This article aims at testing the hypothesis that the concepts borrowed from the field of Translation Studies are relevant to the analysis of the architectural photography. Although most of the photographers have historically compared their work to translation, this analogy needs a conceptual definition to be more effective. Particularly, the opposition between translators recalls the old opposition between creative and documentary photography, by highlighting the similarities between these two versions of the same practice. Another notion – defectivity – is analysed in the light of the Benjamin’s concept, showing again close proximity between these disciplines. Both examples confirm the usefulness of the transdisciplinary approach.