BUILD THEN SHOOT

BUILD THEN SHOOT

“Music is liquid architecture; Architecture is frozen music.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Architects tend to make good travellers – their professional background enables them to appreciate the “frozen music of structures” better.

Among a lot of them, there are the ones that can take brilliant photos, which are infused with their thorough understanding of the concretes and steel bars.

Interview and Translation by Madeline Weng Photos by Ozzie Au, Chen He, Leo Wu, He Hongcai

Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai

The photo was taken on a closed Monday in May, when there was scarcely any passer-by. The monochrome architecture stood lonely by the side of Huangpu River, like a concrete snake slowly crawling around the wasted discharge bridge. Seen from the inside, the museum looks like an empty grey tube stretching into infinity.

五月里的一个阴天，上海的龙美术馆西岸馆恰逢周一闭馆，人迹稀少；它寂寥地伫立在黄浦江边，素色的混凝土以蜿蜒的姿势包裹着卸载桥，形成无限延伸的空洞。

(Photo by Ozzie Au)

“音乐是流动的建筑,建筑是凝固的音乐”。——德国诗人歌德

建筑师都是旅行家

不是摄影师的建筑师不是好的旅行家——在按下快门的那一刻，建筑师将他们对“凝固乐章”的理解融入钢筋与混凝土之中，由镜头来诠释这场化合反应。

Guangzhou Opera House, Guangdong广州大剧院

Ozzie Au

Architect @Shenzhen

AN OUTBURST OF EMOTIONS

主观感知的自由抒发

Nihao: How do you appreciate a modern building?

A: When I stand in front of a building, I appreciate the emotions it casts on me.

I observe not only its genres and materials, but also the surrounding environment. In the photos that I take, I blend in not only the weather and light, but also my mood at that instant.

For visitors that have no theoretical background, it helps to do some research before going to see a famous building.

Every building is like a book with its ups and downs. Inside a construction, space and arrangements change from room to room. The moment you feel touched by it, the moment you should pick up the camera – and that photo is a “book review” written by you.

Nihao:你如何欣赏建筑

A:观赏建筑的时候，我重视建筑带给我的片刻感受；建筑摄影不局限于体现它的风格流派，还应融入当时的天气、建筑场所和个人心情等因素。每个空间、表皮的质感、场所的氛围营造以及光与影的对话、人与场所的互动，都会给你带来不同的感受。对于没有建筑理论背景的游客来说，事先做一些参观建筑背景的功课会有一定帮助的。

每当我走进一个建筑，我便把它当作一本书认真地阅读。就像故事情节的跌宕起伏一样，建筑也有空间的收与放，时而幽径时而空旷；有的形态庄严简约，而有的活泼丰富，充满力量感与轻盈感。当你的心受到触动，按下快门，照片就成了你的观后感。

Interior of The Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture, Beijing中国园林博物馆室内

AN ACCURATE WITNESS

设计意图的准确表达

Chen He

Architecture photographer @Beijing

Nihao: What are the main features of architectural photography?

C: Architectural photographs are usually taken to professionally demonstratea designer's intentions, as well as the architectural space, its materials and macro-environment, e.g. the city and landscape. Architectural photography is also used for ancient architecture measurement and the reservation of historical materials.

This kind of photography mainly uses tilt-shift lenses, which are able to eliminate perspective distortion. Personally, I use a tripod for every photo when I shoot architecture. This is to avoid unwanted trembling that may affect the result. Apart from that, I like to use small aperture to ensure the depth of fleld.

Nihao:建筑摄影和其他类型的摄影有什么主要区别？

C:建筑摄影是通过摄影艺术来表达建筑师的设计意图、建筑空间、建筑材料及建筑在“大环境”（如城市、景观等）里的关系的专业摄影表达，除此之外也会用于古建筑测绘和资料留存。……