CITY BREAK PHOTO SKILLS
You don’t have to travel great distances to capture urban images with drama and intrigue
Ready to leave lockdowns behind and explore the city with your camera? Find fresh ideas and inspiration with our ultimate urban guide
Cityscapes and travel photography go hand in hand. For photographers there is very little more enjoyable or creatively motivating than heading off to a new and exotic city, to explore the many and varied image opportunities. One of the biggest reasons for this enthusiasm is the unfamiliarity of a new setting. When faced with a scene or subject we have never seen or photographed before we are creatively challenged and forced to apply often rarely used skills and expertise. With any technical medium we can end up utilising the same workflow processes time and again, so it’s always a welcome change when knowledge we have archived can be brought forward into use.
Unfortunately a little known virus called Covid-19 has caused some disruption to our lives of late, both personally and professionally, meaning international travel is not as easy as it once was. For many photographers this has posed a significant artistic challenge. The motivation to head out and shoot places close to home is often not as strong and it can be surprisingly difficult to actually find and shoot creative images in cities we know well.
One contributing factor to this is a lack of inspiration, leading to us failing to be awake to photo opportunities unravelling before us. In many cases the architecture, culture and people in a familiar city are as photogenic as any overseas. The key to unlocking amazing images close to home is to view your region as a tourist might, seeking out details you might otherwise walk past without consideration.
Over the following pages we will explore the fundamentals of pro-level cityscape photography, with a focus on capturing surprising shots without having to board an aircraft.