From the Arch Club Journal

The exposure triangle for architecture, and the film to load

Straight lines, deep shadows and fine detail. How to expose buildings inside and out.

Written by Arch Club, a members' club that shoots only on film.

The triangle in one minute

Every exposure balances three things. Film speed (ISO) is how sensitive the film is to light. Aperture (the f-number) is how wide the lens opens, and it decides how much of the picture is sharp from front to back. Shutter speed is how long the light falls on the film, and it decides whether movement freezes or blurs. Open one by a stop and you can close another by a stop for the same exposure.

Film adds one twist: you choose the ISO when you load the roll, and it stays fixed for every frame. So the film you pick before you leave home is the first and biggest exposure decision you make.

What matters with a building

I
Keep the camera level.Tilt the camera up and vertical lines lean inward. Keep the back straight and step away, or use a shift lens such as Canon's TS-E 17mm and 24mm to raise the view without the lean.
II
Work at f/8 to f/11.Most lenses are at their sharpest here, and it gives enough depth for facades and long interiors.
III
Expose for the shadows.Negative film holds bright highlights well but loses detail in shadows that are underexposed. Meter the dark parts you care about, and the highlights will usually take care of themselves.
IV
Bring a tripod indoors.Interiors are darker than they look. A tripod lets you keep slow, fine grain film and a small aperture, and simply use a longer shutter.
V
Watch the colour of the light.Daylight films turn warm under tungsten bulbs. Colour negative film can be corrected when printed; tungsten balanced film corrects it at the source.

Starting points

LightFilmApertureShutter
Overcast exteriorDelta 100 or T-Max 100f/81/60 to 1/125
Daylit interiorT-Max 100 or Portra 160f/8 to f/11Meter it, on a tripod
Night, lit by tungstenCineStill 800Tf/4 to f/5.6Meter it, on a tripod

The film to load

I
Kodak T-Max 100 and Ilford Delta 100.Very fine grain and high sharpness for crisp lines and stone texture.
II
Kodak Ektar 100.Clean, saturated colour for exteriors in good light.
III
Kodak Portra 400.Forgiving with mixed light and high contrast interiors.
IV
CineStill 800T.Balanced for tungsten light, for buildings after dark. Expect red halos around bright lights.
Level camera, middle aperture, and expose for the shadows.
White marble stilettos with red marble straps on a black marble plinth
Shot on film at Arch Club

ARCH CLUB

A members' club for foot photography, shot only on film.

Every Arch Club photograph is made on a Canon EOS-1V, a Mamiya 7 or a Fuji GW690II, with real models in New York and never AI. Members receive new film photographs every month, and collectors can own the original negative, sealed in display resin with a print of their choice.

Membership$49.99/mo
Polaroid$111
4×6 print$200
Negatives$1,100 to $2,000
Cameras35mm, 6×7, 6×9
Become a MemberBecome a Model

Anyone can find a picture. Few will ever hold a photograph.

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Published by Arch Club, Brooklyn, New York.