Mark Brierley
Architecture | Last Updated: February 23, 2021
My name is Mark Brierley, an architectural photographer based in Perth, Western Australia. I’ve been photographing for about 11 years and was recently named the 2019 West Australian Professional Photographer of the Year as well as Commercial Photographer of the Year through the Australian Institute of Professional Photography.
I was working in construction when I had a shoulder injury that made me put down the power tools and eventually pick up a camera. So, in a way, it was not a coincidence that I gravitated back to buildings and design and at least now I don’t get dirty after a day’s work.
A lot of my favourite images are when I can turn the work into art. I love treating the ordinary as extraordinary. I use quite a variety of equipment, but each piece has its purpose. I don’t hold on to gear if I find I’m not using it and I do like to keep my gear updated.
Cameras
Nikon D810 w/Nikon Mb-d81 battery grip – Since I use live view, having the battery grip saves changing batteries. This camera body is such a solid work camera, it’s designed to be abused and still produce the images. The 36mp is a perfect medium to provide large prints but not too large for storage and reducing the files for my clients as most will be online use.
Fujifilm X-T3 – This gives me 4K at 60fps, I use this with a Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R Ultra Wide-Angle Lens and the DJI Ronin S, purely for video work. I will be expanding the lens line up to create a backup kit also. I’m thinking the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R and the Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R, to begin with, not to mention adding a grip and a tonne of batteries.
Lenses
Sigma 12-24mm f/4 ART – I use this for interiors and confined areas. 12mm on a full-frame is insanely wide but well worth having when I need it.
Nikon PC-E 19mm f/4 – Honestly don’t know what I would do without this lens, if you want to shoot architectural images then tilt-shift lenses are a must-have. It’s big, it’s bulky, it’s manual. Just a downright sexy lens and worth every cent.
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART – The Art series that Sigma has are by far the best primes any photographer could own that have autofocus in full-frame format. For the focal lengths of 35mm and 50mm, I simply wouldn’t own any other lenses. Team Digital here in Perth W.A can dial them into your own body to create the perfect focus.
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 – Great lens that can double up for portraits as well as any macro work that a client may require.
Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 – I think every photographer should own one of these. The Tamron is super sharp and the fact that they have the Arca Swiss tripod mount is what really sold the lens for me. Mainly used for Corporate Portraits and when I need to zoom in close.
Lights/Triggers
Jinbei HD- 400 – The Jinbei is a beast and strong enough to overcome daylight, as it’s portable I can just set it up anywhere and not have to worry about any power issues. I will be adding a 2nd light soon thanks to my main man Ben at Team Digital, Peth Western Australia.
Hahnel Modus 600RT + Viper trigger – By far the best speedlights you can own. Having speedlights with rechargeable lithium batteries is fantastic, they last all day and the recycle time, even at full power is super-fast. These couple nicely with Jinbei for any extra fill light.
Magmod Set up – Variety of MagMod MagSphere, MagMod MagBounce, Magbeam Kit and MagMod Gel. The people over at Magmod have come up with such a great and simple solution, it’s compact and easy to use. Magmod, hit me up team, happy to work together.
Camranger Mini w/Samsung Tab A.
Pt Hub and MP-360 Motorised Head – By far my favourite bits of kit, I have the tablet hanging around my neck and can then control the camera from anywhere. In a tight space, this is great because I can compose the shot without being in the room and don’t have to walk back to the camera to review the shot, so a huge time saver.
Bags/Straps
Pelican 1615 AIR w/TrekPak Dividers, Lowepro ProRunner 350AW.
Peak Design Wrist and Peak Design Strap.
Tripods
Manfrotto Neotec 458B Tripod.
Cullman Magnesit MB6.1 Ball Head.
Manfrotto 680B Monopod attached to DJI Ronin S.
Hardware & Software
Asus Duo 14in Lacie Rugged HDD, Adobe PS.
Adobe Bridge, Adobe Premiere 3D LUT Creator.
Misc.
Gaffa Tape.
PPE (Personal Protection Equipment).
As an architectural photographer, walking onto various building sites and homes, I have to be prepared for anything that may come my way. My gear is constantly evolving as tech advances.
www.markbimages.com | @markbimages
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