Lisa Logan
“Pursuing a new career and re-inventing oneself can be daunting, but I was positive my skill sets could be applied to this gig, and mostly, I enjoyed the pursuit.”
WomenWhoBuild, Meet Lisa Logan!
Lisa is an Architecture and Design photographer based in Toronto, Canada. Since starting her own company , Lisa Logan Photography Inc, Lisa has worked with a variety of architects, developers, and engineers including Perkins + Will, B + H Architects, The Daniels Corp, Diamond & Schmitt Architects, DSAI and PCL Constructors in order to help them showcase their work. Her incredible eye has led to her photographs being featured on the covers of and in Canadian and international publications including Architectural Record, Azure, Canadian Architect and Canadian Interiors.
Lisa sat down with ArchNative (virtually of course) to discuss what led to her career shift, what she loves about Architecture photography, and what her day to day looks like.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your initial introduction to photography?
The start of my first career was in the Toronto film industry where I worked for almost 20 years on-set in a number of departments, both creative and technical. While photography was always a hobby and interest, motion pictures remained my main pursuit for income and personal projects. The film industry can take up a lot of your time and energy. Upon deciding to have a family I finally seriously considered my architect partner’s offer to help me start a new career in architectural photography. I had been shooting casually for his firm for some time, mainly black and white film photos, and he thought I could succeed at it.
What made you decide to pursue it as a career?
Following my instincts of the job early on, I trusted I could learn as I go and handle the challenges of doing that. It took some nerve on my part to overcome the initial fear of the cost of the camera gear but I did this by building slowly and recognizing the investment was necessary for success in this field. I may not have understood the years that it would take to learn all of the lessons, but at the beginning I took each job one day at a time and did my best to acknowledge my mistakes and learn from them! I was able to remain confident with the support from my partner and the architectural photographers that I had networked and became friends with, that I could produce award-winning project photos and pictures worthy of publication.
“Studying some foundations of architecture, using proper building terms and the ability to read plans will all benefit your work and that knowledge can readily be acquired.”
Particularly Architectural Photography?
Pursuing a new career and re-inventing oneself can be daunting, but I was positive my skill sets could be applied to this gig, and mostly, I enjoyed the pursuit. You have to be able to relate to and find the photographing of a building appealing, so the details and the way light works magic upon and surrounding a structure must seem exciting and make you want to take its picture!
How do you approach each new project?
Every job, either I am told by, or I ask a client what they are looking for and what their vision entails. I try hard to focus during these discussions, as I know while they talk and we look at renderings or photos of the building, my mind will get active as I imagine what I will do. I’ve often heard from clients that they are disappointed when they’ve asked a photographer for certain photos that they never see. I always hope to deliver what an architect is looking for, and then much more. It is most satisfying to hear an architect say, oh wow, I never thought that side would photograph well, or that’s an angle we never considered, but we like it etc. I have learned to ask the questions that I feel I need to know answers to in order to produce the best pictures. They range from knowing the colour palettes, in order to have people in the photos dressing in complimentary tones, to having the right contacts to call, so lighting elements can be adjusted as the sun sets.
What does a typical work week look like for you?
A typical work week is a mix of shooting on location, and processing files at my home office. Almost always at the mercy of the changing forecast, predicting the weather is a full time aspect of the gig that can be very frustrating. I typically like to allow a number of days around a booked shoot in case the weather is not clear and I can re-schedule. That’s not always possible, but when it is, it’s a luxury, as I feel that a building will look its best in optimal light. I am happy when booking 1-2 shoots per week which can be varying lengths from a half-day to multiple full days depending on the scope of the project. It can be a lonely job, I often don’t meet clients in-person. I have spent an entire day photographing a mainly empty building on my own without the need for assistants or models and have driven a couple of hours to do so. To make a point of meeting up with other photographers for to talk about work and be able to share frustrations and inside jokes that only an arch photographer can relate to becomes a necessity! It is a niche job, however there are many groups within the building industry that I can work for. So while my friend may be shooting a high end home with ultra modern décor, I may be in a steel plant photographing welders or in a university residence bustling with students in September, we can still enjoy discussing all the aspects of photography, both technical and creative on an even-playing field.
What is one piece of advice you have for females looking to begin working in the field?
This photography job is always on-location, you are not in a studio, so there are many parts of your job you will not be able to control. From the weather to the appearance of landscaping, obstacles such as ugly vehicles and furniture, to many of the great moments that are captured merely by waiting, often for the perfectly dressed passerby that populates your shot and gives it colour. Patience is required, and the ability to take the best photos under those varying circumstances beyond your control requires you trust in yourself that you will make it happen and sometimes seemingly against all odds.
Depending on what draws you to photographing buildings, the equipment can be bought and learned to use, including the cameras, lenses and computer programs. Studying some foundations of architecture, using proper building terms and the ability to read plans will all benefit your work and that knowledge can readily be acquired. So, my advice is don’t be afraid of the technical aspects, those can all be learned. Just make sure that you get enjoyment and feel a connection with photographing buildings, because to me that is the basis in which to produce striking photos.
