San Antonio Architectural Photography
There comes a time in every photographer’s career when they decide to branch out. That time for me, is now. Lately, I’ve been trying my hand at architectural photography. Since society has changed a bit and couples are no longer booking large-scale weddings, I now have plenty of time to get creative. In today’s blog post, I will be sharing with you my latest foray into San Antonio architectural photography. In addition, I have some photo tips from the trenches for those of you who might want to grab your camera and try your hand at a new trade as well. So, join me in this new path of discovery.
Downtown San Antonio – An Architectural Photographer’s Paradise
One of the benefits of living in downtown San Antonio is that I have a wealth of buildings at my doorstep. While I may not be booking that many weddings lately, I have plenty of buildings – both old and new – to choose from for my portfolio.
San Antonio Architectural Photography – CHRISTUS Children’s Hospital
I’ve been starting with the quirkiest buildings I could find, as you might have guessed – knowing my personality. The first building I photographed was the CHRISTUS Children’s Hospital, located right across from Milam Park. The colorful balconies on this building have always caught my eye. Paired with the striking mural of the angel and child on the side of the building, the architecture here makes you stop and take a look.
I took my time photographing this building from all angles. To get the proper height for the shots, I had to climb to the top of the playground equipment at Milam Park. Fear not, there were no children present.
San Antonio Architectural Photography – John H. Wood Jr. Federal Courthouse
The next architectural wonder I photographed was the John H. Wood Jr. Federal Courthouse. This building is a clear throwback to the 60s, and in fact was originally known as the Confluence Theatre in the US pavilion for HemisFair 1968.
I am a huge fan of space age, 60s-architecture since my days of living in Queens next door to the Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The good news is that preservation covenants held by the Texas Historical Commission provide protection for the buildings and apparently they cannot be torn down. While the final fate of the former courthouse is still to be determined, it appears that the building may be a part of the new San Antonio Spurs ‘Project Marvel’ deal that is going forward. We shall wait and see
San Antonio Architectural Photography – Central Library
Since I was photographing San Antonio’s iconic Tower of the Americas, I had to also take photos of the city’s infamous ‘enchilada red’ Central Library. This has always been one of my favorite buildings in the city. The interesting, geometric sculptures out in front of the library are begging for photo shoot, in my humble opinion. Sadly, the neighborhood surrounding the library is home to a large number of vagrants. But, the building is still beautiful, and quite worthy of being photographed.
San Antonio Architectural Photography – Alamo Music Center
The Alamo Music Center is a vestige of days gone by. When I arrived in San Antonio two years ago, the marquee was lit up every night. Unfortunately, it seems that the wiring has become faulty, and the marquee is no longer turned on to preserve what is left of the sign.
While I was out taking photos, I had an interesting chat with Paul Francis, the owner of Central, a skate shop right next door to the Alamo Music Company. In case you weren’t aware, this is the oldest music store in the state of Texas. The original building is where the current McDonald’s is at the corner of Losoya and E. Commerce Streets.
The Alamo Music Company is still owned by the original family and, according to Paul Francis, had a number of lives before it became a music store. Begun in 1929 by Alfredo Flores Sr., It was a store, and then a hotel. While it was a hotel, there apparently was a murder on the second floor. This caused a scandal, and the second floor was closed up for years.
The second floor still exists, as do connections between the stores on either side of Alamo Music Center. And apparently, the second floor is pretty much perfectly preserved. Who knows what you’ll find up there?
San Antonio Architectural Photography – Downtown at Night
Lastly, I’ve been taking quite a few photos of downtown San Antonio at night. As a night owl, twilight is the magic hour for me. Coming from New York City, I am used to a lot more bright lights, big city. Here’s what I found along St. Mary’s and Houston Streets. By the way, if you’re ever looking for a great perspective, don’t hesitate to go to the top of a parking garage. If you don’t have a drone, parking garages often offer the best seat in the house.
What’s Next on My List?
I have a huge list of buildings I still want to photograph. I’m also open to suggestions, if anyone has some recommendations. My own taste tends towards the retro side of architecture. Think old neon, faded deco, crumbling 60s mid-century modern. My upcoming shoots include the El Montan Motel, Bun n’ Barrel, and the Freemason Temple. Furthermore, I’ve been making regular trips to Austin in preparation for a move there this summer. So, I’ll be sharing these photos with you soon.
A Few Architectural Photography Tips
I am just starting out in architectural photography, so I feel like I cannot play the role of expert. While I have been a professional photographer going on 15 years, each genre of photography has its own technical rules to follow. And architectural photography is by far the most precise subset of our trade.
That said, here is what I have learned thus far:
1. Set your ISO as low as possible. An ISO of 100 is preferred.
2. Set your aperture as small as possible. Start at f/8 so that everything is in focus.
3. Play with your shutter speed to compensate for the fact that you have a low ISO and small aperture. This means you will need to get yourself a good tripod, since you will no doubt be shooting at a very slow shutter speed.
4. To truly avoid the camera shake that comes with you touching the shutter button, use your camera’s self-timer.
5. I have found the best time to take architectural photos is normally dusk to twilight.
6. The mark of an unprofessional architectural photographer is a tilted building. To solve this little problem, you will need to either get a hold of a tilt-shift lens (B&H) or to fix the issue in post. Tilt shift lenses can be rented for about $104 per week (Lensrentals or Lensprotogo).
7. Bracket your shots to make sure you get the best exposure if you are shooting in tricky lighting situations.
8. Be prepared to do some heavy editing afterwards to get rid of trash, power lines, and people. The clean images you see in magazines rarely started out that clean.
9. Don’t forget to capture the details.
10. Avoid overly wide lenses due to distortion.
As always, enjoy the images, and I’ll have plenty of photo adventures for you next week!
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If you find this article on ‘San Antonio Architectural Photography’ useful, then check out these articles:
• Best San Antonio Parks for Family Portraits
• Secret San Antonio Photo Shoot Locations
• Best San Antonio Botanical Garden Photo Locations
Looking to book a portrait session or update your website photos in Austin or San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.
To view more images from my photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com
