You start off with what makes a good architectural photograph and then you begin to break down the parts of the photograph. Topics of this chapter include perspective distortion and converging verticals, camera position, image frame and composition, photographing interior spaces, creativity tips, and how to solve problems.
Chapter Four, "Post-Processing Techniques," looks at the techniques used after the shoot has taken place. You begin with a discussion of digital formats. This is primarily between JPEG and RAW formats. Next, you look at a workflow in Photoshop, using RAW images and the Adobe Camera Raw converter.
You then get into post-processing to fix problems that have to do with distortion and perspective problems from the lens. Other topics covered are balancing colors, reducing noise, optimizing contrasts, sharpening the image, and saving your file. Finally you will look at crating panoramas, working with High Dynamic Range (HDR), and other creative tips.
Overall, I think that Architectural Photography provides a good overview of what is really a complex topic. One could spend an entire book on just one of the topics covered in chapter three such as shooting interiors, but the author gives you a good accounting of what you can expect from each technique. He does a very good job of explaining the problems one can encounter especially with perspective.
The book itself takes you through a logical set of steps as you move from history, to technology, into shooting, and post production. While Architectural Photography is not for the complete novice, it is a pretty easy read for those comfortable with basic photography skills. It will also appeal to architects who need photographers to photograph their buildings. It will give you the fundamentals of what it takes to get an appealing and artistic architectural photograph. If you want to learn more about architectural photography, then I can easily recommend this book.
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