Advanced Architectural Photography - A Guideline to Improve Photogrammetric Recordings 
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Particularly, if a building is portrayed from a bigger distance and the surroundings (landscape, further buildings, etc.) also are to be 
part of the resulting photo sunny weather and a loose cloud structure have a very attractive effect. Mixed light, i. e. the combination 
of daylight and artificial light sometimes is used on purpose as creative means and gives the image a special appeal by unusual colour 
atmospheres. In case the time to take the image can be placed in the morning or evening hours it will also result in a special light 
atmosphere (warm colours). Photos taken in spring or autumn also cause a different impression than from those taken in high 
summer. The sun has a different angle to the earth and the vegetation gives the images a special character. Strong contrasts by a high 
impact of sun rays sometimes divide photos into colour-intensive parts and dark black shadow. This effect sometimes is used 
deliberately in modem architecture. But it is not always beneficial to take photos at full sunshine. Sometimes it makes sense to work 
during the sky is cloudy or dull. Because during the exposure only 
one light value is available for us, shutter and time are static in the moment of the exposure. If in this case the contrast range of the 
film is less than the contrast of the object parts of the image which will be either over- or underexposed. The iris in our eye on the 
other hand reacts flexibly to the available contrasts, i. e. it opens when we see shadow and closes quickly when looking at the sun. 
We get the impression of correct contrast ranges which the film, however, cannot cope with. Therefore, the adaption of the object 
contrast to the contrast of the film is indispensable for a factual reproduction. And this can be achieved by waiting for „bad“ weather. 
This so called bad weather does nearly have no disturbing impact on the complete image if nearly no or no surroundings at all are 
visible. Details of buildings for example can be photographed easier this way than with blazing sun. 
Sometimes the contrast can also be manipulated by the choice of the film. Low sensitive films offer normally still higher contrasts 
than high sensitive film. Also negative films provide a higher contrast than slide films. Although during the last years contrast, 
sharpness, graining and colour saturation were adapted to the individual film sensitivities, these differences still can be detected. 
Normally, you take photos with a highly sensitive film if the light is not very bright. With sufficient light or in southern countries it is 
exactly the other way round. There one would apply a film with low sensitivity. However, contrasts here are very strong. Therefore, 
in contrary to the usual working manner, one should work with highly sensitive material in order to tone down the strong contrasts. 
On the other hand, here in Potsdam which is not always a sunny place one should work with a less sensitive material and make use of 
tripod and cable release. 
For light measuring it is not always easy to effect the correct measurement of the object. Integrated light meters also react in a 
slightly different way and are very often adjusted to slide films (this means that they are exposed scarcely and therefore, have a 
tendency for a slight underexposure). In order to make use of the exposure options of the film and to prevent wrong exposures one 
can use the following rule of thumb: When using negative films one should measure into the shadow of the object and then expose 
the film as measured. Additionally, a second photo is taken with ‘A up to 1 light value overexposure. When using slide film one 
should measure into the brighter parts of the object and if necessary expose 1/3 up to 2/3 light values less. A serial exposure of three 
up to five images makes sense when using slide film. Such a serial exposure could be as follows: 1. exposure: exposed as measured, 
2. exposure: 2/3 overexposed, 3. exposure: 2/3 underexposed. For a serial exposure with five images one can either use a wider range 
or reduce the grading to 1/3 light values. 
In certain circumstances, one has to take a photo of a building but passing persons or vehicles are disturbing the exposure. With a 
long exposure time you can achieve that in this case the moving objects are strongly blurred or even do not appear at all in the image. 
In case that the light conditions do not allow a long exposure time grey filters with different intensity can be applied. Here an 
example: You can take a photo with aperture 22 and an exposure time of /2 second. Persons are not to appear in the image. You apply 
a grey filter with factor 4. The time is prolongated now to four times the value (this corresponds to two time or aperture values). 
Hereby you prolongate the time from /2 second to 2 seconds and realize your aim.