"I often call myself an architectural photojournalist.

My biggest influences were not architectural photographers. They were the photojournalists like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Elliot Erwitt. They tried to find the incredible "decisive moment" that makes you feel the scene exactly how they felt it. By looking at their images you experience a strong emotion and it stops you in your tracks.

Buildings change with the light and become humane when people walk in the frame. Sometimes they even become unrecognisable when reflecting the light. My biggest goal has been for people to look at architecture in a different way. For instance, if it's a building they pass everyday, I want them to look at the photograph and not even recognize it. In return, this makes them want go and experience it more for themselves."

Title: The One

"This image was taken at the BlackCliff House in British Columbia by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses. I called it The One as in my mind it represents my own search for that one decisive moment, my search for peace and self exploration.

In 2020 we all were in many ways alone experiencing life in such a different way, I felt this image could represent that pause in life that could be used to reflect on where we are, where we are going and who do we really want to be."

Based in Vancouver, Ema Peter Photography was founded in 2005 to bring Ema’s creative vision to architectural photography. Ema’s training in both the visual arts and photojournalism, with experience at the Magnum Photo Agency in Paris, created the foundations for her approach to lighting and composition. 

With over 20+ years of experience and sheer determination, she has photographed internationally renowned projects and received countless awards. 

Ema deeply believes that a space has life and she makes it her mission to harness that character in every photograph.

Ema Peter is an architectural photographer based in Vancouver, Canada. Ema and her team fly around the world photographing some of the most anticipated architectural projects.

Recent projects include the Xiqu Opera House in Hong Kong, Governor General Medals of Architecture six of the 12 project winners and multiple residential projects in Europe, Mexico and US. Ema has won many of the biggest architectural photography awards like the Spotlight Awards, Créateurs Design Awards, Architizer Awards, Canadian Architect Inaugural award and more.

Ema is a public speaker and in the past year has participated as a jury in the Archiproduct Awards, The One Photo Challenge Awards, The Architectural Institute of British Columbia Awards, The Loop design Awards and more.

Ema Peter Photography is one of the leading architectural and interior photography firms in North America. In the recent years they have done some of the largest Canadian, Asian and European commercial projects.

Ema was the recipient of the Architizer A+ Awards and the Canadian Architectural Inaugural Photography Awards in 2018.

In the last year, she was the jury of the Archiproduct Awards, Canadian Photography Awards and the Awards of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. Their recent projects Xiqu Hong Kong and University of Chicago Hong Kong have won multiple awards like the Prix Versailles and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Medal for Architecture.

Ema continues to inspire at events like Pecha Kucha, Creative Mornings and workshops in Universities like CENTRO Mexico City.

Title: Teahouse

"The winning image is a Teahouse by Kengo Kuma, specially designed for Westbank in Vancouver and positioned on a terrace of a high-rise in the very centre of the city. This made it quite challenging, as this is a very unusual place for such a building.

The teahouse has glass all the way around and we had to drape a theatre blackout curtain to wrap around the building from a few floors above so we didn’t get any reflections. I requested the tea master to come and perform a tea ceremony so I knew exactly where to position people so as not to be against the traditions."