ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER
About Chris Humphreys
Chris is a professional architectural photographer based in Edinburgh. He has been the trusted photographer for many main stream house builders, architects, interior designers, construction companies and developers for over 10 years. He is also an experienced architect and has practised architecture in Scotland for over 24 years developing a deep understanding of how to present completed projects in the best possible way. In 2009 he set up Chris Humphreys Photography to offer clients a unique combination of his creative ability as both an architect and professional photographer.
This unique position enables him to translate your brief and interpret your needs more accurately. A strong graphics background enables Chris to capture and process photographs in a way which achieves maximum visual impact. He has a natural eye for composition, lighting and detail.
Chris believes that good architectural photography is not just about documenting spaces, but capturing the design intent behind the space. As an architect, he cognitively knows the way in which buildings and interior spaces are best presented.
Chris aims to capture clean simple images, he has a flexible approach to photography and will always endeavour to meet your needs.
For information on services offered, or if you have any enquiries, please email Chris directly at chris@chrishumphreys.net or see the contact page for further contact information.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does an architectural photographer do?
Simply speaking, an architectural photographer takes photographs of architecture, buildings and interior design projects. It used to be a very specialised genre dominated by the likes of Julius Shulman and Berenice Abbott. But with the digital era, it has become a very competitive field and as a result has become much more accessible and affordable. So with an increasing number of clients comes a much wider scope for architectural photographers. Here's a list of what an architectural photographer may be asked to do:
1. Building Photography
Chris would categorise this as architectural photography, essentially photographing building exteriors for property developers, advertising agencies, architects, construction companies and other building industry professionals that are involved in construction. The main purpose for these images is for promotional material for websites, brochures, marketing etc.
2. Interior Photography
Interior photography is all about capturing interior designers completed work, though as an architect, Chris would argue that some of the most beautiful interior designs come straight from the architect (can of worms...). Within the interior photography category there are various sub-categories. Show homes, private residences, offices, retail, hotel interiors... the list goes on. Each sub-category needs to be treated separately and requires a slightly different skill set.
3. Dusk Photography
This could be itemised as a sub-category of building photography, but Chris does so much of it that he believes it deserves a category of it's own. It requires a very specialist skill set to capture the very best images. But done right, the results often create the most appealing hero shots for clients to use.
4. Commercial Photography
Commercial photography can be split into two sub-categories, products or people. This is of course very generalised, and while this only forms a small part of what Chris does, he is often asked to include staff portraits, staff at work (in a hotel for instance), food photography etc, all as part of the wider interior photography shoot. This is appealing to clients as it keeps costs down and means they don't need to find two separate professional photographers.
5. Architectural Product Photography
Chris is often asked by construction industry suppliers to photograph their products in situ in a completed building project. These range from flooring suppliers, lighting suppliers, cladding companies, landscapers etc. Of course the skill here is to take photographs of the building with the focus being on the product in context.
6. Verified Photography
This involves taking photographs of project sites pre-construction for visualisation specialists to incorporate CGI's into photomontages for town planning submissions. There are a very specific set of requirements and guidelines as to how to take the photographs, it is this aspect of the photography which leads to the term 'verified'.
7. Interior lifestyle photography
Interior lifestyle photography is all about capturing the mood, textures and feel of an interior space. Separate from wider interior photographs which show off the whole space, these detailed images show how the interior designers have carefully selected complementary materials together with specific furniture and accessories to really sell a space to potential clients. Chris will take these as part of a wider interior shoot to compliment the whole set. They make great Insta-bangers too!
8. 360 degree virtual tours
This isn't something that every architectural photographer does, but with a strong graphics background and the ability to develop photographs to a very high standard, it is something that Chris offers in addition to stills photography shoots.
So as you can see, there is quite a broad spectrum skills required to be a successful architectural photographer.
How do I become an architectural photographer?
Chris' love for photography goes back well before he started professionally. A love for camping in the Scottish highlands led to a passion for landscape photography. Chris regularly wrote 'how to' articles for Digital Photographer magazine in addition to entering competitions, many of which he was successful in. So the question of how to become an architectural photographer really comes down to this, do you have a passion for it? The well known saying of 'if you do something you love then you'll never work another day in your life' is totally true.
Design background
But having a passion for something is really just the start, from there you need to develop the skills and understanding to capture truly great architectural and interior photographs. Chris trained and works as an architect, he has over 24 years experience as a practicing architect. It is this deep level of understanding for composition, aesthetics and architectural details which sets him apart from other architectural photographers.
Business development
So a background in some form of design combined with a passion for taking photographs is key to success. After that, well any professional photographer will tell you that you need some business acumen. You can be the most gifted photographer in the world, but if you don't understand the basics of running a successful business then you won't get very far. It takes time and effort to build a reputation like Chris has, nothing happens overnight.
Build a reputation
Chris' work can be seen all around Scotland (quite literally on giant billboards!). Chris's work is also frequently published in architectural publications and home magazines. But the largest factor of success in Chris's opinion is that once clients have used his architectural photography services once, they return time and time again. Much of his work now is secured through recommendations from existing clients.
Chris' work can be seen on billboards around Scotland and in numerous publications
Architectural photography services - CONTACT CHRIS NOW
Chris would love to talk to you more about your architectural photography requirements and the photography services he offers, so please call Chris on 07905 449073 or email at chris@chrishumphreys.net to see how he can assist.