In honor of World Photo Day (August 19th) ArchDaily wanted to thank the photographers who bring to life the projects that we publish every day. So we asked architects to weigh in on the work of some of our most-appreciated architecture photographers. Here, Richard Hassell of WOHA writes on behalf of Patrick Bingham-Hall.
Patrick photographs, thinks deeply about, writes about, and publishes architecture, all at the highest level. He is in essence an architectural communicator, and his photography is all about telling a story, explaining ideas, and making connections, rather than purely about the graphic images. Some photographs have been retaken, mid-essay, to support a particular point or shift emphasis to make a deeper understanding of the project crystal clear. Many times this involved getting on a plane and spending days visiting a site, to capture better something significant that emerged during the writing. We see our work with Patrick as a collaboration, and the essays by him of our work are not passive observations, but are provocations, speculations and critiques that are part of our ongoing creative process. As we have grown more interested in systems, connections and communities - of the key role of architecture in the developing world- Patrick has taken the kinds of photos that show these aspects, rather than purely graphically stunning photos of detached, insular architecture. Patrick is spiky, exasperating, intellectual, contrary, passionate, warm and funny and cares deeply about the history and future of architecture. The depth of this background infuses his work and makes him a brilliant architectural photographer.
