Matthew Digati is the architectural photographer behind Digati Photography, a photography practice based in Buffalo, NY, where the pervasive presence of Victorian and Art-Deco buildings shaped his visual perspective from a young age. His journey into photography began at home, influenced by his father, a photography enthusiast, and the architectural diversity of his neighborhood. This early exposure led him to extensively document the architectural landmarks of his city, culminating in a professional focus on capturing the nuances of built environments.
A significant aspect of Digati’s work involves his long-term project photographing Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House, reflecting his dedication to architectural heritage and detail. His approach is marked by a deep sensitivity to the interplay of architecture with its surroundings, considering elements like light, season, and landscape to enhance his compositions.
This interview delves into Digati’s methodical approach to architectural photography, emphasizing his collaboration with architects to capture their vision and his ongoing efforts to document the evolving architectural landscape of Buffalo. Through his lens, Digati not only preserves architectural history but also narrates a visual story of place and time.
What led you to specialize in architectural photography?
I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. Nationally it’s known as a cold, smaller city, but anyone that’s ever visited will know about our incredible architecture. I grew up in a 1900’s Victorian on the West Side of Buffalo, surrounded by beautiful residential architecture. I always felt the draw to photograph it, even from a young age.
My father is a photography hobbyist of sorts, so I always had access to a decent camera. I’d spend my free time walking the streets of Buffalo photographing the most impressive homes. After a few years, I had photographed nearly every neighborhood in my city and started to document our more famous architectural icons.
Inevitably, this led me down the path of professional architectural photography. Being surrounded by Buffalo’s beautiful Victorian homes and Art-Deco buildings resulted in a natural love for architecture.
Can you tell us about your favorite architectural project and what makes it stand out to you?
Buffalo’s most famous house is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House and I’ve been lucky enough to document it over the course of many years. I reached out to the folks at the Martin House and expressed my desire to photograph the property, inside and out, since I wanted to make sure it was represented in the best way possible.
Since reaching out and starting this project, I’ve photographed the Martin House countless times and have witnessed its complete restoration up close and personal. The amount of time and effort it took to properly restore what many refer to as Frank Lloyd Wright’s crowning achievement of prairie-style design is something that’s hard to understand.
I can remember my first shoot at the Martin House. It was a challenge to say the least. After that shoot, I looked to Pedro Guerrero, Wright’s preferred photographer, for tips and philosophies on how to approach photographing a Wright-designed property. Of course, what I learned from researching Guerrero was priceless.
Each time I visited the Martin House I honed my skills and became better at capturing what Wright brought to life. Today, any time I visit, I still find new angles and new details to capture. It’s a testament to Wright’s brilliance and the tireless work by everyone at the Martin House that I’m still surprised even after photographing the same rooms so many times.
How does the surrounding environment—natural light, weather, and landscape—affect your approach to photographing architecture?
The surrounding environment plays a massive role in my approach. I find that, with most designs, there is a very good chance it was designed to interact within the surrounding environment, not simply stand alone.
Natural light and weather obviously play a massive role in any architectural shoot. Planning accordingly is extremely necessary. Most of my work takes place in the Northeast U.S. This means that the landscape is constantly changing since we experience all four seasons.
Some shoots will need to be planned nine months in advance and some will need to happen within a very short time frame. The angle of the sun is vastly different depending on the time of year and the surrounding colors and foliage can be either extremely dense or nonexistent.
Each project demands its own specific approach. If the project takes place in a forest, it’s important to know what type of trees make up that forest. If they are mainly pine, then a summer shoot time will work since that’s when the surrounding foliage will look its best. If they are made up of maples, elm, or oaks, the shoot needs to happen during Fall so the environment can give its full dramatic display.
Properly balancing the environment with the piece of architecture is a way to enhance both. The surrounding landscape can frame a design perfectly, creating a natural window which you can show the design through. Likewise, once you’re inside the structure, it can really make for a beautiful image if you can blur the line between what’s inside and the environment outside.
How do you approach working with architects and designers to capture their vision through your lens?
I love to work collaboratively and gain a full understanding of my client’s vision. Before I even step foot on the project site, I make sure to ask for a detailed shot list, explanation of the project, and visual inspiration if they have any. This allows me to gain an understanding of the feel they expect in the images.
When I’m on site with a client, I always ask to do a full walkthrough with the lead architect/designer so I can pick their brains. I ask them to be thorough in their description of the spaces we’re walking through and to point out any small details that are important.
Asking about the small details is always a question that brings the project to life. A quick example would be a home that was built out of rough cut logging sourced on site. In this example, the fine grain of the wood paired with the still-living trees is a very necessary image that I might not realize if I didn’t have that bit of knowledge.
The more I can get my client talking and sharing, the better I’ll be able to understand their vision.
Are there any current trends in architecture or photography that you find particularly inspiring or challenging to capture?
To be honest, I don’t really stay up-to-date with architectural or photography trends. I have a handful of photographers that I constantly look to for inspiration, but in general, my goal is to create a timeless image.
Maybe this is short-sighted on my end as I’m sure it’s helpful to know the current trends, but I never want to risk creating something that’s trendy now only to see it be considered pointless in the future.
Do you have any advice for young photographers who aspire to specialize in architectural photography?
My biggest piece of advice would be to find a mentor. It’s so hard to teach yourself what you don’t know. Architectural photography is particularly difficult because you have to be an expert in photography while also knowing a great deal about architecture.
You’ll want to find someone who can guide you in the right direction as soon as possible. There is no shame in asking for help or not knowing something. I was lucky enough to work with very talented photographers throughout my life and I would not be where I am today had I not known them.
What’s in your camera bag right now?
What’s in my bag does change from job to job, but here are the absolute staples that I rarely leave without:
- My main camera is a Nikon Z7ii.
- My two most used lenses are the Nikkor 14-30mm f4 S and the timeless Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 with the FTZ Adaptor.
- I always have a Godox AD200 Pro and a Godox AD300 Pro with collapsable Godox sphere diffusers for my main flashes. Depending on the size of the job, I’ll bring along a Godox AD600 Pro as well.
- I love using PocketWizard PlusX remote triggers and always have 4 or 5 in my bag depending on how many flashes I’ll be using for the shoot.
- Batteries… lots of batteries. Back up batteries for every piece of equipment that needs a battery, then another set of backups.
What’s your favorite photo you’ve ever taken?
Choosing my favorite image is pretty difficult because I’m not a person to truly loves any of the images I capture. Not to say I’m hard on myself, but I’m always looking for flaws in my images so I can improve on them when given my next opportunity. However, there is one image that I captured while living in Mérida, Mexico that I’ve always felt displays exactly what I look for when creating a photograph.
Mérida is a beautifully colorful city with a rich architectural history. I’ve always been drawn to entrances, doorways, staircases, facades, or the initial part of a structure that’s meant to welcome you and impose an impression of what’s to come. This facade, featuring two wooden doors, captures the symmetry and simplicity that I love. It’s one of the few images of my own that I have printed and displayed in my house.
Do you have any ongoing photography projects?
Always. To me, photography projects are meant to be an ever-evolving practice.
I mentioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House previously. I expect that to be a lifelong project of mine. I also photograph Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff, just 40 minutes south of the Martin House, and have been doing so for a number of years. Much like the Martin House, every time I visit I discover something new.
Besides local Wright designs, I’m currently working with a local tourism company to recreate their entire architectural portfolio. This has involved months of work and planning as we are attempting to photograph every building of note in the City of Buffalo. Again, as I mentioned before, Buffalo is filled with incredible architecture. I fully expect this project to take years, but in the end, I will have put together the most up-to-date images of the icons in my city. It’s really a passion project for me that I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of.
What do you enjoy most about photography?
The best part of photography, for me at least, is the focus that I’m able to achieve when behind my camera. Many people today refer to it as a “flow state” which I think can be common amongst artists. The feeling of mind and body is completely concentrated on one single thing.
When I’m behind my camera I don’t experience pain or hunger, I don’t think about other tasks or stresses, and I’m not worried or tired. I’m simply focused and engaged.
Now, of course, this can’t go on forever. Eventually, my body demands that I rest and eat. But there isn’t another activity that I’ve found in life that allows me to focus all my attention and energy on a single task for hours at a time like photography. This makes me feel extremely lucky that I’m privileged enough to capture photographs for a living.
