Architectural Photography: A Breath of Fresh Air
2022 was a generous year for my career. I was blessed with the opportunity to shoot very interesting projects for really cool clients and travel the world while doing it. However, this featured project at Brickell City Centre in Miami gave me permission for a much-needed trip home.
Architectural photography can be a slow burn. It is often a meticulous, intentional process that prioritizes getting things right instead of sheer volume. 12-15 images are what I would feel comfortable delivering to a client while maintaining my standards for quality, and that’s assuming a full day from dawn to dusk. We get fussy over the details, deliberate over inches in a composition, and optimize the lighting either by introducing flashes or chasing the sun to be at the right place and time.
I was instantly intrigued and relieved when I saw the brief for this project from my dear friends at SWIRE properties. They didn’t want the normal mix of interiors and exteriors. Instead of a shot list, we had a mood, a “vibe” as the kids say these days. The shots were needed to fill out their upcoming newly designed website, so the focus was on textures, contrast, the juxtaposition of design elements, and an overall emotional reaction from viewers rather than the standard series of hero shots most clients ask for.
The shoot called for a different mindset. It needed a more journalistic approach appropriate for street photography, one that required less thinking and more reacting, shooting from the hip and chasing the light. These are the skills that I constantly put into practice while engaging in my favorite thing in life: walking through new cities. Suffice it to say I was not going to be setting up flashes in the middle of a shopping mall or along Brickell ave, nor did I have the luxury of shuffling cars and people around at a whim. I had to make do with the variables provided by the urban landscape. It’s a pleasant change of pace because it permits me to forget about technical skills and focus more on observing and reacting to life as it happens. It’s in these moments that I remember how fun photography can be. And I was getting paid for it this time!
Probably my favorite shot of the entire series, and one that could have easily slipped through the cracks as it was dusk, and I was exhausted from shooting all day. I was debating leaving the shopping mall and heading back to my hotel when I suddenly looked up. Fuji Xt-30 + 27mm Lens
A detailed shot of the climate ribbon creating a dance of light and shadows with the setting sun. The types of shots I get when I am just obsessed with chasing light. Canon R5C + 70-200mm.
The Shoot Day
Brickell City Centre (Designed by Arquitectonica) gave Miami something it sorely lacked for years: A legit, upscale shopping mall in the heart of downtown. Prior to its construction, you either had to go to Miami Beach, South to Coral Gables or Kendall, or west to Doral to engage in any kind of real retail shopping outside of a Walmart or Target. It’s a mixed-use neighborhood consisting of shops, restaurants, bars, luxury apartments, office space, and the East Hotel (pictured below)
The design elements feature large reflective glass panels and stone mixed with an abundance of carefully placed foliage and green spaces. Capturing the green space within the context of the architecture was a critical priority for my client, but the majority of the focus was spent on the climate ribbon, (pictured above) which you’ve no doubt noticed in many of the images. It’s definitely the highlight of the show when it comes to the multi-level mall portion of the development. Miami is hot. It’s hot here quite often. The ribbon is designed to provide consistent cooling throughout the open-air space so that shoppers can be comfortable year-round. A marriage of form and function.
My client is also responsible for developing large chunks of Brickell, including most of Brickell Key, so we wanted to make sure to capture a fair share of ambiance and a general slice of life of the surrounding area, hence why you’ll see shots of boats and lifestyle shots of people within the context of the neighborhood.
I spent a total of two full days on foot in and around the development watching the sun bounce, reflect, and carve texture into the various facades and surfaces and capturing the moments as they appeared before me. It was important to be quick and nimble and didn’t spend too much time fussing with equipment, so I had the Canon RF 70-200mm permanently glued to my Canon R5C strapped around my right shoulder for compression and detailed shots. The Fuji X Pro 3 with the 27mm pancake lens allowed for the perfect "in-between” focal length for editorial-type shots. Not too wide. Not too compressed. That little combo has been the real hero in much of my work lately. I never leave home without it. It allows me to quickly snap moments as soon as I notice them, and it’s small and light enough to not be intimidating or noticeable when shooting near people.
Of course, there was still some demand for the more “polished” hero shots I am known to deliver, so I did bring out the big guns too. The medium format GFX 100s was the right hammer for those jobs.
The project was an overall exhilarating change of pace. I’ve traveled the world and explored numerous cities on foot from Chicago to Barcelona walking for miles at a time and days on end chasing light and immersing myself in the culture. This opportunity provided the same sense of freedom, exploration, and experimentation and I couldn’t be more grateful to my clients for trusting me and deferring to my vision.
And I definitely got my steps in. I hope you enjoy the rest of the gallery below as well as some of the BTS !
The East Hotel at Brickell City Centre reflecting the first rays of sunshine on a peaceful morning. A rare moment of calm and reflection before the cacophony of Miami traffic cranks up your anxiety.
Crisp shadows and a warm/ cool contrast balanced by just the right amount of negative space to the left of the frame.
Late Afternoon at the pool in the Rise condo tower. Another serendipitous moment as I frolicked around the deck. I love the balance of warm sunlight and concrete, with the pool adding some nice color contrast. I am just a sucker for long shadows. Canon R5C + 70-200m.
Another peaceful shot I want to print. Juxtaposing green space and concrete elements was a priority for my client and one of the few specific instructions I was given for the shoot.
More contrast of green and stone.
Protruding shapes form letters extending from the facade of the buildings to spell out “Brickell City Centre.” Shots like these are important to show my client’s attention to detail.
A chance encounter with the right light off Brickell Key. This image brings me a lot of peace. So much so that I want to print it and hang it in my living room.
The slight human element adds a sense of scale to the image and demonstrates the sheer gravitas of the climate ribbon that occupies the entire top floor of the shopping mall.
Sometimes it’s ok to let things go dark. Was not worried about the interior of the mall here as I wanted to emphasize the shapes of the walkway connecting the different areas of the mall.
Residents of Brickell Key pause their morning runs to welcome the rising sun. These are the lifestyle elements we were looking for in addition to the architectural photographs to compliment the brand’s story and demonstrate the humanity in their work. Canon R5C + 70-200
Designed for humans. Love showing spaces in use. Another personal favorite as the sun slowly filters through the cloud on a beautiful, crisp morning in Brickell Key. Canon R5C + 24-70
Once again very important to show my client’s capability of integrating lush green space within their projects. They know their spaces are for people, and we thrive in nature wherever we can find it.
The climate ribbon kissed by sunlight. I could stare at this thing all day. Puts me in a trance, like when I would stare at the clouds as a kid.
Of course it’s also important to demonstrate the LED lighting carving the ribbon at night.
The Climate Ribbon resembling the waves of the ocean with the backlight from the sun carving out its curves.
Shapes and details are perfect for banner images on a website. A priority for the client.
The dispersed use of green space allows for some interesting shadows and textures on the metal facade when the sun is at the right angle. Moods and textures that evoke emotion were the priority vs just taking photos of the space.