An interview with Mass.Collective co-founders Francesco Russo & Henry Woide
Photography Mass.Collective
Mass.Collective are a group of architectural photographers that meet regularly, creating the chance to have a collective constructive criticism on your work and space to share and develop ideas.
I suppose let's start at the beginning, who and what is Mass.Collective and how did it come to pass?
F&H: Mass started more than a year ago, we started chatting online about photography and architecture and found out that we were based just a stone's throw from each other. London sometimes is very small, so we met for a drink and from the very beginning we agreed on the fact that being a photographer is a solitary job and you often need the opportunity to discuss with other like-minded professionals.
The immediate consequence of this was to create a group of architectural photographers that could meet regularly creating the chance to have a collective constructive criticism on our work, and space to share and develop ideas. With a small group of eight we started meeting regularly from March 2019, and after one year of this experience we saw the potential of it and decided to found Mass.
We offered the chance of participation to professional architectural photographers that work in London. We had a great response and at the moment we have about 90 professionals that are willing to get involved. We had our launch event in February and now we have great plans for the future. Obviously now everything has slowed down because of the outbreak, but we are organising remote events.
Tell us a little bit about yourselves, how long have you been photographers and what got you into the profession?
F: I have a background in architecture, I studied and graduated at the IUAV University of Venice and since then photography has always been a secondary tool and a companion both during my studies and work experiences. When I moved to London in 2016 to work as an architect I had the opportunity to carry out my first photographic commissions.
The photography business started taking over onto the architecture side, I then decided to take a course at the London College of Communication, which gave me the final push to entirely dedicate myself to photography. So for me it's been a gradual switch and having this background really helps to work as a photographer because it gives me a good understanding of what architects and designers want.
I know how difficult and demanding their job can be and how important the photographic documentation is for them, which often is the only way they have to show their work to the public.
H: I’m from a different background, fine arts and advertising. I’ve always been a creative and my camera has been my form of escapism. I’m attracted to the contemporary whether structures, art or design.
I landed into the profession a couple of years ago with minimal experience or knowledge of the architectural world. Not coming from an architectural background you base your view of architecture upon its aesthetic, the way you experience it, but having little knowledge of how or why it was built.
I’ve always had an interest in the urban environment and documenting and researching it has now enabled me to better understand the reasons architects create and manipulate space.
What is your goal with your Mass collective and is there anything we can look forward to from you in the future?
F&H: The main goal is to create a community of professionals that can help and support each other on both artistic, technical and business aspects of architectural photography.
We are still at the beginning of this experience but we are thinking big. At the moment we are promoting personal work from the photographers of the collective, in the future we want to organise seminars and talks on topics related to our profession and architecture, encourage and promote exhibitions, and why not, create a collective photographic project on a common topic.
It could be really interesting seeing how the same subject could be portrayed by different perspectives.
What equipment do you both use on your shoots and is there any advice you can give to others who are just getting into the industry?
F&H: We both shoot on the new Nikon mirrorless system, a lightweight, portable camera that can adapt tilt-shift lenses from multiple manufacturers. Geared tripod heads and solid carbon fibre legs are the base of nearly all of our work and an essential piece of gear.
We also both occasionally tether with the CamRanger through iPads for the styling of interiors. If you are just starting out the advice would be to invest in a solid tripod and geared head, go for the least expensive body and the most expensive lens you can afford, that’s where you get real value out of a system. Technology changes but glass last longer.
What are you both missing about not being able to get involved in much photography at the moment?
F&H: Taking a break from the shoots is not so bad to be honest. Sometimes the schedule can get so busy that you hardly have the time to stop, look back, think at what you've done and reflect on which direction you're taking. Though we may not be shooting as regularly as we could, with Mass we are actually featuring and viewing a lot of photography which is keeping us busy during the lockdown.
If you haven't already, how can you get involved in the Mass community and is it for a select few or can anyone get involved?
F&H: The collective is for the professional architectural and interiors photographers that operate in the London area. We made this decision because in the era of social media we still want to have the chance to meet in person and have a chat over a pint. The best relationships and ideas don't start on a WhatsApp chat.
If you want to join the Collective or want to hear more about our activities feel free to drop us an email at masscollectivelondon@gmail.com.
You can also follow us on Instagram at @mass.collective where we usually post about our event and promote personal work by the photographers of the collective.
