FIND UNIQUE ANGLES
Look for unusual compositions to shoot engaging, eye-catching images
composition can make or break any image, but it is even more of an important consideration when attempting to capture photographs in ‘busy’ environments. cities and other built-up urban areas are usually densely populated, with both people and buildings, making it challenging for the photographer to correctly isolate a single subject on which viewers can concentrate. Furthermore, buildings themselves often feature a great amount of detail and engaging design elements, which need to be arranged with some thought if the final image is to have the desired impact.
One of the key aspects that may let an architectural image down is the angle from which the structure is shot. if a photo shows a building at eye-level, it is simply recreating a scene anybody could view with their own eyes, stripping away the potential intrigue. in addition, selecting a perspective on a building that merely shows it from one well-known angle is far from creative and wastes the potential demonstrated by all details that are out of shot. although many have an iconic facade that is instantly recognisable, it is good photographic practice to walk around and explore new angles, before setting up a tripod. try changing camera height, to exaggerate or hide low-level foreground detail. then experiment with tilting your camera up or down, to see how perspective is altered and how this impacts depth. this can also help with compositional balance, by excluding the often-busy lower half of the frame, which contains people, cars and street furniture, to produce a bottom-heavy feel. cityscapes really benefit from an immersive atmosphere, where the vibrant tone of the environment is clear to viewers. this can be lost if the incorrect lens focal length is used – too wide and details seem overly distant, too long and points of interest may be excluded.
Vary lens choice to intentionally experiment with placing a building or architectural design in or out of context, by showing more or less of the surroundings. an entirely different theme can be conveyed by simply zooming in a few millimetres. ‘iconic’ is a theme that can add sales value to your images, or remove it almost entirely – be sure to use your artistic experience to create unique views of widely viewed subjects, to utilise all of the potential a location offers.
“if a photo shows a building at eye-level, it is simply recreating a scene anybody could view with their own eyes”