it is with every profession.
Second, I love architecture. I love the way it looks. I am amazed by it everyday as I gaze up at structures that really have business remaining erect for any period of time, but do decade after decade. I love the result of engineers, architects, and artists coming together to form a fully functioning piece of artwork. We use them daily and call them buildings, but there is an art to this thing called architecture. I am interested in this and much more, so with this I see, feel, and think that I need to find out what I can about architecture, its engineering, elements, and function.
The series of photographs that I will be making are based on an A to Z of architectural elements. My hope is that by doing the series that I will begin to see how elements best present themselves as subjects for the photographer. I hope to gain some of that knowledge I talked about above. I’m a visually learner, so having a visual point of reference for the terminology I will be learning will be very beneficial.
I am also going to build my initial portfolio out the images that I capture for the series. Having more images than what I might need is certainly better than not having the right image at the right time. And last, but certainly not least, I hope to have fun.
Yes, I said FUN. My desire is to have fun while I work. There is a saying, “Misery loves company.” I do not want misery to even be invited to the party across town. I believe doing all of this will allow me the opportunity to have a good time while I work.
That is a little about the Architectural A to Z series that I will be doing for part of next year. I would ask that if you know anyone that is currently working as an architectural photographer or if you know of an architect in the Salt Lake City area who might willing to sit down with me for an hour or so that you let me know how I might get in touch with them. As always, links to photo websites that promote architectural photography are a plus for me and for this website. I would be very grateful for any information that you would like to share with me or the readers of the blog.
In the meantime I will continue to prepare to do the preparing. Until next time…
