Kelley’s tutorials are structured by market niche and skill level: Real Estate & Basics Where Art Meets Architecture 1
| Feature | Mike Kelley | Nathan Cool | Scott Hargis | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Flambient + Masking | Flambient + Luminosity | Single strobe + Ambient | | Target Market | High-end commercial | Luxury real estate | Residential interiors | | Post-Production | Heavy Photoshop | Medium (LR/PS mix) | Light (In-camera) | | Business Focus | Yes (contracts/bidding) | No | Yes (assistant management) |
So, what sets Mike Kelley's architecture photography apart from others in the field? Here are a few key elements that contribute to his distinctive style: mike kelley architecture photography tutorial
: Mike often uses Profoto B1 or D1 strobes and hot lights like the Lowel GL-1 for his light painting techniques.
: Details the complexities of shooting hotels, resorts, and large-scale commercial spaces like restaurants. Core Technical Workflow Kelley’s tutorials are structured by market niche and
Making the sky electric blue and magenta. Fix: Mike Kelley skies are usually desaturated by -15 to -20 in HSL. He adds a subtle Orton Effect (Duplicate layer > Gaussian Blur 20px > Opacity 20% > Screen blend mode) to give the clouds a creamy, long-exposure feel even if it was shot at 1/200th of a second.
covers the business and technical demands of photographing large hotels and resorts, including aerials and commercial licensing. Core Technical Workflow Making the sky electric blue
Mike often shoots from a van lift or a 12-foot ladder. Why? Eye level (5-6 feet) is boring. Shooting from 12 feet changes the relationship between the foreground, middle ground, and background. It eliminates distracting cars or pedestrians and flattens the perspective in a pleasing way.
Mastering Architectural Photography: A Mike Kelley-Style Tutorial