eliminate the element of color. His work was a cross between beautiful images and documentary of those buildings and rooms. He knew that people can be a distracting element in a photo, where the intended focus is on the building or room. Clothing fashion styles also date the photo, preventing its use beyond a decade or so.
However, the trend of including people continues. Many architects want to highlight HOW the building is used by people. After all, that is the function of buildings; to be used. People can also show the scale of interior rooms. Blurred people have been used for many years. Some photographers, such as Iwan Baan, go so far as to suggest that buildings are "backdrops" for the people; even though his buildings are elegantly photographed. Architectural Digest photographers will include even pets at times.
Norman McGrath, a well respected architectural photographer, suggests that it may be best to photograph with and without people, to offer clients the option, depending on use. That is generally how I approach my work, when possible. A recent client wanted mostly images without people for the exterior, but wanted normal users of the building included for the interiors. The exterior images also included some people, to "drop in" as needed via Photoshop.
Here is a set of recent images from a university shoot, of a lecture hall. Which do you prefer?
The additional complication of people in the photographs is the need for model releases, and even perhaps model fees. Any recognizable face requires a release, so that the photograph can be used by the client as they wish. The images above, a recent day at the Colorado School of Mines, required almost 50 releases for students in the photos. That added quite a bit of additional work on that shoot.
I think that the trend will continue; people add a dynamic element to architectural photographs. Let's just make sure that the architecture doesn't "fade into the background".
Greg Sprenger
Constructed Images LLC
