The Architectural Photography of Eugene Atget

Eugene Atget was a french commercial photographer who was active from the late 19th Century through the early 20th Century. He photographed a variety of subject matter, including landscapes, portraits, street scenes and architecture, and I find some of his architectural photographs to be among his most compelling ones. Before I knew about famous architectural photographers such as Julius Shulman and Ezra Stoller, Atget's photographs were among those that influenced my understanding of how to render architectural subjects through the medium of photography, and I would recommend that all serious architectural photographers study his work. Some may be put off by technique that was quite primitive by today's standards (in fact his equipment and materials were already antiquated by the standards of his day); however, even if that is the case, I believe that Atget's sense of composition will still have a strong effect. You can find out some more about Atget and see some examples of his work here: Eugene Atget