Insights into photography with Matt Clayton

Matt Clayton is a professional architectural and interiors photographer based in London with years of experience shooting buildings, offices, houses, schools, museums, restaurants, stores and virtually any structure imaginable. When photographing a project Matt focuses on a simple, natural perspective and allows the design to speak for itself. He captures how the project relates to its environment, such as where it is located and how it is used.

Here we speak to Matt, on his insights into the art of photography, and why he has always been drawn to photographing buildings.

Q: Can you please start by telling us a little about your background and how you became involved in architectural photography?

I studied architecture (very briefly, long ago), before changing to photography, so it’s always been a subject that has interested me. I started working in an image library that specialised in architectural photography and I met some of the photographers there. They let me come with them on shoots and I started assisting and that’s what got me started.

Q: Have you always been interested in documenting the built environment?

Recently, I found the very first 35mm black and white film I developed from when I was a child and I was surprised to see that it was full of shots of buildings – so I guess I have. Buildings are a very accessible subject for photography – the exteriors anyway, so its a natural subject to start with.

Q: How do you prepare in advance of a shoot and what is the first thing you do when you arrive on-site?

I like to look at any plans, renders or site photos in advance to see what to expect. I also like to have a look at projects the architects have already completed to get a feel for the look they are after. I also check practical things like the weather and the orientation of the building. When I get to a shoot I like to walk around with the architect and prepare a shot list. Ultimately there are any number of shots you could take of a project, but time is limited, so it’s important to focus on the most important.

Q: Is there a particular message or sense that you want your images to convey?

Yes, I want to convey what the project is like. That sounds obvious, but anyone who has photographed a building knows that it’s not easy. The objective is to communicate the creative work of the designers and not get in the way too much. The idea is for someone to see a photograph of a project and think “what a fantastic room”, not “what a fantastic photograph” – although the two can overlap!

Q: Do you have a particular photographer who inspired you?

The two photographers I first worked with, Denis Gilbert and Helene Binet, remain the biggest influence on my work. There are loads of photographers whose work I admire, with regard to architecture I love Albert Renger-Patzsch, Andreas Gursky, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Stephen Shore, Walker Evans, Robert Adams… etc etc