Transformation
Today's market demands digital expertise
Architectural photography is one of the most difficult to master of all photographic endeavors. Architecture cannot be photographed in studio where photographers have complete lighting control. Interior shots often involve extremes of lightness and darkness that look good to the eye but exceed capacities of film and digital sensors. Exterior shots are subject to capricious and changing natural light that varies with changes in weather and time of day. Night exterior shots additionally involve artificial lights of varying intensities and color that conflict with rose tones of the setting sun and blue light of the darkening sky.
A high degree of digital expertise is essential to achieving the image quality demanded in today's market. Photographers lacking digital editing skills will either deliver inferior results or force their clients to engage post-production experts.
Transformation Examples
"City & County Building, Twilight" before & after editing ©Dana Sohm
In the above photo, the digital raw file contained vivid color information but was too timid to reveal it. It needed a bit of contrast, saturation, layer masking, some sharpening, and corner darkening to draw the eye toward the tower.