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NEWS Archive Business Review Architecture Photographers tries to see things their way By GINA
CARROLL Raul Pedroso likes to do business by word of mouth. That's why you wont find a listing for his business, Solo Photography, in the Miami telephone book. Pedroso and his architectural photography are known in the South Florida design community; now he has attracted the attention of a wider audience. Pedroso has been named 1991 Architectural Photographer of the Year by the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects. Pedroso said it helps to have assignments offering "something exciting to work with. A picture is a hit if it is maximizing the subject matter. That's what good architectural photography is all about. You have to keep in mind the intention of the architect." While Pedroso depends on his knowledge of lights and lenses to capture an image, he relies on questions to choose the right image. "I question the features of the building," he said. "What is the reason a design element was placed at that site? From which vantage point would you be most comfortable looking at the building?" A self-taught photographer, Pedroso said he is most comfortable looking at a building as a "comfortable, ambient place" rather than as a massive structure. From 1979 to 1987, Pedroso spent weekdays working for Dodge Reports, a construction news service, and weekends taking pictures. By the time he was ready to go solo, he had built a network of contacts and a portfolio that included work published in trade magazines. Until this year, he had not entered a competition. His decision to do so was prompted as much by Don Sackman, of the Miami firm of Baldwin Sackman Carrington, as it was by the slumping economy. "Photography is a luxury in the architectural business. Like everyone else, I am not exempt," he said. Still, he's not planning to list Solo Photography in the telephone directory. "You cannot put a price on the amount of freedom a self-employed person has," he said "Rule No. 1 is to please the client. Rule No. 2 is to please yourself." Raul
Pedroso / Solo Photography, Inc.. |
