Lets dive into the inner workings of an architectural visualisation company. Let’s get to know members from the Architecture In Motion team a bit better and what inspires and influences the work they create. Today we’ll have a chat with architectural visualiser, Adam Blundell.
CGI images and animations are an extension of art, photography and film.
They represent the progression of creating a visual interpretation of the real world that is consumed by others. This dates back to the first ever paintings made by humans 41,000 years ago. What was once paint and canvas to depict architecture and surroundings is now a vastly more detailed interpretation of a designer/visualisers imagination.
With the technology that is now available the level of control is very deep, but it is still just a tool, as a camera or paint brush are, to convey a vision so that other can see it as you do (or the client of course).
Whilst I wouldn’t say that I have a deep-rooted fascination with the technology side and the way that CGI is progressing within today’s world (although important), my interest is the way in which architectural visualisation becomes an art itself and how it is interpreted.
My passion is photography and architecture.
This relates to the work that I produce at Architecture In Motion. Our role is very much like a photographer; you try to capture a photograph so it leads your eye to a focal point in the image while creating an overall balance of elements in the frame.
That is exactly the role from an architectural visualisation company, except that we have a lot more free reign over the environment that we can control. No waiting for a break in the clouds or the seasons to change!
A photographer that has influenced me a great deal is Ansel Adams. He was famous for his sweeping & dramatic, black and white landscape photos from the American West. Adams developed the Zone System as a way to determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast of the final print. In a similar way, I am a believer of using Photoshop as a technique to achieve what you want from a final image, just as a photographer would in the darkroom.
This passion for photography is applied to what I create on a daily basis. Every customer wants a great image, so it is the role of the visualiser to have a vision and create something that appeals to the senses.
I try to pay attention to the world around us. The way light changes throughout the course of a day or on a longer term over the course of the year. How it can add drama to an otherwise mundane scene just through the interplay of light and shadow. When in another city I find myself looking up at the architecture and noticing the details.
I enjoy what nature provides and conjures up; I’d like to think that this is seen within my work. Take for instance, the effect of lighting. You can create dramatic effects when you capture it at the right point of the day, using long shadows from a lower sun to add a lot of drama.
The great thing for us (as an architectural visualisation company) is that we can create the time of day and have full control of the environment we are in. This provides a world of opportunity, where we can determine the full composition and perspective.
Thanks to Adam for sharing how he sees the world around him and what inspires the work he produces. For one of the team to look at your next project, give Sandra a call on 0117 9251050 or email sg@architectureinmotion.com
