Above Image: Canon EOS D-30, Tamron 70-210mm f-2.8 lens, Bogen tripod and pan/tilt head. multisegment metering, 1/500 sec at f-5.6. Aperture priority and manual focus.

Architectural photography offers a wide range of subject matter from old to new that can be photographed singly or in groups to show a building's character. You must pay attention to detail and light and choose your viewpoint carefully. Walk around a building and decide the best viewpoint. You can show small details by focusing closer or move back and show a distant view of a building. Pay close attention to the direction of light as it has great effect on your photograph. To show texture for example, Sidelighting is the best. Front lighting is good in bringing out colors.

Left Image: Canon EOS D60, Tamron 70-210mm f-2.8, 1/60 sec at f-5.6.

By changing your viewpoint and lenses you can show different details. A wide angle lens can be used to photograph the interiors or to show exterior of buildings that look best from a distance. A telephoto allows you to photograph shapes and details. You can also choose a distant view to show a group of buildings such as skyscrapers for best effect as some are not nice when photographed individually. Keeping vertical lines straight is a common problem in architectural photography from ground level with normal lenses. You can use shift & tilt lenses to correct this. Using shift lenses the cameras back is kept parallel to the building while the lens is shifted up. This keeps all verticals straight. When photographing the interiors, lighting contrast is your major problem. You must decide to expose for highlights or shadows or you may want to choose flash for shadow areas. A tripod is needed for framing and sharpness. You might also want to change your focusing screen with a grid screen as they make alignments of your subject much easier. See also Architectural photography with medium format  

Recommended Reading: Photographing Buildings Inside and Out