Utah Preservation Magazine | Photo Documentation | Research Your House | Measuring Floor Plans
Guidelines for Photographing Historic Buildings
[Utah State Historic Preservation Office]
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
35mm camera: A good-quality, name brand camera with through-the-lens viewing and detachable lenses is preferred.
Standard Lens: 50mm; good for general photography but somewhat limited.
Wide Angle Lenses: 20mm, 28mm, or 35mm. These are very useful for interior photographs, exterior photos where you
have to stand closer to the building (because of trees, for example), or exterior photos of large buildings or sites.
Zoom Lens: Approximately 35mm--80mm. This can be a good all-purpose lens. Larger zoom lenses, approx. 80mm-200mm, can be useful at times, but are usually not necessary for most occasions.
Macro Lens: This is for copying older photographs. Some zoom lenses have a macro feature, though the images they
produce will not be as sharp as with a true macro lens. Another option for copying photographs is to use extension tubes
on a standard lens.
Filters: A standard "skylight" filter helps reduce atmospheric glare and protects the lens. Other filters, which can enhance
the image, are not recommended for the average photographer.
RECOMMENDED FILM
General Recommendations: It is useful to have both color slides and black-and-white prints of your historic sites. Slides
can be used for presentations, while prints are needed for publications. Black-and-white print film is also the most archival. Color prints are not recommended.
Digital Photos: Digital photographs should be printed on photographic paper at 300 dpi (pixels per inch) in 4”x 6” prints or larger. These should be printed out on glossy, high-quality photo paper in black and white. A CD/DVD-ROM with all the images (in color) should be submitted along with the photo sheets. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels or larger. It is recommended that digital images be saved in 8-bit (or larger) color format, which provides maximum detail even when printed in black-and-white. TIF images are preferable, but JPEG images are acceptable. For more information on digital photo standards contact the SHPO.
Slides: Digital images are preferred; however, slides are acceptable. Kodachrome (or equivalent) has the truest colors. 64 ASA is a good all-purpose film; films with a lower ASA number produce a better image. One disadvantage of Kodachrome is that the processing usually takes about a week because it
must be sent out-of-state. Ektachrome is another type of slide film. Its main advantage is that it can be processed locally, usually within a day. It also comes in higher speeds (200 and 400 ASA), which are useful in low-lighting situations. The
main disadvantage of Ektachrome is that the colors are often somewhat tinted, though this problem has been alleviated
to
a great extent in recent years by improved film quality.
Black-and-White Prints: A good all-purpose film is Kodak TMAX 100 ASA. There are higher-speed versions of this film,
400 ASA for example, which can be used in reduced lighting situations or when a larger lens is being used. The higher
speed films will not produce as sharp a print, however.
RECOMMENDED PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES
Lighting: As a general rule, shoot with the sun at your back so the sunlight is on the face of the subject building. Avoid shooting toward the sun. Buildings that face north should be photographed earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon
to avoid shooting directly into the sun. One problem with sunlight is that it can cause shadows that obscure some of the architectural details; dappled shadows from nearby trees are especially distracting. Shadows can be avoided by photographing on a lightly overcast day. If the sky is heavily overcast the photograph will be too gray and murky.
Interior lighting: A flash unit is necessary for many interior photographs. Natural and room lighting can be used successfully
if you are using a high-speed film and a tripod.
Composition: The subject should dominate the photograph, but its surroundings should also be included to some extent.
If the setting is particularly important or unique, a more panoramic photograph may be in order. In general, however,
avoid extensive foreground and sky in your photographs. Artistic techniques can be employed to create more interesting
and dramatic photographs. These include the use of unusual angles, stark lighting, depth-of-field adjustments, and creative framing (a tree bough across the top of the image, for example). Remember, however, that the primary purpose of the photograph is to document the building, so don't get carried away with artistic embellishments.
For additional information
Contact: Cory Jensen at (801) 533-3559
State Historic Preservation Office
Utah Division of State History
300 S. Rio Grande Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
fax: (801) 533-3503