A recent apartment building photography assignment brought me to San Francisco. The Etta Luxury Apartment Building offers as much elegant residential living to the interior apartments as the outside view of the structure lends to the overall aesthetics of the community. Residents can be proud of their building as they approach and comfortable once inside. Shooting a high-rise apartment structure such as Etta is a particular challenge for a San Francisco architectural photographer. The challenges range from the lighting to that of getting the full measure of such a towering building. Lighting is a challenge due to the varying direction and effect of shadowing. Instead of fighting the natural shadows that are formed, getting the perfect shots takes accepting the challenge to find the angles to both capture the art of the design and the effect of the building’s construction.

The outside of the Etta was photographed in the early evening. It was at this time that the sky was most cooperative and the darkening sky offered the chance to portray the indoor light shining through the windows of each apartment. From the inside, shooting during the day allowed for the sunlight outside to breath a soothing natural light into the residential spaces.

The indoor images do a brilliant job of highlighting the diverse choices in materials used to decorate the common and private areas. The light wood floors, for example, are a bold choice but offer a clean palate for the residents to plan their personal choice of décor. In other areas inside the building darker flooring provides a more grounded and warm feeling that invites residents and visitors alike.

Meeting the various challenges of a San Francisco architectural photographer was made easier with the benefit of experience. Having had the experience of different lighting schemes I was able to schedule the session to take advantage of the lighting conditions to deliver photos that do justice to the building’s many attributes.