The role of people in architectural photography
Layering photographs to control the positioning of people in the final image
Entourage: “a group of people attending or surrounding an important person”. In the language of architecture and design, this word is used to describe the surroundings of a building, or the parts of a drawing beyond purely architectural information, i.e., people, animals, plants, textures, shadow, and light – to tell the viewer what that space may be like when inhabited. Within architecture and interiors photography, entourage (specifically the inclusion of people) is an important consideration amongst everything else that’s important to consider!
So when do you include people in images and when do you leave them out? Well, as with most things in photography, it depends…. The purpose of the imagery, the story a photograph is supposed to convey to the viewer, the composition, scale of the subject, the clients needs, etc. are all factors that can point towards use of entourage.
Adding a person or people into an image immediately offers a reference to size and volume that the viewer can relate to. It can also help to explain how people occupy, use and move in and between spaces. People in photos can also soften harsh or brutal environments and sometimes, it just makes sense - an empty shopping centre or university atrium can be eerie and odd, and let’s face it, over the last year we have seen enough eerie scenes of empty streets to last us a lifetime!
Its not all good though - there can be problems with including people in your images. They can distract from the primary subject (the building or design) and they can make a small space seem even smaller. Clothing, cars and fashion can date an image quickly reducing its useful lifespan if used in a client portfolio. Also, the positioning of people in your images is just as important as other elements in the frame. Avoiding awkward tangents or proportional imbalances are some of the challenges to overcome when using entourage. Now if you can find models (hired talent, local staff, your clients or even yourself) then you can direct and control these elements to some degree, however, if that isn’t possible then the challenge is to try and use the natural flow of people in and out of your frame.
Being in the right place at the right time can sometimes get the results you are after, but as a commercial photographer, you can’t rely on luck to get the shot. You have to make the shot for your client by bringing all the pieces together. Thankfully, there are ways to accomplish this when the decisive moment isn’t forthcoming!
Layering, blending and compositing multiple photographs of the same scene in post production is one such approach, but this requires careful pre-planning and visualisation on location. Having selected your composition and having everything locked down on a (sturdy) tripod, you can capture your base image and then multiple additional images as and when a well-placed subject walks through the frame. In the cover image to this article and the image below, this is exactly what I did. The NOVA SBE university campus was quiet at the time of shooting but the space felt lacking without people so I used around 5 or 6 images or students walking around the space over a 10 minute period to achieve a finished image with a good mix of people well placed within the frame, adding scale, context and interest.
On interior (design) photos, this same approach can be used, but you may also need to add supplemental lighting to your entourage or deliberately drag the shutter and create an intentional blur to make the image more dynamic and avoid distraction to the viewer. In the images below taken at the ClimbUp bouldering wall in Lisbon, the models were lit individually using remote flash and layered on top of base image to achieve the final photograph.
When considering your own imaging needs, the decision to include or exclude entourage is an important one. Here at Clear Space Photography this and other points are discussions we would have with you at the planning and scouting stages of a project so we can create the results you need. Get in touch to find out more and start planning your next photoshoot!