Fernando Guerra

Coming from a family of Portuguese architects paved the way for Fernando Guerra to become a bold architectural photographer with an archive of exceptional shots of contemporary structures.

Fernando captures visions of beauty. Not natural beauty, not people, but manmade, manufactured beauty. His crystal-sharp, flawless images show off contemporary architecture. Adopting a deliberately neutral, non-judgemental approach to his shots allows the subjects of his photographs – the buildings themselves – to shine. He captures the spatiality of buildings, contextualises them within their environment and how their users move around them, and, simply, makes them look stunning.

"The camera has been part of my everyday life for more than 30 years and it's the tool that allows me to capture what interests me," Fernando explains. "Architecture was a natural calling and, as architects, we are obsessed with the preservation of our work – which is where photography comes in."

Although based in Lisbon, Fernando's work has caught the attention of a variety of international clients and he regularly jets off to capture the finest contemporary architecture the world has to offer. "With the internet, what we do and where we live reaches everywhere," he says. "Today our competition and market are global, which I like. The more we live, work and travel, the more we adapt and grow."

Always ready to incorporate emerging tech, Fernando and his team were early adopters of aerial photography, and since 2011 have taken to the skies to capture a more unique point of view. "When we first started flying, tools were still very basic and we had to design part of the flying equipment ourselves. The flights were often short and didn't always end well. But it was important to start early. I realised the importance of a camera that could fly and how to fit it into a photo shoot. Clients love it, of course. It's a novelty for all intents and purposes. Over the years we have thousands of images from above that I love, but the most important photographs continue to be taken down here on the ground. I've always considered aerial photography as simply another camera, just the one that flies and shows the 'fifth elevation'."

Fernando is regularly published in various national and international publications, such as Casabella, Wallpaper*, Dwell, Icon, Domus and A+U. His studio collaborates with lots of international architects and, in 2015, he won the Architectural Photographer of the Year prize for his colourful photograph of EPFL Quartier Nord in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 2017 he had a celebrated 2,000m2 exhibition in the centre of Lisbon, showing the last 30 years of his images, his work and his process.

"I have had the fortune of working with many people who inspire me daily and who have really advanced the way we think about architecture," he says. "I see my work as the messenger of a structure; which is the result of great effort, so there has to be a special and tremendous responsibility that comes with that."

When is the best time to photograph architecture?

"I think it is essential that the building is functioning; to see it functioning gives it meaning. It creates rhythms and produces photographs that interest me."

What's the best vantage point to photograph a building?

"I base myself in the position of the passers-by, so you can see what takes place in that particular street, or building, enriching the image with an additional layer of information."

How would you describe your technique?

"I like to photograph architecture as an invisible photojournalist, as if it were for an editorial piece. I show the reality of the place, including whoever happens to be there by chance. Beyond showing the project's scale and form, people give the architecture life."

Who are your clients?

"What I photograph is very diversified: sometimes it's a house, hotel, or even a factory. My clients come from various areas linked to construction, planning, design and project dissemination. I also work on articles for magazines and books for international publishers."

How has your style changed?

"My style of shooting is the result of 30 years of taking pictures and has changed and adapted to new technology. However, one thing remains the same: the desire to take the perfect picture, one that brings together the essence of what I see."

One Thing I Know
Fernando Guerra

"At the end of a day's work, I will have photographed the answers to three simple questions: 'Where is it?', 'What is it?' and 'What is it for?' The objectives are simple, but how to respond to them is complex because so much does not depend on me. The only thing of which I am certain is that the perfect photo is rare and does not happen every day. But if it tells the story of a particular moment well, then it is perfect in some way and it means that the day's goal has been accomplished."