In Focus is Archinect's new series of features 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?

In this feature, we talk to American photographer Kevin Bauman.
 

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

Kevin Bauman: My father was an architect, and both of my parents were very interested in architecture, so growing up I was exposed to critical thinking about architecture and the role good architecture can play in society. I was always creative in some way. In high school and college it was ceramics, and soon after I became interested in photography. It wasn't long before my interest in architecture and my passion for photography came together.


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Shot from the 100 Abandoned Houses project
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from the 100 Abandoned Houses project
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from the 100 Abandoned Houses project
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from the 100 Abandoned Houses project
Photography by Kevin Bauman

Describe how you work... who are your clients?

KB: Currently most of my work consists of my personal projects. I have several documentary projects that are ongoing, including 100 Abandoned Houses . The projects have received a tremendous amount of media attention, and I have been extremely busy with print sales. I also have some repeat business from a couple of good editorial clients that need work done all over the country, so even though I've moved twice, they continue to send work my way.

Up until 2008, I was based in metro Detroit, and business was steady with the majority of my clients consisting of architects, designers, developers, and the like. I also did quite a bit of industrial, product, and lifestyle photography for a few good clients. When it looked like the real estate market was about to implode, my wife and I moved to the D.C. area, and quickly picked up a few clients due to the still booming real estate market. Eventually we made the decision to move to Denver for the lifestyle, and although the real estate market has slowed greatly, we think we can start picking up new clients in the area soon.

Fortunately, between the success of my personal projects, my web development skills, my wife's design skills, we haven't felt the impact of the downturn in the market, other than losses on a house we still own in metro Detroit. I do expect to tilt the back towards architectural and industrial photography again in the near future.


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Shot from a series on Detroit's small churches
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from a series on Detroit's small churches
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from a series on Detroit's small churches
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from a series on Detroit's small churches
Photography by Kevin Bauman

Do you mostly work in a specific region? What is your travel schedule like?

KB: Right now my travel schedule is fairly light. In the past though, I traveled to all parts of the country, and once to Europe, for photography assignments. We'll see what the future holds, though it seems that there fewer less budgets that will allow for a lot of travel than there were in the past. I wouldn't be surprised if more of my work in the future is regional. Even in the good years, I'd still say that more than half of my jobs were in the state of Michigan.


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Abandoned building in the Detroit metro area
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Abandoned factory in the Detroit metro area
Photography by Kevin Bauman

What is your goal when capturing buildings in photographs?

KB: It often depends on the client and the intended usage. I always want to meet the needs of my clients. Architects, interior designers, and different publications, may have very different goals in mind when looking to hire me for a shoot. Sometimes a client's needs dictate very specific shots, highlighting certain elements, and other times the client just asks me to go in and do what I think would work out best.


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Shot from a personal image series of the Michigan Central Station in Detroit
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from a personal image series of the Michigan Central Station in Detroit
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from a personal image series of the Michigan Central Station in Detroit
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Shot from a personal image series of the Michigan Central Station in Detroit
Photography by Kevin Bauman

What are your thoughts about including people in your photos? Is it important to photograph a building in use, or by itself?

KB: I think there are times for both approaches. A building is generally designed for use by people, but certain needs may dictate a shot that shows a building, or its interior, without human beings. I like to make the decision on whether or not to include people in shots on a shoot by shoot, or shot by shot basis. Often times certain shots are done with, and without people in the scene, just to have options later on. Many clients don't know exactly what they want, or exactly how they'll use the images, and I like to give them different variations to work with.


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McIntosh Poris Associates
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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McIntosh Poris Associates
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Manhattan Residential
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Manhattan Residential
Photography by Kevin Bauman

What are your favorite pieces of equipment?

KB: Unlike many others out there, I'm not much of a techie. I like whatever tool gets the job done. In fact for many of my personal projects, I still use Hasselblad 500c from forty, or so, years ago, and am perfectly happy with it. That said, I use Canon DSLRs quite a bit now days, and am very happy with them. I really like the great tilt shift lenses they make. The quality from a good DSLR is as good as most clients will ever need. I used to lament the passing of using film on paid shoots, but I really like what digital allows me to do.

There are also many useful pieces of non-photographic equipment that I always bring along, as I'm sure do most other architectural photographers, such as a variety of clamps, ladders, gaffer's tape, diffusion cloth, etc. Architectural photography often takes place in tight, or awkward spaces, with hard to control lighting, so knowing that I have a collection of tools to deal with a variety of conditions puts my mind at ease.


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Amsterdam
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Amsterdam
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Brussels
Photography by Kevin Bauman

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Brussels
Photography by Kevin Bauman

Do you work alone?

KB: Again, it all depends on the job. I have some assignments that have a tight time line, with a lot of shots to get done, and an assistant, or two, is the only way to get the job done successfully. But there are other shoots, that don't require an assistant. Maybe there isn't much equipment that will be used, little or no people to deal with, and very little that would require more than two hands, or being in more than one place at a time.

I'm perfectly happy, and comfortable working either way.

How do you feel about seeing your photographs on blogs and websites?

KB: I suppose at first I was a bit upset by the fact that my images would just show up in places without my permission. Having started working photographically before the proliferation of the internet, my work was rarely, if ever, used without my permission or knowledge. Generally, if someone wanted to use an image, I had to send it to them. There was no other way to get it.

Now, images appear all over the internet without my knowledge or permission all the time. If it's a non-commercial use, I'll evaluate the use on a case by case basis. Traditional editorial usage still generally requires licensing and a usage fee, though blogs have really changed things. I don't think it's all sorted out yet. You can't prevent all unauthorized uses without completely removing all of your images from the web. If you want your work to be seen, you'll have to accept the inevitable, unauthorized usage.