Case study: Prague Marina Nova
Exterior architectural photography of Prague Marina Nova for its entry in the Real Estate Project of the Year competition. The goal was to create ten photographs that translate the project’s central idea—its inspiration by the river—into images capable of standing before a professional jury.
The brief
DARAMIS approached me in November 2023 with a clear brief: ten exterior photographs for the Real Estate Project of the Year competition and the company’s portfolio. The entire project is built around one idea—inspiration by the river—and my task was to give that idea a visual form strong enough for a jury of architects.
Creative freedom within clear limits
DARAMIS gave me complete freedom in how I photographed the project. Ground-level views had the greatest limitations, and that is where I find creative space: I work best when the boundaries are clearly defined.
From the ground, the building can only be photographed from a few places: across the river from the opposite docks, from one principal street view, and from the side towards Tamír Park. Each limitation became a decision rather than an obstacle.
Preparation that removes guesswork
I scouted the locations on site using Cadrage and prepared a shot list. I mapped the sun position and the best times in The Photographer’s Ephemeris and checked the shadows in Shadowmap.
I then arrived at each location at a precisely chosen time, already knowing where the light and shadows would fall. The series progresses from daylight into evening so that the building’s night lighting can also stand out.
Light that creates depth
For me, light is not about when it looks pretty, but when it gives a building a third dimension. Side and front-side lighting create depth and movement, while light from behind the camera flattens the scene and direct frontal light can leave the building in shadow.
The view through Tamír Park was possible from only one position with a 19 mm focal length, and only when the sun came from the left and illuminated both the park and the building. The river-facing façade did not receive favourable sunlight that month, so I photographed it during blue hour, balancing ambient and artificial light and using the final outline of daylight before sunset.
Movement and privacy
I included moving people in the park view, but kept them blurred. This brings movement and scale into the photograph while providing a clean privacy solution, as the individuals are not identifiable.
Photography and visualisation
The main street view was created entirely from my own planning, without referring to the project visualisations. Years later I discovered that the architects had used the same viewpoint in their rendering, meaning that I had independently arrived at their way of seeing the building.
Drone photography and context
From the drone I captured the building in context: its relationship to the river, the neighbouring Prague Marina Island development, and Tamír Park, which cannot be expressed as clearly from the ground. I planned the aerial views around depth and movement as well, adapting the timing so that the entire series follows one visual logic.
Post-production as authorship
The post-production involved extensive retouching because everything that distracted from the architecture had to go: parked cars, damaged road surfaces, missing fencing, worn greenery, and small details behind windows and on balconies. I masked and subtly brightened the building, darkened its surroundings, and unified the colour of the sky so that the architecture stands out among the neighbouring buildings.
This is the essence of my “make rather than take” approach. I do not wait for a scene; I shape it.
The key image
I selected the sunset view across the river as the key image. The composition creates a clear relationship between negative and positive space, the sky and the building, and communicates the project’s defining quality: there is no further development in front of the building, only open space and the river.
Result and continuation
The project received two Real Estate Project of the Year awards: the Architects’ Award and the Expert Jury Award. For me, it also marked the beginning of a long-term partnership with DARAMIS that now includes video, property film, interior photography, and architectural photography.
The exterior series is directly connected to the lobbies and penthouse, each of which has its own case study and project gallery.
View the full project | Penthouse 5101 case study | Lobbies case study | Back to case studies
Architectural photographer Jiří Bednář