Architectural Photography in Black & White

For many clients of architectural photography, black and white can be used to show the form and function of a building, without distractions of colour. Thus, the viewer is more taken with the actual design of the building and how it is situated and relates to it's environment. 

Newcastle Riverside

Even in the world of Real Estate photography, this technique can be used to add a dramatic vision to the properties and offer the agent something a little different that may be remembered by the people looking for houses. Whilst the majority of images do need and have to be in colour a selection of black and white, given an appropriate property, may help to sell the house to a discerning viewer.

Adelaide Properties

In architecture photography the focus is usually more on form and structure than on colour. This makes many images particularly good candidates for black and white conversion. In today's digital world this conversion is relatively straightforward using proprietary software. What is difficult to master is subtlety and the play of contrast, light and shade in the finished image. A large part of this skill also lies with shooting the images to be converted with an eye on contrast and how this will come out in the finished image.

Altitude Apartments, Adelaide

In many ways shooting for black and white is a skill that harks back to the days of film and darkrooms where limited post-processing was used. To get the image as perfect 'in-camera' as possible will lead to a much more satisfying result, which no matter of post-processing can make up for.

Adelaide House

Thus, by the use of black and white and creative camera angles, even a humble bus station can be shown as a beautiful design - something the architect would be proud to say!

Adelaide Central Bus Station

Adelaide Superdrome

Of course, one bonus of the digital age is the ability to play with the images and use techniques such as Selective Colourisation. This can add another dimension to an image:

Lake Tekapo, NZ

If you would like to see more of my Architectural images please go to:

Chameleon Photography