DAVID’S TOP 10 TIPS FOR BETTER BUILDING SHOTS
1 Shoot handheld first
Do not tether yourself to the tripod before you know what you want to shoot. Walk around with your camera and make your compositional decisions before attaching it to the tripod.
2 Sharp shots
Use a sturdy tripod, this will help make sure your shots are pin-sharp. Also, ensure that each of your shots for panoramas, or bracketed exposures, are taken from exact the same spot.
3 Use different lenses
Of course, try a wide-angle lens to capture as much of the city scene as possible, but also zoom in to 50mm, 100mm or 400mm to focus on the more interesting details and quirks of the buildings.
4 Shoot in Raw
For architecture photography, shoot in Raw image quality, as you need the highest quality images possible to reveal the most amount of detail in every tone possible.
5 Control your apertures
Shoot in Aperture Priority or Manual mode and set a narrow and optimum aperture, such as f/11 or f/8 to ensure your whole scene is in focus from foreground-to-background.
6 Colour temperature
Set your White Balance (Sunny, Cloudy, depending on conditions) so that your photograph’s colour temperatures are consistent.
7 Self-timer or remote control
When on a tripod, use self-timer (or cable release) to help you not touch your camera at the start of the exposures (which could mean blurred results).
8 Man in the mirror
Again, when on a tripod, and if you’re using an EOS DSLR, enable ‘Mirror Lockup’ in your EOS camera’s menu to make doubly sure all your shots are pinsharp and don’t fall victim to miniature movements.
9 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.
10 Learn to use light
Try not to shoot directly into the light, as the buildings will look flat and one-dimensional. If possible, wait for the right time of day for side-lighting, or for the light to highlight the buildings at their best.