Last week, we explored how headshots capture the personality of individuals and companies—a snapshot of their essence. Now, I shift the lens to architectural photography, where buildings reveal their stories. One recent shoot took me to the Alpine Bank building in Colorado Springs, a beloved local landmark with Pikes Peak as its unseen sentinel just to the right. Like a corporate headshot reflecting a brand’s ethos, this shoot aimed to unveil the building’s character—starting with perfect timing and technique.I captured this during twilight on a photography club walkabout, a nod to the community spirit that inspires my Colorado Springs work. The ‘last light’ highlighted the northern facade’s clean lines and texture, while streaming tail lights from passing cars added a dynamic motion mood. This blend of stillness and movement echoes how architecture evolves—static yet alive with purpose.

The Alpine Bank building in Colorado Springs, edited with a twilight mood and perspective controlled angle. Automobile tail lights can be seen streaming in front of the building adding scale and perspective. — Looking up means the angles must be capture vertically.

To showcase the Alpine Bank’s full height, I used a tilt-shift lens for a two-point perspective. I shot an upper frame to capture the rooftop details and a lower frame to ground the base, correcting distortion with precision. Merging these into a final image emphasizes scale representation—a must in facade photography and modern architectural design. This process mirrors a building’s journey from foundation to finish, each perspective building toward a cohesive whole.

A shift lens creates a dual capture to include a building's top in one and the ground level in another. — The ability of a shift lens to keep those verticals

The club walkabout infused a local heart into the shoot. Chatting with fellow photographers about Pikes Peak’s influence on our cityscape reaffirmed my passion for capturing Colorado Springs architecture. The result is a portfolio piece blending technical skill with local flavor, seamlessly executed with the support that ensures every detail shines.

Check out my Colorado Springs portfolio for more architectural photography, and stay tuned for my next post. I’ll dive into the origins of design, exploring how I see it through the architect’s angles—unveiling the blueprints and visions behind structures like Alpine Bank. From there, we’ll step inside, capturing the modern interplay of interiors and the people who bring them to life.

Architectural Design and How I Capture It

A Decade-Long Journey: Capturing Architectural Dreams with Artistic and Commercial Flair