Equipment for architectural and interior photography

Equipment is an invaluable tool for architectural and interior photographers, but it does not replace their understanding of architecture, their artistic vision or their mastery of technique. Architectural photography is first and foremost a relationship between the photographer and a building, a place. It's about understanding the architect's intention, feeling the atmosphere of the place and translating these impressions into images.

Equipment used for architectural and interior shots

Architectural and interior photography requires the right equipment to capture professional-quality images.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of the equipment I use.

Camera :

- Main camera: Canon hybrid (mirrorless) full-frame 45 MP body
- Backup camera: 30 MP full-frame Canon SLR.

Lenses :

The lenses most commonly used for architectural and interior photography are wide-angle lenses and standard/transtandard lenses. Telephoto and macro lenses are sometimes used for detail shots.

All my lenses are Canon L-series, Canon's professional range.

- Wide-angle lenses: 14-35mm, 17-40mm
- Standard/transtandard lenses: 50mm; 24-105mm
- Tilt-shift lens: 24mm
- Telephoto lenses: 70-200mm
- Macro lenses: 100mm macro

Tripod and head :

Tripods and heads are essential for indoor shots and long exposures.

- Sturdy, stable Manfrotto tripod.
- A Manfrotto 3D XPRO 3-direction micrometric head for precise composition and framing as soon as the shot is taken.

Lighting:

It's now rare to have to fully light the interior to be photographed. Natural or artificial light is often preferred. Occasionally, however, it is necessary to set up additional lighting to be used in post-production for zone-by-zone processing.

- Speedlite and mobile studio flashes
- Reflectors and diffusers

Accessories :

- ND filters to reduce light entering the lens, enabling long exposures even in bright sunlight.
- Polarizing filters to reduce reflections on surfaces such as glass and water.
- Remote control to prevent camera vibration, especially for long exposures.
- camera, lens and filter cleaning kit

Post-production equipment

Post-production is a crucial stage in the production process of architectural and interior images. So it's important to have the right hardware and software for a smooth, efficient workflow.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of the equipment I use.

Computer :

- iMac 27” computer
- 27” Eizo graphic screen with calibration every week, for faithful color reproduction.

Software :

- Adobe Lightroom for file organization and RAW processing, color management and basic corrections.
- Adobe Photoshop for advanced retouching.
- Other specific software