When photographing architecture, especially large, majestic structures it is important to convey a sense of scale to your viewers. This is applicable while photographing both exterior views and also interior spaces.
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| How to Effectively Convey a Sense of Scale in Architectural Photography? Photo by: Thomas Leuthard |
What we really need to do is insert an element in the picture whose size every one viewing it will be familiar with. This element will act as a point of reference and viewers will be able to judge how big or small the surrounding structures are based on their relative size in comparison with the known element.
While any subject, the actual size of which most people are familiar with will work just fine; one subject that is guaranteed to add life and also an element of interestingness to the photograph is a human form. Yes you guessed right, include a person or a group of people in your shots and you immediately have a point of reference to effectively convey the scale of all other elements in your picture.
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| How to show a sense of scale in architecture photography: Photo by: Juan José Aza |
The human form is something that everyone is familiar with and is easily recognized; no matter how small it appears in the image or even if it is just a silhouette. The size of person in the picture reveals what the true proportions of other elements in the image to the viewers.
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