Architectural CGI Photography
Architectural CGIs
Professional CGI Photography Services for Architectural Visualisers
Architectural CGIs are essential for design development, competition entries, planning statements, securing funding, marketing properties and more
A vital tool in presenting proposed architecture, learning, developing design, winning over clients, gaining planning or selling a scheme, high quality backplate photography is the first step and the canvas upon which a visualiser starts work
White + White are expert photographers in the field with over a decades experience producing photography for Architectural CGIs across every London borough, across the UK and Europe
Contact us today to enhance your architectural visualisations with professional CGI photography
What are Architectural CGIs / Illustrative Views?
Architectural CGIs are images of schemes not yet built, they’re produced by architectural visualisers using entirely computer generated rendering (and post production) or by combining photography with renders, the latter is called “photo-montage”.
Elements of Photo-montage
/ Photography (Often referred to as backplate or canvas)
/ 3D modelling + camera matching
/ Post production in photoshop to blend the render and photograph together
/ If small elements of photograph are used these may be cut up and blended in to the rendered image
Architectural Visualisation’s are also referred to as:
/ Illustrative Views
CGI (Computer Generated Image)
/ Architectural CGI
/ Marketing View
/ Rendered View
/ 3D Render
/ 3D CGI
Architectural Visualisation Photography
Simply put “architectural visualisation photography” is photography shot with/for visualisers to help them produce photo-montages. white + white have more than a decades combined experience shooting 1000s of illustrative views, working closely and collaboratively with visualisers. This experience allows them to work with efficiency and thoroughness throughout the process.
Why choose white + white?
Experience
white + white’s experience is extensive and diverse, having produced backplates for 1000s of Architectural CGIs and briefs across the UK and Europe ranging from masterplans through to large urban schemes, landscape/road proposals down to smaller residential blocks and extensions. white + white draw on this broad and extensive experience to ensure clients needs are met at every stage of the process.
Communication
However straightforward the brief looks, white + white will always talk it through with their client to ensure all parties are on the same page. Matthew + Amy believe it is integral to keep communication open and flowing throughout the project.
Meticulous planning
In-depth planning and organisation is a core value which sets white + white apart, it ensures higher quality results and saves the client time and money. Once the brief is confirmed, desktop studies are undertaken, analysing view positions, lighting, time of day and permissions. This work usually resolves the majority of issues prior to the site visit, in turn creating a thorough and efficient workflow. Any issues that are raised on site are usually handled in the first instance using Matthew + Amy’s experience or by speaking directly with the client.
In Depth Knowledge
While photography for visualisation may share a lot of the techniques and abilities of architectural photography, we have learnt in the past that hiring an architectural photographer to shoot for visualisation can be far from straight forward, this usually boils down to a lack of understanding of the techniques and processes that a visualiser undertakes and therefore what they need from the photographer.
Having worked closely with visualisers in house and remotely, white + white thoroughly understand visualisers workflow and post production techniques. This knowledge allows for a smooth working relationship where we start on the same page. It also allows for the right decisions to be made on site and to foresee issues that other photographers might miss. Another key skill is the ability to help in the view selection process, advising if needed on viability and techniques, including lens selection, aerial photography restrictions and permissions.
There is an inherent understanding of how images are created, this is why white + white shoot reflections for renders, shoot around street furniture and objects obscuring the view while always keeping perspective and parallax in mind.
Why is professional backplate photography important?
High quality, professional, backplate photography is valuable to architectural visualisers and their clients for multiple reasons including: realism, lighting, ambience and people. Photography is usually the most cost effective way of producing high quality results efficiently.
Realism
The photograph, if well thought out, composed and implemented is the easiest, most effective route to realism, forming an excellent starting point on which to build a visual. Why spend hours trying to re-create reality when photography can capture this for you.
Lighting
The most important element in any visualisation, the backplate sets the scene with regard to lighting and ambience, these of course can be enhanced later but lighting of the render cannot stray too far from reality without looking uncanny. We thoroughly assess lighting options with visualisers before heading to site. Of course the weather is unpredictable but our experience helps us out, we spend a lot of time watching the weather to ensure we can meet the project aims.
People / Cars / Trains
On the whole we shoot backplates on a tripod which we don’t move once set up, this enables us to capture additional images of people / cars /trains moving through the frame. We find that visualisers love this additional work as putting people in to a photo-montage is tricky (due to scale, perspective and lighting). The people we capture are inherently at the correct scale, in the right perspective and the right lighting, allowing for very quick and efficient post production. In the example above all the people were taken from our photography.
Reflections
Another additional service we always discuss and include if needed is to shoot reflections for renders. This means the visualiser has a set of images to show them what would be reflected in the windows of the proposed building. This can then be added in post production using our photographs as a base. This small details really lifts a visual and can be hard to resolve without photography taken on site.
All these elements combined make for high quality visualisations produced efficiently and cost effectively.
Aerial
Photography
Matthew + Amy also have extensive knowledge and experience in aerial backplate photography, including the use of poles, drones and helicopters
If you have any questions regarding architectural visualisation photography please get in touch
