• Speak to our clients about their requirement, and understand their goals and business aspirations.
• Find out what the application (end use) of the photographs is. This is essential to determine what resolution will be supplied and if the aspect ratio is important during compositional framing.
• Offer the client some guidance on suggested vistas and the best time of day for light / sun path.
• Check the weather forecast and advise on the most suitable day for the shoot.
• Choose the correct kit to do the job and pack some backup kit.
• Closer to the date we check the weather forecast again and shuffle around dates if weather conditions are an essential part of the project.
• On the shoot, it is usually not essential for our clients to be present however we welcome as little or as much input as our clients like to have.
• Sometimes on the ground, conditions can be different to what was expected. Unforeseen problems such as road works etc can inhibit a good shot. In many instances we can remove unwanted items in post, however, on occasion, this cannot be avoided. If there are any unavoidable problems on-site we contact our clients to advise accordingly.
• We try to capture as much of the structure as we can even if many of the shots we take fall outside the client’s brief. It is better to have more photographs to choose from once back in the studio.
• We usually select the best of the bunch and do some minor post-work enhancements on those before sending them to the client for approval.
• Upon approval, we go into much more in-depth photo enhancements and refine each photograph to ensure the final product is the very best that can be achieved.
• Once all post-works are complete we then transfer the high-resolution images via Dropbox.

We have built up the correct equipment over the years which ensures we get great photographs regardless of available light or weather conditions etc. One of the most important items that most good architectural photographers carry is the tilt-shift lens. This lens revolutionised the way architecture is captured and gives the photographer the ability to capture tall structures whilst maintaining straight vertical lines in the image.

A rule of thumb when shooting architecture is to ensure the vertical lines of the building run parallel to the edge of the frame. This gives the most pleasing results however we believe once a structure exceeds around 20 stories in height it is sometimes better to show perspective and allow the vertical lines to converge. This quite often gives a much more dramatic effect and mitigates problems with the structure appearing top-heavy in the frame.

The bulk of our architectural photographs is captured by Paul Doherty. Paul studied architecture at Sheffield Hallam University, then went on to practice as Architectural Technologist for 5 years prior to setting up Urban 3D. Paul’s career experience spans essentially 3 different disciplines which are now interlinked – Architecture, Property Marketing and Photography. It is that merge of disciplines which has developed Paul’s eye for strong composition and the distinct style you see in his photographs.