There is a great satisfaction in making a fine art out of a simple photo of a building. I believe every photographer wants to capture buildings in their perfect shapes with the ideal use of lights and shadows. It is indeed a game of geometry and finding the right mix of lights and shadows to bring the structure to live. And what is most enjoyable about it is your gut feeling that tells you that you nailed it just right when you manage to capture the perfect composition. The rest is a matter of personal style, which for each of us is unique. Hence, no two photographers will ever capture the same building in exactly the same way.
But the most exciting part is of course the editing. Because this is where your creativity really runs wild. For this shot in Singapore, I have tried to experiment with different looks. For this particular building, I have decided to go with the minimalist approach. You may have noticed that in most shots I prefer colorful skies with nice clouds, but in this case, I thought that the minimalist style would be suitable for showing off the shapes of the building.
Fine art architectural photography often requires extensive editing in order to highlight the details of the building and eliminate any other distraction from the shot. By doing so, the fine art photographer is able to create an image that makes the viewer feel as if he is looking at a piece of art. In other words, the main purpose of such photography is to depict the building in a way that highlights the photographer’s own view of it by focusing on the shape, lights, and shadows.
As you can see, I have included all three versions of the shot: the color file, the shot with the dramatic cloudy sky, and the final look I have created for the minimalist fine art style.
And now I would love to hear your opinion, my friend. Which one of the 3 versions do you like more? Is it the color image or the fine art version with the minimalism approach? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Love U all ❤️
Morteza Yousefi