HASSAN SMITH

Born on 25th December 2007 in Swansea, Wales, Hassan Smith is a North London based architectural photographer whose work focuses on post-war housing and brutalist architecture. His photography explores how these structures shape urban identity and the human experience within civic spaces. Through the use of monochrome, Hassan captures the stark geometry, spatial hierarchy, and emotional intensity of architectural forms that often dominate their surroundings.

Photographic Influences

Simon Phipps has been a major influence on my work. His black-and-white images of British modernism inspired me to look beyond surface aesthetics and focus on architectural form and social context. Phipps’ perspective photography of post-war housing and civic buildings reflects both the optimism of their design and the social realities embedded within these environments.

My Intention Behind the Monochrome Effect

My intention in using monochrome is to strip away the distraction of colour so that the focus shifts entirely onto the form, perspective, and structure of architecture. I want my images to confront viewers with the raw geometry and spatial power of brutalist and post-war housing — spaces that were originally designed with both social purpose and visual authority.

Simon Phipps’ approach to black-and-white photography inspired this direction. His work captures the austerity and dignity of modernist buildings, giving them a timeless, documentary presence. By removing colour, he exposes how these structures dominate their surroundings through proportion and texture — a quality I aim to capture in my own work.

When I began experimenting with this technique, I initially thought it could be achieved with a simple black-and-white filter in Photopea. But after several attempts, I realised that achieving the right tonal balance was essential to evoke the same depth and atmosphere as Phipps’ images.

Through adjusting grayscale levels and contrast, I learned to refine light and shadow to strengthen perspective and composition. This process helped me reveal the hierarchy within architectural space — making the viewer feel small and aware of how the built environment asserts its presence. My intention is for each image to not only represent architecture, but to make people feel its power.