DPReview community member Andrew Keithly photographs architecture with a Sony kit and a patient eye. What helps you see a familiar scene differently when you focus on it?
Meet Andrew Keithly
Home base: Nashville, TN, USA
Nashville-based architectural photographer Andrew Keithly, known as AndKPhoto in the forums, got his start with a Sony A77 his grandfather gave him for his 15th birthday. Years later, an interest in drones led to real estate work, before he found architectural clients who valued his slower, more deliberate approach.
In this spotlight, Andrew shares the Sony cameras and Canon tilt-shift lenses he uses today, the great-grandfather’s Nikkormat he still takes out for street photography, and why time spent observing a building’s design can matter as much as worrying about what gear you took with.
“I’ve always loved landscape photography. Nature is a peaceful break from a chaotic world. And although I photograph it for work, really incredible architecture is genuinely fun to shoot.”
Our ‘What’s in your bag?’ community spotlight series features readers sharing their favorite gear and photography, including from past DPReview collaborators. See below for what today’s guest has to share.
What’s in Andrew’s bag
Favorite cameras(s): Sony A7 IV and A7S III
Favorite lens(s):
- Canon TS-E 50mm Macro, 24mm II and 17mm
- Sony PZ 16-35mm F4, 24-105mm F4, 55mm F1.8 and 100-400mm F4.5 to 5.6
“In addition, I also have the Canon Elan 7 with 35mm and 85mm prime film cameras, and a Nikkormat FT2 with a 50mm lens. The Nikkormat was originally my great-grandfather’s camera, and I still use it for street photography and candid portraits.
I also have a couple of drones: the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, Mavic 3 Pro, and Mini 3 Pro. I’m a pro-centric guy, it would seem.”
Definitely the Sony 55mm lens. If I were stuck with a single focal length, I think I could shoot an entire project with it.
Favorite gear: “Definitely the Sony 55mm lens. If I were stuck with a single focal length, I think I could shoot an entire project with it. It’s tight enough that you have to deliberately choose what goes in the frame, and, as a prime, it forces you to move your feet to build the shot. It might be confirmation bias, but there’s also something special about the Zeiss glass. It’s hard to describe.
For my bag, the primary consideration is weight. My big backpack can carry over 35 lb, and the Think Tank rolling bag, full of lighting gear and accessories, is a lot to handle at times. But my best work is frequently produced when I have nothing but two or three lenses, one camera, and all the time in the world. That’s it.”
What other interesting accessories do you have?
Sony a7R VI with a Sony 24-105mm F4 lens.
“Let’s talk tripods. I have a Benro Series 4 Mach3 Carbon Fiber Tripod: an enormous one that I pair with a geared head for work shoots. It has a quick-swap head system, so I can switch to a video slider when needed.
I also have the Benro Rhino Carbon Fiber 3 Series Tripod with a VX30 Head: sturdy and tall, but light and small enough to pack for international trips. Nearly as good as my big work tripod.
And finally, I have a Peak Design Travel Tripod, Aluminum: ultra-compact for personal travel, and usually sturdy enough that I don’t regret leaving a bigger tripod behind.
The Peak Design strap system is incredible: I can swap a single strap between five different cameras and remove it completely when shooting on a tripod.
PhotoPills: a sun-tracking app that helps me plan shots and the best time of day for each shot.
Aside from plenty of tripods, the Peak Design strap system is incredible: I can swap a single strap between five different cameras and remove it completely when shooting on a tripod. Then there’s the CamRanger 2: a long-range wireless transmitter that lets me control my camera from an iPad. Newer cameras have acceptable wireless range, so I use it less now.”
How did your drone collection collide with your architecture interest?
Sony a7R VI with a Canon TS 17mm lens.
“My grandfather gave me my first camera for my 15th birthday. It was a Sony A77, back in the old A-mount days. He loved photography and wanted to encourage me in it. I photographed my dog, flowers, my family, landscapes and anything else that caught my eye.
In 2017, I picked up a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced, the first of many drones, and a year later I was occasionally shooting aerials for real estate agents. I’d planned a career in drone surveying and LiDAR because I didn’t think I could make a living taking photos, even though I was interested in that.
In the summer of 2020, a friend of a friend of a friend who knew I flew drones asked me to photograph a resort in the Smoky Mountains, and I realized right then this might actually be a career. I launched a real estate photography company that summer, but agents were hard to work with and weren’t willing to pay for my slower, more careful style. So I reached out to a few architects, and they preferred exactly that approach and gave me the freedom to experiment.
By January 2021, I had completely made the switch to architectural photography.”
What kind of architecture strikes you the most?
Sony a7R VI with a Sony 24-105mm F4 lens.
“Most of my real work is relatively normal architecture in the southeastern United States. But I’ve had the chance to photograph the Suiden Terrasse hotel in Japan, the Louver Abu Dhabi, and a remote house in the Finnish archipelago. I’ve also been a cinematographer in Ukraine for a humanitarian organization, and I filmed cacao fields in a Peruvian village that had never been visited by a foreigner.
I’ve traveled across the globe for work and personal projects, and Japan and Finland are my favorites. Japan’s culture is incredibly unique, with countless opportunities for street and architecture photography. Finland was happy and laid-back, and the Nordic architecture was simply stunning.
My business tagline is ‘buildings don’t travel, but photos do’.”
How has your photography changed since you started?
Sony a7R VI with a Sony 24-105mm F4 lens.
“Tilt-shift lenses are extremely useful for architectural photography, and these days I own three. They let you control perspective from a fixed position. Some shots simply would be impossible without them. But I no longer see them as what defines me as an architectural photographer, because that becomes a crutch.
Sometimes my humble Sony 24-105mm lens frees me from the constraints of “making” a shot and lets me find the true vision and meaning behind the project.
When you slow down and take in the light and structure from every angle, you start to see what only you can notice.
Slowing down matters even more, which I’ve noticed several of your other spotlight guests have said. Three of the 20 images in the printed portfolio I give prospective clients came from sitting in a single spot for nearly an hour. When you slow down and take in the light and structure from every angle, you start to see what only you can notice, instead of the “good” images that every other photographer visiting the same spot will also shoot. Your own perspective can shine through, and your work starts to take on a flavor of its own.”
What suggestions do you have for others on improving their photography?
Sony a7R VI with a Sony 24-105mm F4 lens.
“Spend more money on travel, or on that dream class or mentorship, and less on gear. Gear is genuinely helpful, but it doesn’t make you a good photographer or bring a sense of fulfillment. And set a few flight trackers on Google Flights. You never know when you might snag a $400 flight overseas.
Even so, on the gear side, moving from an old APS-C camera to the Sony A7 III drastically improved image quality and gave me far more flexibility. The sensor in the A7 III still holds up today and reigns supreme in low light (The R3 has noise reduction on raw files).”
Andrew really enjoyed participating in this spotlight article and would love to hear what you think of his photography and to answer any of your questions in the comments below.
You can check out Andrew’s other work and photography discussions right here on DPReview in the community forums, or visit his blog.
Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like your photography to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself by filling out this form.
