Tell us about the five projects that you’ve selected as your favourites. What was special about these projects?

New Zealand punches above its weight in architecture (and photography, as it happens) and I’ve chosen projects across a range of scales that demonstrate this – commercial, cultural and residential.

The Paroa Bay house by BVN Architecture is distinguished by its unobstructed site, so it’s not competing with neighbours and allows for 360º coverage. It has an elegant form and was a delight to photograph.

The Auckland Art Gallery, designed by FJMT Studio, won at the World Architecture Festival in 2013. It helps that the featured timber ceiling was prominent in the images, while not being cropped into as a detail. Shooting the opening night red carpet was how I got the winning hero shot.

Located on Auckland’s waterfront, the ASB building by BVN and Jasmax has an extraordinary range of interior spaces with a strong external presence that works through day, dusk and night.

Shigeru Ban’s practice is famous for ingenuity and economy and this was a great chance to see one of his temporary emergency buildings in the Cardboard Cathedral. It was a day away from completion but the builder let me in to do a quick coverage. Judicious cropping helps the visual illusion.

Patterson Associates’ Len Lye Gallery – what a powerful statement with such a simple device. Every moment, the whole façade changes with the light and weather. It was an exercise in judgment to find a hero shot while it’s on a tight site and lens choice and composition was tricky.

How did you get started with photography? Did you always have an interest in architecture and buildings or has that evolved over time?

I fell in love with photography from about nine years old and I am self-taught. My father was a builder and I was meant to be the architect in the family firm, so I studied architecture at university. Through a series of chance opportunities, I ended up combining two professions.

How do you capture a space and convey the feeling of being there?

I don’t do artful details, they’re for the decorator magazines! My aim is to describe the architectural forms and the internal volume. Where possible, I like to show people using the space, to give context and scale. Composition is very important to my work. The exactness and rules that I mostly follow give credibility to my images. The viewer has to be certain that I intended the contents so that they can read the architecture.

My composition is dumb and obvious: horizons through the middle, often a central vertical element, and the building in the middle of the picture. I often play yin and yang with positive and negative space so that they balance.

I tend to use wide-angle lenses mostly or a stacked-up, quite long, 300mm-ish viewpoint and, generally, I’m always perspective correct. If I do tilt up, it has to be 45º or more.

I try to take the least number of pictures, ideally the one best exterior and interior. I like my images to be efficient and convey maximum information in the shortest time. I prefer back light and am nervous of blue sky and green grass. All my images are assembled from multiples, either exposure or action. Our post-production is often longer than the shooting time.

How do you stay inspired outside of work?

I’m a 24/7 workaholic. If I’m not on a commercial job then I’m shooting a cultural project of my own choosing. I currently have projects in India, Cambodia and Central Australia.

Are there any projects or types of projects that you would love to photograph?

Lately, I’m doing a fair bit of infrared on a converted Sony mirrorless camera. I’ve pretty much shot everything I would want to shoot or learn from. I’ve done a lot of fashion and outdoor advertising. I’ve shot still life products for catalogues and I’ve done over 500 hours in helicopters all over the world. 

I do love aerial photography and indigenous rock art. I stay away from cars and food! 

See more of John’s work here