Photo Room Reopening for Architecture Students
December 3, 2025
The School of Architecture is proud to announce the re-opening of the Photo Room located in the Architecture Building, room 11S.
This room has been outfitted with black and white backgrounds, new lights, a universal holder for your phone or tablet for pictures, and has the windows covered so you can control the light.
This room will be open for you daily. If you have an issue with the door being locked, equipment issues, or anything else please reach out to architecture@illinois.edu
We are very excited about this opportunity for everyone. To show off the possibilities of this new space, Professor’s Hugh Swiatek and John Clark shared some pictures (attached to this email).
Please see the room rules below. They are also posted outside of the room.
Thank you!
School of Architecture Administration
Photo Studio Rules
- Leave No Trace: leave the room cleaner than you found it.
- Power down and unplug all lights when finished. Keep cables off the floor.
- Return all gear to its labeled location. If something breaks, report it immediately to Tony Maduzia maduzia@illinois.edu
- No food or drink in the studio.
- Keep sweeps clean:
• Use paper sweeps for messy materials.
• If sweep is damaged / dirty, contact architecture@illinois.edu
-Cut (do not tear) paper only when necessary—and only the length you need.
- Dispose of all waste properly.
- Move stands and lights with care. Use sandbags on any raised or extended stand.
- Be considerate if others are waiting; reset the space quickly.
Photography Tips
- Light with intention: move fixtures, test angles, vary intensities, and experiment with color balance.
- Change your camera position and try variations in aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance.
It is easier to overshoot now than to reshoot later. - Keep the background sweep clean and flat. Smooth wrinkles and keep the model at least 1' from the backdrop to avoid shadows.
- Shoot perpendicular to the sweep. Rotate your model and adjust lights rather than tilting the camera.
- Keep the camera level and parallel with the floor to avoid distortion.
- Control glare: angle lights, soften with diffusers, and avoid direct reflections on glass or plexi.
- Set white balance intentionally. Avoid mixing different light color temperatures unless planned.
- Cameras, tripods, and other equipment are available from the UIUC Media Commons (Main Library):
https://www.library.illinois.edu/sc/loanable-technology/
Photo Room - Architecture Building Room 11S