Winter is Coming

WINTER IS COMING

Despite the beautiful Autumn weather, winter is inevitable as the well-known catch phrase tells us. But photography needn’t go on hold during the winter months. It can be a time to take stock and catch up: stay inside with a focus on interiors, or seize the day and see what happens.

 

STAY INSIDE: Focus on Interiors

Consider spending the Winter months focusing some of your attention on getting your catalogue of interiors imagery up to date. In the architectural world interiors are sometimes overlooked, but they needn’t be. Are there any projects that have been gathering dust, waiting for you to find time to get them shot? Now is a good time to capture those projects with the added bonus of staying warm and dry indoors.

In winter the sun stays closer to the horizon allowing the sunlight to penetrate deeper inside, boosting the advantages of shooting with natural light. The contrast between inside and outside isn’t as great during this time and you get a more even indoor-outdoor exposure.

Image to Left: Katitjin Centre at Australian Institute of Management by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland

Como Shambhala Urban Escape by Ee’kos Design (above left); enex100 Retail Food Podium by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland (above right); Roberts Day Studio Fit-out (middle left); St Thomas More College by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland (middle right); Hillarys House by Nineteen12 and Hillam Architects (immediately above)

LandCorp Office Fit-0ut by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland (above left); Postal Hall at the State Buildings by Kerry Hill Architects and Palassis Architects (above right); Bullbsrook College by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland (middle left); North Perth Residence by Arcologic (middle right); All Saints’ College Performing Arts Centre by Parry and Rosenthal Architects (immediately above)

SEIZE THE DAY

There is a good chance of a clear blue sky in Perth in the winter months; yet clouds can be a refreshing change from that piercing blue. And whilst not ideal, there is drama unfolding in a dark, foreboding sky pregnant with rain, and when it falls, rain-reflections can be fun. Storms can be followed, trees stripped of their leaves can show a new side to a building, and the colour and quality of light will be different than in other months, presenting new effects.

I have the capacity to be flexible with my shooting times, working to do whatever is possible to get the best outcome; together we will chase that not-so-elusive clear day or blue sky.

There are some added advantages to the winter months – sunset is around 5:30pm which means that if you’re joining me for a shoot, after dusk, you will be home in time for an early dinner. And sunrise isn’t such a ridiculous concept to wake up for as it often feels like it is in Summer.

The exterior images below were all shot during the months of June, July and August to illustrate that the show can and does go on.

The Grove Library by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland (top); The Goods Shed by FORM, Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland and Griffiths Architects (middle left); nib Stadium by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland (middle right); Applecross Senior High School Redevelopment by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland and Hames Sharley (immediately above)

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Ten Photos: Ten Stories

TEN PHOTOS: TEN STORIES

Choosing ten photographs has been difficult, but each one shows a different dimension to architectural and interiors photography – I’ve included a short commentary on my relationship with that particular shot in that space and time.

Albany Entertainment Centre

Flying to Albany to shoot the new Albany Entertainment Centre and attend the Opening Ceremony was an exciting opportunity in my early years of photography. Friday night was squally, and shooting from a boat in the harbour was far from ideal. I was so relieved when the weather cleared up on the Saturday afternoon, just in time for the Opening Ceremony.  Dressed in a frock, as befitting the occasion, I captured many of the main images, slipping in and out before, after and during the Ceremony itself… Albany Entertainment Centre by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland and Roberts Gardiner Architects

Hillarys Residence

A perfect summer day, the intoxicating smell of the salty sea air and the most impressive sunset one could ask for. Who could not be inspired by the enthusiasm of a fabulous new client whose company built this striking family residence… Hillarys House by Nineteen12 and Hillam Architects

North Perth House

I was told that when the sun reaches a certain point in the sky, the recycled brick splashback lights up. I was not disappointed; the natural sunlight enhanced patterning and shadows and the golden glow added to the homely feel of this spacious house on an extremely narrow block… North Perth Residence by Arcologic

Waiting for darkness I captured this shot – the black background illuminated by the glowing louvred box and lights off the palm trees is a striking site to behold. The complement of colours is warm and inviting, giving a tropical feel. The owner relates that her husband likes to drive past the house at night when the lights are glowing to appreciate the sight, and if the lights are not on, he rings to ask her to put them on and drives past again… The Tree House by Collière Architecture

The Tree House
Rahaman House

I visited this house during Open House Perth 2016 and fell in love with it. Working alongside their architect, the owners created this unique family home.  I think it was the textures and materiality that blew me away the most – the rawness of the recycled brick, concrete and glass; yet it had a warm and welcoming feel to it. The Rahaman’s had decided to move on and embark on another project and I can’t wait to see the outcome. It was also a great experience to be a part of Open House and be welcomed into spaces that the public don’t often get to see… Rahaman House by Ian Rodgers

Post-cyclone sky (no filter), the fond memory of swarms of flies (in my mouth, in my nose, on my lens), and the kind of quiet that you don’t quite find on a shoot in a City came together to portray a building designed for the harsh necessities of life in an unforgettable moment in time… Carnarvon Police and Justice Complex by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland

Carnarvon Police and Justice Complex

The elegance of this photogenic stairwell has stuck in my memory. I enjoyed playing with the composition of this photograph – capturing the cross-section of lines, contrasting colours and the sheer simplicity of design… The Office of the Premier and Cabinet Room by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland and Griffiths Architects

The Office of the Premier and Cabinet Room
All Saints College Performing Arts Centre

The gentlemen at the theatre were so passionate and helpful, showing me many and varied lighting and staging scenarios; this being one of my favourites (aided by my love of the colour pink). Caught up in their enthusiasm with echoes of my childhood piano-playing days reverberating in my head, I later Googled to see if I could afford a grand piano (sadly, no, I could not)… All Saints’ College Performing Arts Centre by Parry and Rosenthal Architects

District Courts Building Perth

I can clearly remember taking this picture – it was my first ever professional shoot (it was all down to me now). I was camped out on a balcony/roof of a building diagonally opposite, the buzz of nervous yet excited energy running through me. It was a rainy night and a storm was brewing and I was anxious about the weather, the light and of course, capturing that perfect shot, hoping that I wouldn’t stuff it up. Really pleased with this result, it has always stuck with me to look for different vantage points as I begin a new project…  District Courts Building by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland

An insight into my personal life: this was the first photograph I composed that began my love of photographing abandoned structures.  Taken in 2008, I walked past this site twice a day between home in Leederville and work in Perth (it is sadly no longer there). This photograph still hangs on the wall of my living room beside a black-and-white abstract of the King Street Arts Centre by my Sensei Graham Sands. If you get me in a talkative mood I may let slip that for almost ten years I’ve had the ambition to exhibit on the subject.

Newcastle Street House

The Tree House Photography

THE TREE HOUSE, APPLECROSS

by Collière Architecture

At the centre of the c-shaped building footprint is a magnificent old Jacaranda tree which was retained, thus the name of the residence was derived, affectionately named the “Tree House”.  This central oasis provides the family with a stunning view from all aspects of the indoors via carefully considered built forms and art focus points to the pool, greenery, and the grandiosity of the beautiful tree.  Speaking with the owners, world travellers with an affiliation with Asia, I saw that this oasis suits them perfectly.

The thoughtfully designed layout provides private bedrooms towards the front of the home, linked by a full-height glass ‘hall’ which sweeps along between living and dining areas and beside the pool, to the large family kitchen. The top of the “C” has a lounge room and study overlooking the outdoor living and dining area.

The grandchildren can see the tree most prominently from a dedicated play area within the first- floor wing, the link with nature providing physical and emotional comfort. This wing has been designed for the owner’s children and grandchildren, quite separate on the first floor in a variation of suites.

To view the house from the street, your eye is immediately drawn to the tall vertical form featuring active louvres which provides the first-floor children’s wing with privacy from many large developer homes in the street. The louvres glow gently at night, complementing the adjoining floating white box form. The owner told me the story of her husband who likes to drive past the house at night when the lights are glowing to appreciate the sight.

To further the relationship to the concept of the tree, the design carried on this theme in the variations in timber graining throughout the house, differing textures, shadow effects and lighting sources.

The front elevation shows timber in various forms, colours and textures from the lighter ‘Millboard’ and American Oak to the rich dark seasoned Jarrah front door and the textured off-form white concrete wall with its sand-blasted woodgrain texture.

The owner’s high expectations were exceeded in the completion of the home and they are obviously beyond happy with the result. Among other things, I was blown away by the thought and execution of the detailing of this house, as the old adage says, the devil is in the detail.

“It was a pleasure working with Alison. A creative and professional photographer that reminds architects like me that there is a world of difference between a smart phone photo and the intuitive, exciting quality results she achieved for our buildings.”

John Collière

Collière Architecture

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Channel 9 Studio Perth Photography

CHANNEL 9 STUDIO PERTH – INTERIORS PHOTOGRAPHY

It was an exciting experience upon walking into the new Channel 9 Studio on St George’s Terrace Perth before the grand opening to capture some interiors photography.

On the day I attended, I saw Emmy Kubainski, Tim McMillan, Michael Thomson, Scherri-Lee Biggs, and Liam Bartlett shooting for their ‘Channel 9 Perth has a new home’ footage.  Liam even apologised for walking through one of my photos… I felt a bit giddy, born-and-bred Perthite that I am.

I photographed parts of the new build which was designed by Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland Architects, including the grand foyer space with its polished concrete floors and stunning lit wall panelling which leads into the new state-of-the-art studio through full height doors. Unfortunately, on this occasion we weren’t able to gain access to the studio, it being so top secret! The foyer opens to an adjacent corridor which shares a glimpse to an internal garden, and flows into a lounge meeting space and then into a large breakout zone, courtyard and casual meeting rooms.

I look forward to returning to capture the fantastic statement building’s exterior soon, and also getting a glimpse into the studio!

You can read more about the opening of the new studio here: ‘Nine News Perth Opens New Studios in Heart of the City

@Channel9 @9Perth @9NewsPerth #topoftheterrace #itstimefornine
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The Goods Shed Claremont Photography

THE GOODS SHED, CLAREMONT

FORM, Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland and Griffiths Architects

The redevelopment of the Goods Shed in Claremont sees the dilapidated structure being transformed into a highly functional and adaptable vibrant community space. The reverence to, and conservation of the existing fabric was key to the transformation which has been realised in the seamless integration of old and new.

If this is the first you’ve seen or heard of The Goods Shed, Lynda Dorrington, Executive Director at FORM explains it perfectly:

“Welcome to The Goods Shed, Western Australia’s newest creative project space, in a repurposed heritage railway building at Claremont Station. A year-round program of speakers, artist residences, projects and workshops. A place to grab a coffee, read a paper, or hang out with friends in the gardens. It’s an exciting new venture, in a very special old building.”

FORM required a gallery space to serve the community and facilitate local and international artists to showcase and collaborate in an interactive space. The partnership between FORM and LandCorp enabled the project to be realised with the generous support from sponsors and suppliers. The architectural firms’ design was motivated by the values of culture and community to facilitate the revival of the Goods Shed and overall precinct, engaging the broader community to celebrate the arts and culture of Western Australia.

The Goods Shed has a flexible gallery and events space, and studio and workplace for artists in residence. It stimulates high quality events, showcases and activities with the capacity to influence perceptions and build the reputation of the evolving Claremont precinct as a place for new ideas, activity and energy. The coffee pod, nestled within a landscaped forecourt, provides public streetscape activation and connection across the precinct.

Photographing The Goods Shed Claremont was a delight. The project is exactly what I love – a rustic old ‘shed’ being transformed into a vibrant community space, mixing the old with the new. I love the raw beauty of the old materials, rusted tin, aged railway sleepers, huge barn doors, even train tracks running through the gallery, adding that special touch.

The Goods Shed is well worth a visit so I would encourage you to go along for an event, exhibition or even for a coffee and a wander through.

“It has been a pleasure to watch Alison’s work progress and to see her develop into a thoroughly professional and skilled architectural photographer. We have worked together on a number of projects now and Alison’s photography certainly makes our work look its very best.”

Philip Griffiths

Griffiths Architects

If you’d like to find out more about The Goods Shed or FORM, visit: The Goods Shed Claremont

@formwa #thegoodsshedwa #coxhowlettandbaileywoodland #griffithsarchitects
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What is Architecture Photography?

What is Architecture Photography?

So, what is architecture photography? It sounds like a weird question but when I was recently asked this question by a neighbour, it gave me pause to think it through. I take it for granted that everyone knows what an architectural photographer does, but this is not actually the case.

I gathered from talking to people who are not versed in the field of architecture, photography, or architectural photography, they seem to assume that what an architectural photographer does is take photos for houses – basically real estate photography to sell houses. Whilst this can be a part of architectural photography, it’s not necessarily the main part, in my experience at least.

Carnarvon Police and Justice Complex Architecture Photography

My background of working within an architectural studio for fifteen years is somewhat different to what other photographers have experienced. I feel that this foray into the field gave me the opportunity to photograph some pretty amazing architecture designed by one of the largest architectural practises in Perth (and Nationally). The type of architectural photography I was accustomed to was large public buildings. These are places that people of all walks of life visit in large numbers over the years.

Architectural practices have their work professionally photographed to ensure they have visual documentation of their design intent and the outcome that was achieved by months and years of hard work by themselves, their consultants and the builders.

These photographs are used every day by firms in their marketing material, including through the following mediums:

– Website content
– Social media
– Proposals and submissions to clients
– To showcase their past experience to win projects awarded via Expression of Interest (EOI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) documents
– Industry awards entries
– Magazine articles and advertising.

Albany Entertainment Centre Architecture Photography
nib Stadium Architecture Photography

Almost every building you see will most likely have been photographed by a professional architecture photographer, some of them even by me. My most memorable photography assignments for large public buildings include the Albany Entertainment Centre, nib Stadium, The Office of the Premier and Cabinet Room, District Courts of Western Australia, and Sorrento Quay Boardwalk to name just a few. The majority of projects I have photographed have included both interior and exterior photography and have gone on to win awards and feature in magazines.

Of course architectural photography does also cover residential photography of which I have also had the pleasure of being involved in, and of which I will revisit in more detail in the future.  In the next post I discuss the different Types of Architecture Photography

Sorrento Quay Boardwalk Architecture Photography
Cabinet Offices Architecture Photography

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Types of Architecture Photography

Types of Architecture Photography

I’ve met many buildings in my life, most of which I have liked. They range from extremely large, large, medium and small, but all have merit in a design sense in their own right. Some buildings are more challenging to photograph than others, but I can usually swing some pretty decent shots. Interiors photography is often a large part of a photography assignment as interiors and exteriors are seen as a holistic entity and are often designed by the same firm.  But what are the different types of architecture photography?

I wanted to share with you the fields of architecture I am involved with as a bit of a follow on from my first blog postWhat is Architectural Photography’? Architects generally call these fields ‘sectors’ but there are also additional fields of photography such as for commercial and industrial clients, real estate developers and builders.

Without further ado, here is my (I hope) comprehensive list:

Public Architecture Photography I Cultural Architecture Photography

  • Museums, galleries, theatres, entertainment centres, libraries, courthouses, government buildings.

Commercial Architecture Photography

High-rise or medium to low density office buildings, mixed use developments (which include office space with other facilities such as retail, hotel and apartments).

Stadium and Sports Architecture Photography

Large stadiums and arenas, athletics stadiums, aquatic centres, indoor and outdoor recreation complexes.

Education Architecture Photography

Universities, tertiary institutions, high schools, primary schools.

Hospitality Architecture Photography I Retail Architecture Photography

Restaurants, bars, cafes, boutiques, retail stores, department stores, shopping centres, food courts, food and beverage outlets.

Health Architecture Photography

Hospitals, health education facilities, dentistry, hospices, aged care facilities.

Hotel Photography

Large hotels, boutique hotels, resorts, serviced apartments.

Residential Photography I Apartment Photography

Executive residences, private residences, apartment complexes, housing developments.

Landscape Photography I Urban Design Photography

Landscape and urban design in outdoor spaces adds to the community in a beneficial way, promoting a sense of place and well-being.

Architectural Model Photography

From a large scale, highly detailed model or a simple card model.

Commercial and Industrial Photography

For commercial businesses, builders, construction, mining companies and those fields that aren’t strictly classed as ‘architectural’.

Albany Entertainment Centre Architecture Photography
Cabinet Offices Architecture Photography
enex100 Interiors Photography
Cabinet Offices Architecture Photography
AK Reserve Athletics Stadium Architecture Photography
Princes Street Interiors Photography