Architecture and Photography have always been relatively interlinked professions that have contributed to the portrayal and depiction of life. The World’s oldest existing picture (Nicéphore Niépce’s View from the Window at Le Gras -1826) is of a building, which dates back to how long these two professions were interconnected. Architecture has always been considered a subject of photography, with pictures portraying the still subject displaying the characteristics of the standing building in a real-life scenario with bustling streets and landscape certainly depicting life and how architecture is an amalgamation of the time frame in that live picture. Photography has become a valuable asset in how architecture has been represented globally, influencing how we view the world.
Role Of Photography In Documenting Architecture
It is essential to understand that documentation plays a crucial role in the lifespan of a building and its surroundings. Photography becomes a definitive tool in the documentation of a building in various perspectives, throughout the day and night. Photography brings about a medium with which architecture can be criticised, appreciated, or merely understood. Photography helps preserve the finer minuscule detail, difficult to retain with books or manuscripts. It is also like a documentation of a chapter, of a time that existed, and the life that unfolded around it.
Photography of a subject also can enhance the perception of the space and its design, through various techniques where the photographer can capture the essence of the frame by capturing images in Natural light, and different timescapes, and by using varied perspectives of the building. This helps in giving an understanding of the scale and helps build a perception of the building and how it impacts its surroundings.
Photographs also help in the retention of historical sites that may have been reformed or that no longer exist, making it a source of reference for architects, historians, and archaeologists to understand the context. Architectural photography also becomes a point of reference in today’s context, Where images published can become an inspiration to designers and people in general. Architectural photography also helps in the appreciation of a building by its documentation, to the people who necessarily do not perceive architectural details like that of a designer. This creates photographs with context that are much more appealing to view. Architectural photography should be able to capture transitions, sequences and much more that can fit into the frame.
Modern World’s Perception Of Architecture Through Photography
Architecture is a multi-dimensional art form that also has a huge role to play in the daily needs of human being’s existence. Photographs were often used to depict the true nature and rawness of the subject and buildings and their interconnectedness with the surroundings making the photograph document life. Although photographs generally depict the subject’s nature, they sometimes cannot be considered the ultimate reference. For example, To view the photograph of the Taj Mahal, and its exceptional beauty is one thing, which gives a snippet into its beauty, but is another thing altogether to witness it and understand the scale, and grandeur of the monument when you visit it. It can be an injustice to the monument to make perceptions of the place just by viewing a picture. Hence one can say that there are several limitations to photography, which need to be understood and accepted.
Trends And Influence Of Technology In Architectural Photography
In Modern times Architecture and photography have become means of marketing and Advertising, for explicit purposes on various websites, social media and so on. Also with advancements in technology, there is a lot of change in how photographs are clicked today, with the use of Drones and high-resolution Cameras that have created a stir in the photography market because of their unique characteristics. Photographs today can be edited to suit our liking, which is both an advantage and a boon to the society creating perceptions. Also, Artificial Intelligence, being able to generate images with human prompts, 3D Viewing, and Virtual & Augmented reality experiences, has gained popularity among the people who have developed Architectural photography into the large market that it is today.
Photography and Architecture are both considered to be art, both of which invoke numerous emotions throughout our daily lives. Photography helps in the documentation and preservation of history Art, Architecture and culture of the time, helping build narratives. It also plays a crucial role in contributing to the sectors like tourism, packaging, arts and entertainment. It helps in building a story and creating magic by deepening our connection and relativity to a subject as a piece that reminds us of home, of something we have witnessed and experienced, or of something we are yet to witness.
