The most common mistakes in architectural photography (and how to avoid them)

Photographing an architectural project is not simply a matter of ‘pressing a button’ to document a building or an interior. It's about conveying an intention, capturing an atmosphere and, above all, highlighting the work of an entire team: architects, interior designers, clients and craftsmen. Since 2011, I've been working with demanding professionals to ensure that the images they produce reflect the quality of their work. Yet I still often see the same recurring mistakes, which detract from a project's impact. Here are the most common ones, and how, as a specialist photographer, I anticipate or correct them.

This is probably the most glaring error for the trained eye, and even for the uninitiated. When the vertical lines of a wall or facade do not appear to be vertical, it gives the impression that the building is distorted, as if, for example, a rectangular building were less wide at the top. This distortion of perspective is due to the fact that the camera is tilted up or down, which distorts the geometry. Yet architecture is an art of rigour, of clean lines and mastery of form. Poorly controlled perspective shifts give an unstable, unprofessional image that is not pleasant to look at. To avoid this, I correct all perspectives whenever necessary. A good architectural photo is first and foremost a legible, geometrically stable photo that lets the project speak for itself.

Another common, and often underestimated, problem concerns the optical distortions produced by certain wide-angle lenses. In architectural photography, short focal length lenses are often used to frame a wider image, particularly indoors. But not all lenses are created equal. Consumer models often have a high level of distortion known as “barrel distortion”: straight lines, particularly at the edge of the frame, become curved. This distorts walls and door or window frames, giving the impression of a bubble or twisted image. Conversely, some lenses create a “pincushion” distortion, where the edges appear to sag. In both cases, the image looks unnatural, and the architecture suffers visually. As a specialist photographer, I use top-of-the-range lenses (Canon L series) with very low distortion. During post-processing, I correct any remaining distortions using correction profiles and manual adjustments. These enable the proportions and geometry of the location to be restored without any approximation or distortion, making the photo easy to read.

Light is a photographer's fundamental tool. In architectural photography, it models the space, reveals the materials and creates the atmosphere. However, images are often spoilt by poor light management: overexposure, blocked shadows, inconsistent mixing of natural and artificial light, incorrect white balance, etc. The result is flat or overly aggressive, and the image can be distorted. The result becomes flat or overly aggressive and the emotion disappears. Light that is too harsh (taken at midday on a clear day) will produce very pronounced shadows and a loss of detail in the highlights and lowlights. An interior that is too dark and badly exposed looks dull and uninviting. For exteriors, my approach is always based on a preliminary study of the position of the sun in relation to the orientation of the building. This allows me to identify the best hours of natural light. Sometimes I come back at different times of the day to capture contrasting moods: morning, end of day, night. All with precise exposure settings and natural post-production. The aim is to reproduce the real light of the location, without betraying it, while enhancing what it reveals.

A project can be technically successful, but a poorly prepared photo can give the opposite impression. All too often, the staging is neglected or even absent: everyday objects strewn about, cables visible, furniture out of alignment, chairs not lined up, curtains crumpled, dust on the floor, and so on. These little details may go unnoticed on the spot, but become very visible in photographs, especially in high resolution. The viewer's eye is then drawn to the distracting elements rather than to the qualities of the place. My role is also that of a demanding outside eye. Before each shot, I take the time to analyse the composition and reorganise the space if necessary: straighten a frame, hide a power socket, realign the furniture, add a touch of greenery or texture if the atmosphere is too cold. It's a subtle staging, which should never disguise reality, but on the contrary make it more legible, more photogenic. A successful photo is often the result of meticulous preparation. It is this discreet styling work that gives the image its clarity and contributes to its visual impact.

In a world where everyone has a camera in their pocket, it can be tempting to think that a few shots taken with a smartphone are enough to ‘illustrate a project’. In reality, images taken with smartphones or other non-adapted cameras quickly reveal their limitations: lack of sharpness, poor reproduction of textures, optical distortions, too short a depth of field, too much automatic processing, etc. Worse still, an image taken too quickly, with no thought given to framing, lighting or the legibility of space, gives an impression of amateurism. As a professional photographer, I use equipment designed to meet the specific constraints of architecture: full-format sensor, professional lenses, tripod, micrometric head, colour chart, etc. But above all, I take the time to think about the image and to take the necessary precautions. But above all, I take the time to think about each image: which point of view best enhances the location? Where should I position myself to give the space some breathing space? How do you guide the viewer's eye? A good photo is never taken hastily and without care. It is constructed, thought through and then captured with rigour.

All too often, photos are ordered at the very end of a project, in a rush. The site has barely been completed, the finishing touches have not been applied, the light is not ideal, or worse, the weather is gloomy. Under these conditions, even the most beautiful project in the world can look “unfinished” in photographs. Good timing is essential in architectural photography. This concerns the maturity of the project (furniture installed, clean location, functional lighting), the natural light (the orientation of the building plays a vital role), and even the season (certain atmospheres only really come into their own in summer or winter). My role is also to advise my clients on the right time to shoot. I sometimes prefer to postpone a session by a few days to take advantage of a better sky or a well-directed ray of light. The result is images that are more rewarding, more lasting, and that will make people want to show them off.

Errors in architectural photography are not just a “technical” problem. They have a direct impact on the way your work is perceived. A shaky, badly exposed or distorted image can mar a successful project. Conversely, a professional, accurate photograph that respects your vision enhances your credibility, attracts attention and enables you to communicate effectively.