How to Photograph Buildings and Interiors: Third Updated and Expanded Edition (Paperback)

by Gerry Kopelow (Author) "Anyone can take a picture, and these days, with wonderful films and cameras so easy to obtain, the average picture is not half-bad..." (more)
Key Phrases: Kodak Vericolor, Kodak Ektachrome, Better Light (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
An exceptionally realistic treatise on the theory and practice of architectural photography. Supplying adequate technical information for beginners, advanced amateurs, and even professional photographers experienced in other specialties, the primary focus of How to Photograph is on the aesthetic and intellectual elements of the medium....Kopelow packs this work with a wealth of information for virtually everyone in the architectural profession. -- Tom Fuller, Inland Architect

The book I should have written. -- Larry Thall, Photo Electronic Imaging --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Since the previous edition of the much-acclaimed How to Photograph Buildings and Interiors, a great deal has changed in the world of photography. Author Gerry Kopelow, who teaches architectural photography at Harvard and whose work has appeared in numerous architectural publications, updates his classic reference book with over 60 new pages on digital photography and equipment, scanning and image manipulation, and electronic marketing. His intelligent and accessible text and striking color and black-and-white photographs bring his expertise to both the novice and the professional alike.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 3rd updated a. expanded ed. edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568983239
• ISBN-13: 978-1568983233
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #760,726 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not what it says it is, February 28, 2005

By	Jason Nadler (Wading River, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book would be more aptly titled, "Equiptment you could and should buy for photographing interiors". It's designed for amateurs who don't know anything about photography and want to be walked through the process of buying the right equiptment and then left in the dark as to how to properly use it. I know something about photography, and was looking for a book that would talk about photographing interiors and some exteriors. I was interested in uses of perspective, lighting to add drama, that sort of thing. The writer, once explaining the theory behind photographic principles, talks, not about how he was able to take successful pictures, but just that he did. He mentions the equipment he used and tells where he set it up, but for all his superflous text, leaves the reader with only the knowledge of how to re-create his shot in the same location under the same conditions.
It began as an interesting read, as he explained about what the pros use. Then he explained what the beginner could buy, but why it's not really as good. He showed a few examples of how lighting effects a scene and alters color, but in general, his "shooting by beginners on a tight budget" should be "shooting in these locations by beginners with several grand to spend on equiptment".
I was hoping for a book that talked about the uses of lighting, the uses of color, actually shooting something besides huge, open, commercial structures. This is my first return to Amazon.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars very disappointing, August 2, 2003

By	"jmorin" (Belmont, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Photograph Buildings and Interiors (Paperback)

I bought this book because I'm venturing more deeply into interior photography after many years of portraiture and architectural/travel work. This "updated and expaned" edition has simply tacked on a couple of cursory chapters on digital photography to a tired and outdated manuscript that needs reworking from top to bottom. You won't learn much here, with a lot of topics, almost all covered inadequately. The author appears to know whats he's doing (judging from the sample photos) but he's revealing very few secrets. I've learned a lot more through trial and error. If you're interested in interior lighting, for example, consider John Freeman's Lighting for Interiors. It's dramatically more useful.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breaking into the field, May 15, 2003

By	Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: How to Photograph Buildings and Interiors (Paperback)

This book is an introduction to architectural photography for professionals and talented amateurs who want to break into the field. It is also intended for architectural firms who would like to designate someone to function as an in-house photographer. The book contains chapters about how to work with a professional photographer, where professional architectural photos can be marketed, and the diary of an architectural photographer when working on a project. In addition, there are chapters on types of cameras, film, lenses, lighting, and where to buy equipment. Aesthetic considerations for architectural photography are covered in a few chapters. The organization tends to jump around a bit- -sometimes it seems like the chapters are presented in an almost random order. The book includes a short section of color plates and a glossary, in addition to the index.

This book is intended for people who already have some skill in photography. I like to take pictures of houses as a hobby, and I picked up this book with the hope of learning how to make my pictures look better. After reading the book, I am better able to spot some obvious mistakes in my house photos, but I didn't learn that much that will help me on the hobbyist level- -a book for beginners would have been better for my purposes. On the other hand, professional photographers may find much of interest in this book.