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Architectural photography

RobL
Posted 17/06/2017 - 07:41 Link
I spent yesterday on a day course with one of the country's top architectural photographers, Martine Hamilton-Smith. Not sure what I would pick up but it was a real eye-opener and explains why she charges what she does for commissions. First, once the shot is set up using a tripod with a geared head the whole scene is 'dressed': interiors have everything tidied up or put away, in the university library all the computer screens and keyboards were straightened up, coffee cups carefully placed and surfaces wiped, and so on. In an auditorium a piano was placed centre stage to give a focal point and chairs all placed in neat rows or circles. Finally people who happen to be there are drafted in to be walking up stairs or sit in groups, and outside sit on benches or steps, or involved in imaginary discussions. For outside shots a sunny day is required, lighting the elevation to best advantage, and also selecting a position to obscure unwanted street clutter which all needs pre-planning.

Then there was the use of tilt/shift lenses to correct vertical perspective, and also where a centred shot is wanted but you need to stand off centre. As far as I know there are only a Samyang 24mm TS lens and three Steiner-Kreutzmar TS lenses in K-mount but I completely forgot that the K1 gives a shift effect by manually moving the sensor relative to the lens. Whilst the range of movement is limited it can be used with any lens and would theoretically increase the shift range of the Samyang, say.

This is just a brief summary and doesn't cover everything discussed on the day and we all came away feeling the day had been very worthwhile and could prompt me into more courses in the future. Now I must go and practise!
Edited by RobL: 17/06/2017 - 07:45
Simonmac
Posted 17/06/2017 - 08:19 Link
Cheers Rob. Fascinating! I love this style of photography.
RobL wrote:
I spent yesterday on a day course with one of the country's top architectural photographers, Martine Hamilton-Smith. Not sure what I would pick up but it was a real eye-opener and explains why she charges what she does for commissions. First, once the shot is set up using a tripod with a geared head the whole scene is 'dressed': interiors have everything tidied up or put away, in the university library all the computer screens and keyboards were straightened up, coffee cups carefully placed and surfaces wiped, and so on. In an auditorium a piano was placed centre stage to give a focal point and chairs all placed in neat rows or circles. Finally people who happen to be there are drafted in to be walking up stairs or sit in groups, and outside sit on benches or steps, or involved in imaginary discussions. For outside shots a sunny day is required, lighting the elevation to best advantage, and also selecting a position to obscure unwanted street clutter which all needs pre-planning.Cheers Rob. That is fascinating! I love this style of photography.

Then there was the use of tilt/shift lenses to correct vertical perspective, and also where a centred shot is wanted but you need to stand off centre. As far as I know there are only a Samyang 24mm TS lens and three Steiner-Kreutzmar TS lenses in K-mount but I completely forgot that the K1 gives a shift effect by manually moving the sensor relative to the lens. Whilst the range of movement is limited it can be used with any lens and would theoretically increase the shift range of the Samyang, say.

This is just a brief summary and doesn't cover everything discussed on the day and we all came away feeling the day had been very worthwhile and could prompt me into more courses in the future. Now I must go and practise!

www.flickr.com/photos/simac/
www.500px.com/simac
Edited by Simonmac: 17/06/2017 - 08:20
JAK
Posted 17/06/2017 - 12:01 Link
RobL wrote:
Then there was the use of tilt/shift lenses to correct vertical perspective, and also where a centred shot is wanted but you need to stand off centre. As far as I know there are only a Samyang 24mm TS lens and three Steiner-Kreutzmar TS lenses in K-mount but I completely forgot that the K1 gives a shift effect by manually moving the sensor relative to the lens. Whilst the range of movement is limited it can be used with any lens and would theoretically increase the shift range of the Samyang, say.

Don't forget our native one:
Comment Image


You're right that the sensor can be shifted to simulate this, but only up to a certain point.
I used the above mentioned lens for this:
Comment Image

From literally just across the road it would have been falling backwards taken with a normal lens.

And even more extreme!
Comment Image
John K
Edited by JAK: 17/06/2017 - 12:10
Algernon
Posted 17/06/2017 - 13:00 Link
Some interesting architectural photos..... (must be due to slow AF the buildings have flown away ) ....

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Martine+Hamilton-Smith+photographer&tbm=isch&t...

--
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi
Edited by Algernon: 17/06/2017 - 13:03
RobL
Posted 17/06/2017 - 13:28 Link
Thanks Jak, but I guess the Pentax shift lens (no tilt) is as rare as hens' teeth and priced accordingly. We received an explanation why film era lenses do not have to be so critically designed for sharpness as digital lenses (to do with the thickness of the film emulsion compared to the sensor surface). Martine told me she had tried the Steiner lenses and was disappointed with the results so the Samyang is probably the best and cheapest option. Shame this was another example of the lack of equipment range that puts off professionals despite liking the cameras.
RobL
Posted 17/06/2017 - 13:33 Link
Algernon wrote:
Some interesting architectural photos..... (must be due to slow AF the buildings have flown away ) ....

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Martine+Hamilton-Smith+photographer&tbm=isch&t...

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Arf arf! All manual focus so no problem!
Algernon
Posted 17/06/2017 - 13:40 Link
Shift lenses will still have distortion which needs correcting anyway so their advantage isn't that big.

There are some tutorials on the Hugin site..
http://hugin.sourceforge.net/tutorials/architectural/en.shtml

--
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi
Edited by Algernon: 17/06/2017 - 13:46
JAK
Posted 17/06/2017 - 14:15 Link
Algernon wrote:
Some interesting architectural photos..... (must be due to slow AF the buildings have flown away ) ....

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Martine+Hamilton-Smith+photographer&tbm=isch&t...

--

So that's why those pyramids I was taking disappeared!

Another method to achieve the same thing is to use a very wide angle lens keeping the camera as level as possible, then crop out the part of the picture which was really required.

As to the Pentax lens being costly and rare. Yes it is rare but was a good ebay purchase just three months ago at under £300 which seemed a bargain... and was one off my wants list!
John K
Edited by JAK: 17/06/2017 - 14:27
RobL
Posted 17/06/2017 - 15:53 Link
Algernon wrote:
Shift lenses will still have distortion which needs correcting anyway so their advantage isn't that big.

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Er, no, that is the whole point! I use DXO Viewpoint for perspective correction in processing at present but the more correction is needed the more you lose from cropping. The shortest focal length to avoid distortion is appparently 24 mm in FF, hence the 24mm TS lenses. I was rather impressed by the demo of the TS lens yesterday with vertical or horizontal shifting keeping everything straight. It works by having a very large field of view at the sensor plane, so that as this is moved the sensor stays within the field.

PS I paid good money for all this info by the way!
Edited by RobL: 17/06/2017 - 15:54
Algernon
Posted 17/06/2017 - 17:42 Link
It still has distortion

See....

http://www.epaperpress.com/ptlens/shift.html

I used to have a Sinar 5x4 so I'm well used to what movements.... Scheimpflug principle etc. can do.

EDIT: It's possible that DXO corrects some of the lens distortions. I've never used it so I don't know.

--
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi
Edited by Algernon: 17/06/2017 - 18:11
RobL
Posted 17/06/2017 - 18:37 Link
Algernon wrote:
It still has distortion

See....

http://www.epaperpress.com/ptlens/shift.html

I used to have a Sinar 5x4 so I'm well used to what movements.... Scheimpflug principle etc. can do.
--

Yes, that's barrel distortion not perspective, which you will get on any wide angle lens.
Posted 07/09/2017 - 13:53 Link
Architectual photos is like a special kind of art. Keep doing that, its very interesting

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