Scott Mayoral’s work, first as Mayoralphoto and now as Central Meridian Photography (an homage to his favorite art installation The Central Meridian, by Michael C. McMillen) has been published internationally in noted architectural and interior design publications such as Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, Detail Magazine, Journal of the Taliesin Fellows, as well as being featured in a number of interior design and architectural books. Scott has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from U.C.L.A.
Always having been drawn to visual, Scott’s early memories of architectural and visual awareness reach back to the iconic Ridley Scott Chanel No. 5 commercials (“La Piscine”, 1979 and “L’invitation au Rêve – Le Jardin”, 1982). Years of Legos experience led to an interesting career in construction: demolition estimating and project management. It was during this time that he saw his interest in large format 4×5 photography (which itself was inspired by his interest in creating mixed media fine art) cross-pollinate with his career life.
After demolition and completing his BA, Scott began professional architectural and interior design photography in earnest. One of his first clients was architectureforsale.com, a firm focused on the architectural real estate marketplace and requiring a high degree of artistic and technical proficiency in the capturing of their properties for representation. Scott photographed many legendary architects in this venue: Frank Lloyd Wright, Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Buff and Hensman, Craig Ellwood, A. Quincy Jones, and Donald Wexler.
Central meridian photography is a technique in which the camera is positioned so that its lens is facing the central meridian of the building or structure being photographed. This technique is often considered the best choice for architectural photography because it allows for the most accurate representation of the building’s proportions and geometry.
By positioning the camera along the central meridian, the perspective distortion that can occur when photographing buildings from other angles is minimized. This distortion, known as keystoning, can make buildings appear to lean or distort in the image, which can be distracting or misleading. Central meridian photography helps to avoid this issue and produce a more accurate representation of the building.
Additionally, central meridian photography allows for the entire building to be captured in the image, from its foundation to its highest point. This can be particularly important when photographing tall or complex structures, such as skyscrapers or cathedrals, where capturing the full extent of the building is necessary to fully appreciate its scale and complexity.