James Ewing
Architectural Photography
Architectural photography illustrates buildings and brings them to people who will never see them first hand. At it’s most simple it is a transportation company for buildings…
What is the role of your service or specialty in the development of today’s leading architectural ideas? What is the role of architectural photography today?
Architectural photography illustrates buildings and brings them to people who will never see them first hand. At it’s most simple it is a transportation company for buildings, at its most complex, it’s a psychological service which guides users in how to experience architecture.
US Pavilion at Expo ’67, Buckminster Fuller and Shoji Sadao, Montréal, Canada 1967; restoration, Les Architects FABG, 1994
Photo: James Ewing Photography
What are the latest innovative developments that you are working on?
Sometimes innovation is not the solution, it’s the problem. I use the latest digital technology which allows many working advantages, but I’d be just as happy using film, or even a camera obscura and pencil for that matter. My point is that architectural photography is not about technology — it’s about technique, craft, vision. Architectural photography is illustration rather than documentation. My innovation is that I aspire to work in the tradition of Giovanni Piranesi, John Ruskin, and Hugh Ferriss.
How can consultants and collaborative firms push the boundaries of what is possible in advancing innovative design and architecture?
Look backward as you look forward. Use common sense in uncommon ways.
Centro Niemeyer, Oscar Niemeyer, Avilés, Spain, 2011
Photo: James Ewing Photography
Explain how your expertise was used in and contributed to the success of a particular project?
Last summer we were honored with a commission to photograph the World Trade Center site for a special issue of Architectural Record. The assignment was to shoot four stories covering projects in construction by Snøhetta, Santiago Calatrava, Handel Architects, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. We had incredible support from these firms as well as engineers, contractors and a host of others. My studio manager did a superb job in setting up access for all of the critical vantage points. I planned the shoot around movement of the sun through lower Manhattan. Ultimately, we think the success of any particular project depends on smooth collaboration of many factors. Architectural Record recently won the coveted Grand Neal Award for this issue.
Adalaj Stepwell, Ahmedabad, India, 1499
Photo: James Ewing Photography
Gare Liège-Guillemins, Santiago Calatrava, Liège, Belgium, 2009
Photo: James Ewing Photography
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