Jonathan Sage Photography

The intricate interior design of this two-storey Munich penthouse is the work of design.s joinery and interior designer duo Justin Howlett and Jonas Jonasson. Delighted to be documenting such honed craftmanship, I concentrated on capturing the rich materiality and curvacious forms that define the spaces.

Having the advantage of expansive glazing facing toward the river, I could photograph solely with soft natural light, bringing out the natural texture and colour. The soft light and deep shadow deliver a calm and lavish ambience.

Every architectural photoshoot embodies unique challenges (which I embrace). In this case, confined depth with simultaneously wide and high spaces. Without ample space to set up the camera, using lenses with longer focal lengths is limited, which would provide a more visually superior look for this type of detail-rich project. To accomplish a more pleasing compression in the images, I took up to 2-3 shifted frames with the longest focal length possible for each perspective and digitally stitched them together in post-production. As a result, avoiding distorted wide-angle perspectives.

In addition to walking me through their work, the interior designers helped out on location, selecting and placing books, arranging flowers from the florist, and running out to Viktualienmarkt for fresh fruit. Each perspective was prudently staged and styled. It was a long day in the making, though it successfully yielded a set of images that we hoped to set out to create.