Introduction

Sam Oberter’s accumulated experiences make him uniquely well suited for producing expressive images documenting the energy and complexity of design. 

Drawing on his engineering background, Sam deploys a deep appreciation of strategy, steady patience, and meticulous attention to detail. His fine arts education and practice equally weigh in, shaping a process that also creates space for discovery, elasticity, and narrative. These complementary approaches come together in his photography to capture the planned and unexpected physical and social outcomes of the architect’s vision.

Process

To immerse himself into new environments through the designer’s perspective, Sam enlists clients in a highly collaborative process of site documentation. 

He promotes a flexible and responsive dialogue through all critical phases of photography: starting with advance scouting of locations, continuing through the shoot day, and persisting until post production is complete. Sam dedicates the utmost attention to populating spaces as envisioned, building representative scenes of engagement through all means available. This allows his photography to capture both the architectural details that define a space, and the way life is enacted on site to transform space into place. 

FAA Licensed Remote Pilot for Drone Photography

Publications

American Spirit
ARCHITECT
Architectural Record
Azure
Bloomberg Markets
Builder Custom Home
Design Bureau
Design NJ
Dwell
G Philly
Garden Design
Greensource

Grid Interior Design Magazine Landscape Architecture Magazine
Living etc Luxury Home Quarterly
Mainline Magazine Metropolis
Philadelphia Magazine
Philadelphia Style Preservation Magazine
Residential Architect
Residential Design + Build
SmartMoney  The Architect’s Newspaper The New York Times

Titles

30 Years ARCHITALX Design Like You Give a Damn Good Energy The Greenest Home Housing as Intervention Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods Through Design Radical Middle Grounds Vertical Living Wild By Design