Shoot your own skyline

Jason Parnell-Brookes shows you how to capture a striking cityscape in the comfort of your own home with the help of some basic office supplies Pick up a stack of staples and stand them up on a desk, and they turn into a skyscraper

Photograph a cityscape from the comfort of your front room

Sometimes we all sit at our desks and daydream, wondering “What if I was somewhere else right now?” Looking down at the bits and bobs around us, we might fiddle with pens and paper, bend paperclips into different shapes, perhaps doodling where we can.

Well, how about letting your imagination run riot and turning those everyday objects into epic miniature scenes? For this fun photography project, you really don’t need anything more than an eye for detail, an anglepoise lamp and a decent stationery supply. Pick up a stack of staples and stand them up on a desk, and they turn into a skyscraper. What about creating Seattle’s famous Space Needle? A bolt and a couple of washers work fine to achieve the look. It really doesn’t take a lot to create a convincing miniature city. The only other things you need are some acrylic board (we bought ours from eBay) and the aforementioned desk lamp.

Here’s what you need to do in order to create a city skyline of your own design – planning permission not required…