Times Square. New York City.

In Focus is Archinect's recurring series dedicated to profiling the photographers who help make the work of architects look that much better. What has attracted them to architecture? How do they work? What type of equipment do they use? What do they think about seeing their work in blogs?

For this installment, we interviewed the NYC-based photographer Leonardo Mascaro.

What is your relationship with architecture? What drew you to architecture, as a photographer?

Even before considering myself a professional photographer,  I was capturing architecture around me. No matter where I would be, I'd take my phone out, look up and try to find a different angle of an everyday building. I started my career exclusively photographing concerts until I realized the two worlds of concerts and architecture aren't too far apart. The building, like a musician, expresses itself with shapes and attributes, waiting to be captured in the best lighting available at the time. My role is to stay right in front of it, waiting for the performance to begin.

Who are your clients?

At the moment, my main clients are Marketing Agencies that specialize in the luxury sector of Real Estate. I also work directly with people who are looking for professional pictures of their homes.

Do you mostly work in a specific region? What is your travel schedule like?
I'm based in New York City, where I commercially shoot, but I'm available to travel anywhere my client wants me to.

What is your goal when capturing buildings in photographs?
To capture a building in as many different angles as possible. When I'm able to spend a lot of time on the site, I like to explore all shooting possibilities, using available lenses to create a larger number of unique images. I normally start with a really wide angle lens, capturing the whole structure in its habitat but for me, the magic happens when I start zooming in as close as a I can, until I'm able to isolate the parts and take it out of the context.

What are your thoughts about including people in your photos? Is it important to photograph a building in use, or by itself?
A person is not the first thing I think about when photographing a building, as I'm normally attracted first by the abstractionism of the shapes and colors. Lately, I've been more and more aware of how the human figure in the right place can activate a photograph by giving us a perspective needed to understand that environment.

What are your favorite pieces of equipment?
There will always be something new to buy, but as for now I am very happy with my Canon 6D with a super wide-angle lens and a telephoto. When working on personal projects, I love to explore in-camera multiple exposures, so that is definitely a "must have" feature for me.

Do you work alone?
Yes, due to the size of the projects I've been working on. When the need is there, I wouldn't hesitate having someone with me on a bigger project. By alone, I mean taking the photographs, since on location, there will always be the client there to discuss the ideas and make sure we are on the same page.

How do you feel about seeing your photographs on blogs and websites?
I can't think of any down side for that, as long as it's properly credited and not causing damage to anyone. I believe that having your work displayed on a prestigious website can reach a larger audience than a gallery show, which is still very important. But one thing doesn't exclude the other. 

Leonardo Mascaro is a NYC-based Photographer interested in music, architecture, travel and the arts. Despite having a degree in Graphic Design and having worked with video editing and motion graphics, it was in Photography where he found his true passion. He was born in São Paulo, Brazil, where he lived until 2013. His work is almost exclusively in color and believes it is very influenced by his background as a Graphic Designer.

Website: www.leonardomascaro.com 
Instagram: @leomascaro
Facebook:/LeonardoMascaroPhotogrpahy
Twitter: @masceroleo