Top ten tips For better buildings
1 Start wide, work inwards
Be methodical in your approach. shoot wide to capture the building in its environment, then work inwards by getting closer or using a longer focal length.
2 Work the angles
Don’t shoot everything face on; choose a 45 degree angle as this will lend a 3D feel to your subject and create greater appeal. remember that each side of the building could show something different.
3 Light is your best friend
it’s absolutely essential that you are not shooting directly into the light, as the building will look flat and one-dimensional. Wait for the right time of day for side-lighting, in particular.
4 Leading lines and dynamics
scope out pathways, walls and interesting features to pull the eye towards the subject from afar. even a park bench can do magical things in wide angle.
5 Avoid the tourists
Don’t throw your hands in the air and complain about tourists. learn to avoid them by shooting details first. Move in the opposite direction when they move, for empty and evocative shots of buildings.
6 A sense of scale
Don’t discount people in your shot altogether; a walking figure, or hand-in-hand couple can add to the appeal of your shot, so be on the lookout for wonderful moments while you work the wide-angle imagery.
7 travel light with a canon csc camera
the eos M3 weighs just over a kilo for the camera, viewfinder and three lenses covering 18-320mm, it’s effectively a pocket 1.6x crop camera with many professional features. its 90º viewfinder makes it ideal to act like a periscope for ceiling interior images!
8 Doors and windows
versatility is the name of the game – shoot doors, windows, figurines, patterns, indeed anything that is eye-catching. side light really helps here, so if it’s a grey day, wait for clear spell.
9 Same approach inside
shoot the grand view, then details. Make sure you are continually aware of others inside the building to avoid frustration. slowly walk around the interior and work out your angles – keep creative and use a high iso!
10 Shooting vertically upwards
Always look up; it’s surprising the amount of times we forget to do this. shoot precision-aligned wide-angle images and then get really inventive by creatively distorting and stretching.