Architectural Photography Workshops

Experience International Architectural Photography With Simon Devitt

Simon Devitt offers regular architectural photography workshops located around the world including in the United States and Japan for photographers to look at their potential and purpose; move to a new level; progress beyond peers; add to their skill set and process.

The most recent workshop group attendees ventured to Japan to visit the Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture.

Building on past workshops, this adventure was an unforgettable experience for participants. Read more about the workshop below.

Join me

Frequently Asked Questions

When is full tuition due? Tuition is due in full upon reserving your spot. Tuition is non-refundable but is transferable. If you can’t make it, you’re welcome to give your spot to a friend — just let us know beforehand. However, you can pay in installments using PayPal.

Why are the workshops so small? I have taught many workshops in my career and it’s nearly impossible to teach adequately as soon as class sizes get larger than eight people. Due to the specialised equipment and wide open spaces required to have everyone not only learn about, but also practice, architectural photography, I keep it small and intimate so that attendees not only get a chance to make amazing photos, but also have plenty of time interfacing with me.

Can I bring my significant other, a friend or family? Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate guests beyond the workshop participants.

What equipment should I bring?

Gear – Mandatory
- Camera
- Lenses
- Tripod
- Blank memory card
- Card reader
- Laptop
- Any/all cables for your gear
Medication:
- If you have any allergies, please let me know and also bring an EpiPen, and/or any other medication required to treat an allergic reaction.

About The Instructor

Simon Devitt

Simon Devitt is a photographer based in Wellington, New Zealand, with an established international practice throughout Australasia and further afield.

I am a photographer with a strong practice focus in Photography of Architecture, currently based in Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, in Aotearoa New Zealand; with an established international practice throughout Australasia and further afield.

I have both a strong sense of home and a wanderlust which goes right back to when I was born in a sandstorm beside a sleeping camel in 1973.

Working in many different settings across cultures around the world has had a great impact on my professional practice, which has been greatly enriched by my experience of each particular context: Shanghai and its people, the fruitful silence of a Japanese bamboo forest, the light in Los Angeles, so different to the harsh, more direct light in New Zealand.

In fact, I love LA light, so diffused, as if a giant soft box had been placed over the sun. On one particular occasion, standing with my camera equipment in a very suburban street in Echo Park I noticed that I had caught the neighbours’ attention. A few came up to ask what I was doing, in a cutely nosey, neighbourly way, all of them appearing to act as a neighbourhood watch of sorts over the house I was photographing and for each other. I felt a great sense of community and a few of them even made it into one of my pictures.

I intentionally add people to my photos—their appearance allows a sense of scale and a place in time.

I am the author of the award-winning photo-book Rannoch and the All Things Considered series. Photo-books bring together my passion for image, place and language, which started in 2013 with the launch of Portrait of a House, my first self-published photo-book on the Athfield residence in Wellington. Since then, I have published the Ripe Fruit series (2018-2019) and Cape to Bluff (2022).

My images feature in many books and collaborations including Long Live the Modern (2009), Group Architects: Towards a New Zealand Architecture (2010), Athfield Architects (2012), Summer Houses (2011); as well as in numerous national and international magazines such as Elle Decor (Italy, UK, Japan and South Africa), Architectural Digest (Germany), Dwell (USA), Habitus, InDesign (Australia), Architecture NZ, Home New Zealand, Urbis, Interior (NZ).

I lectured in Photography of Architecture at the University of Auckland for 10 years, where I have also had the pleasure of offering the annual Simon Devitt Prize for Photography since 2008.

Devitt + Kelley Apalmanac Workshop – Japan September 2024 (Sold Out)

Experience Japan with Mike Kelley + Simon Devitt

Mike Kelley (USA) and Simon Devitt (NZ) are back for another architectural photography workshop.

This time group attendees will venture to Japan to visit the Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture. Building on our experiences with past workshops, this adventure promises to be an unforgettable experience for participants.

About Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse

Suiden Terrace opened in 2018 was designed by award-winning architect Shigeru Ban. Ban studied architecture at both California’s SCI-Arc and New York’s Cooper Union and has become one of the most respected architects in the world, pioneering one-of-a-kind design languages via the use of thoughtful and innovative materials.

Throughout his career, Ban has consistently and successfully blended modern designs with innovative materials such as cardboard and paper; for example he was the first architect in the world to design a code-passing structure made out of paper. Ban has also taken on many humanitarian causes such as refugee shelters and short-term pavilions, all of which are made out of sustainable materials.

The hotel sits atop rice fields and beautifully reflects its natural surroundings and features bright minimalist decor inside – an inspiring setting for making photos, learning more about the business of architectural photography and enjoying the company of other professionals looking to improve their technique and level-up in their careers. As Suiden Terrasse is located in an agricultural area, their on-site restaurants feature farm-to-table menus filled with seasonal produce and seafood.

Workshop Itinerary Example

Day 1:

Activity: Check in to Daiwa Roynet Hotel Yamagata-ekimae in Yamagata Prefecture at your leisure.
Included: The price of the hotel
Not included: Transportation to hotel and meals

Day 2:

Activity: Board a private shuttle which will take all attendees to Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse, approximately two hours away.
Check-in to Suiden Terrasse
The rest of the day is yours. Enjoy the spa, grab dinner with other attendees or shake off that jetlag!
Included: Transportation to Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse and lodging at the hotel
Not included: Meals, spa treatments, etc.

Day 3:

Activities: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, Workshop day 1 will commence, Break for lunch at the hotel, Resume workshop day 1, Group dinner offsite
Included: Lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner
Not included: extra snacks

Day 4:

Activities: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, Workshop day 2 will commence, Break for lunch at the hotel, Resume workshop day 2, Group dinner offsite
Included: Lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner
Not included: extra snacks

Day 5:

Activities: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, 12:00 PM: Depart for Yamagata City Center (NOTE: We should arrive in Yamagata at approximately 2:00 pm, but please give leave extra time when booking any departing flights as it’s always possible we may encounter unforeseen delays due to traffic and construction detours.)
Included: Breakfast, transportation to Yamagata city center
Not included: lunch, dinner, lodging in Yamagata