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The 5 Key Components For Great Cityscape Shots

Cityscapes are one of the most popular types of photos that people like to capture. They are also relatively easy to execute compared to say action photography where you are dealing with moving subjects. You will usually be able to use a tripod and take your time so blurred photos shouldn’t be an issue. But a great cityscape shot isn’t always a given and requires some planning and preparation in order to achieve. So here are the 5 key components that you need to nail in order to capture great cityscape shots.

Location

Like any type of landscape photography, the first part of a great cityscape shot is that you need a great location to shoot from. Cityscapes by their nature require open space in front of you. So the obvious option is always to head to the river as this gives a natural clearance to the skyline. But this will usually also mean that you might end up with the same photos that everyone captures. Which isn’t necessarily something to avoid as often the reason for that is that those are the best locations.

But the great thing about city photography is that there are always new places to capture photos of the skyline from. Whether it is a new rooftop bar, a viewing platform or even sometimes just buildings being demolished that can give a new line of sight, the ever-changing skyline of a city means you can capture new photos all the time. You just need to be on the lookout for potential new locations.

So your first step for a successful shoot should be to research and find great spots to shoot from. Google maps and Google Street view has certainly made things a lot easier in this day and age. But don’t stop there. Check out local photographers’ accounts on social media and even tourist boards who will often announce when new things are happening. Keep a list of locations on hand so that when the conditions are right you can head straight there to capture the photos you want to take.

Light

The light that you have in a scene is arguably the single most important element in your cityscape photography. A stunning scene won’t come out as an amazing photo if you have a flat and uninteresting light. But great light doesn’t mean beautiful sunshine. In fact, sometimes a moody or stormy sky can provide much more dramatic results. So don’t think of great light as just sunshine, but instead as “interesting light”. Ideally, you should aim for a light that gives something that is unusual or that enhances the scene in some way.

Often this does mean sunlight in the early hours of the morning or late afternoon which can give a scene a beautiful golden glow. In addition, this sort of soft light helps to enhance contrasts and shadows to give the photo more depth and feeling. So if you find that you are getting these kinds of conditions head to one of your locations to capture cityscape shots.

Sky

Now that we talked about light, I should also mention the sky as well. The best cityscape shots will also have a great sky as well possibly with dramatic clouds or even just a lovely colour. For example, just a few fluffy clouds in the sky can make a huge amount of difference to a photo versus one which has nothing but clear blue sky. Of course, the holy grail of this type of photography is the dramatic colourful explosions of colours that might happen at sunrise or sunset. These types of skies can transform a cityscape shot into something spectacular that will “wow” the viewer. Obviously, a dramatic sky doesn’t happen every day so you’ll have to wait for the right conditions.

TIP: Be on the lookout for days where there is a strong wind as by using a slow exposure you will be able to capture the clouds moving as streaks in the sky to add some dynamism into your photos.

Composition

One of the most common mistakes that I often see from amateur or newbie photographers when taking cityscapes is trying to cram too much into their composition. Think of your skyline photo like any other photograph. There needs to be a point of interest that is the focus of the image. So for example on the image below the main point of interest is the Empire State Building. Try to compose your image in a way that showcases the point of interest and if that means having to crop out other elements then so be it. Also, remember that you don’t always have to show the entire skyline. You can sometimes crop into your scene by using a telephoto lens to just focus on a small area.

Editing

The final step in ensuring your cityscape shot is stunning is to edit it properly. So spend time tweaking your image ensuring that the colours are correct and enhanced, contrasts are looking good and you have cropped the image if needed. I would always start by first correcting your white balance. Then move onto the essentials like brightness, contrasts and even curves to really make your image pop out. You can also choose to add some more saturation and vibrancy to your image (or even reduce it for a more muted look).

One really important aspect to check on your image is that your verticle lines are straight. This is something that is easy to do on Lightroom with a simple click. This will fix the effect known as “converging lines” where it looks like buildings are falling backwards.

A great cityscape shot can look amazing anywhere. Whether its in a magazine or printed and framed to be hung on a wall, the iconic cityscapes of the world can provide wonderful photo opportunities. The great thing about cityscape photography is that it is relatively easy to master and do well. Once you know the basics and practice your composition a little, the only thing that you will need is the right conditions. Think about the elements above the next time you are planning on taking cityscape shots and you may just end up with some stunning results.

How To Capture Stunning Photos Of Cities

Cities are incredibly attractive to photographers and tourists alike, with good reason. They are vibrant hubs of life and energy that are very visually appealing to the naked eye. However, if you are a visual creator who has ever tried to capture these moments with a camera, you know how difficult it can be to capture a diverse range of scenes and moods.

Many factors need to be considered when taking a scenic photo of a city. From choosing the right settings and gear to determining the best compositions and subjects, and more. But fear not, here is a list of top tips on capturing stunning photos of cities.

Find the right location

Breathtaking photos don’t happen by mistake. They often happen because so much detail and planning have gone into them. It wouldn’t be possible to find the right shot without doing some proper research. If you’re doing a cityscape landscape shot, the goal is to get an unobstructed view of the skyline. Try exploring along the waterfront, or on bridges. You can even research the best viewing platforms for that specific city, such as towers, skyscrapers, or even rooftop bars. Use Google Maps street view to check out your location first but try to leave time to actually scout out in person.

Assess the light

The colour, quality, and angle of the light can make or break any shot, and it’s no exception when it comes to getting a stunning city shot. Outdoor photographs rely strongly on the available light. All photographers have their style when it comes to what time of the day they like to shoot. The golden hour, the period before sunset, is a favourite among many because of the soft golden light which can enhance any scene. But depending where you are shooting and what story you want to tell, you can use weather to your advantage. Mist or stormy skies can add plenty of dimension to your photo, so don’t be limited by sunshine and blue skies.

Many also love the blue hour after sunset, but before it gets too dark when the lights come on and the landmarks are lit up. You can incorporate some exciting details such as soft water, light trails or even atmospheric moving clouds during this time into your image.

Learn about composition

The composition can make all the difference between a mediocre shot and an impressive one. There are plenty of ways you can play around with composition to get a better picture. Using reflections are a great way to add interest to your photographs, such as lakes or rivers, fountains, puddles, windows, or other elements. The tricky part comes in ensuring you have an unperturbed reflection, so timing is of the essence (a polarizing filter is also useful and can help limit unwanted reflections).

Another great composition element is using leading lines to lead the viewer’s eyes to the main subject. This line can be a road, a path, a fence, pillars, or anything that fits the city that you’re photographing. Depending on where you’re shooting from, you may need to crouch down to the ground to find the leading lines or look down if you’re on a more elevated surface.

Framing your subject is extremely important. Once you’ve decided upon what you want to be the focus of your picture, it’s essential to frame your photograph correctly. The goal is to remove the less exciting elements of the scene and draw your viewers into your main subject. So really think about your composition carefully.

Include local elements

One of the most beautiful details that can be added to a city photo is a defining element. You want the image to tell a story, and part of that story is its location and history. If you’re shooting London, for example, it would be telling to include Big Ben or the London Eye, or even a red telephone box, or a member of the Queen’s Guard. Incorporate local elements of the city that you’re shooting into your photos, but try to do it in a different way that already exists out there. Try to avoid the “tourist” snap type shots and instead look for interesting angles or stories using these icons.

Play with your shutter speed

A common component to most cities is the hustle and bustle of people moving a million miles a minute, trying to get to where they need to be. While some photographers find that these fast and frenetic places are tough to photograph, an avid city photographer will see this as an opportunity. If you can find the right spot to be, you can use a tripod and use slower shutter speed to pick up a real sense of movement in your photograph. Including the chaotic frenzy of daily life also gives a specific mood and realism to your image, making it truly stunning.

Have the right gear

For successful shoots in cities, you also need to think about the equipment that you will need for the day. When it comes to shooting a cityscape, you are going to require a wide-angle lens. If you plan to shoot it at sunrise or sunset or at other low light times, you’ll also need a tripod. On the other hand, if you decide to crop into a small section of a cityscape, you may need a telephoto lens. Other accessories such as filters (graduated ND and neutral density filters) or a flash might also be needed. Make sure you don’t forget to pack plenty of memory cards and batteries as well.

All photographers have their styles and methods. These are just some of the tips on how to capture stunning photographs of cities. So apply them and you’ll be on your way to capturing awesome photos of cities.

7 Reasons Why Cities Are The Best Place For Travel Photography

Cities are wonderful places for travel photography. There is so much that goes on day to day in any city that you could spend a lifetime just photographing a few cities in the world. From the beautiful to the gritty, from old to modern and from tranquillity to sheer chaos, cities have it all. This makes them wonderful places to improve your travel photography. So here are 7 reasons why cities are the best place for travel photography.

1. People

Cities revolve around people and there is no greater concentration of people anywhere than cities. This provides endless opportunities for photographing people. It could be portraits, environmental portraits or people going about their daily lives. If you then factor in the plethora of colours and styles of clothes people wear in places like India, Vietnam or even western countries, you can see why cities are such great places for people photography. Capturing photographs of people is often the area that most newbie photographers struggle in. Whether it’s shyness or just not being sure of your settings, cities offer a great opportunity to practice and improve your people photography.

2. Markets

Every city will have a market or two. They are often central to the daily lives of people who live or work near them. Markets are a hub of activity and are often filled with food, souvenirs, clothes and even weird and wonderful things. They are also one of the best places for photography. That is because there is just so much to photograph and so many opportunities to capture unique photos. You can capture close-up photographs of food or the preparation of it. There is the opportunity to photograph the market vendors either as portraits or when they interacting with customers. You can even photograph the customers that they serve. For these reasons you should ensure that a market is on your shot list when visiting a city.

3. Cityscapes

Who doesn’t like seeing a photograph of a skyline of a city captured in beautiful light? These are often the “wow” shots that really grab people’s attention. The great thing is that you will usually find there are no shortages of places that you can capture cityscape photos from. In fact, most cities will often have rooftop bars or viewing platforms that can give you stunning photos of the skyline of the city. The only negative being that often these places don’t allow tripods so you have to be inventive in the way you photograph the skyline. But even if you can’t capture the perfect photo from viewing platforms or rooftop bars, it’s not a problem. Cities will often have natural places that offer great views that you are able to use a tripod at. You will need to do some research to find them, but they will exist somewhere in the city.

4. Landmarks

Naturally, cities will generally have a landmark of some sort. Some of the bigger cities in the world will have many iconic landmarks. Others might only have one. For example, the Alhambra in Granada is the most iconic landmark in Spain. Whereas, New York has a whole host of famous landmarks that you can photograph. Photographing landmarks well is very difficult. The reason being that most landmarks in the world have been captured millions of times from every possible angle. So being able to capture something unique isn’t easy. But even if you can’t capture something different to what already exists, still make sure that you do photograph it in the best way that you can.

5. Food

A city’s food scene is one of the key elements that you should aim to capture. From street food at a stall by the side of the road to exquisitely prepared meals in Micheline star restaurants, there is no limitation to what you can photograph. Often foods can vary vastly even from regions within a country. As such food shots are a great way to really tell the story of a destination. Beyond the dishes themselves, the preparation of food is also great to capture. Photographing food isn’t always straightforward so a city can provide ample opportunity to practice.

6. Contrasts

Cities are a melting pot of culture, history and architecture. There is a constant contrast in every scene. From an old building to a modern skyscraper. From expensive eateries to street stalls. Even people provide a contrast of culture, looks and dress sense. One of the biggest contrasts in cities is often between the noisy and busy streets and the tranquillity of parks. Think of Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London that provides a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the city. These parks are also wonderful places to photograph as they are often beautifully kept. But they also provide an opportunity to photograph people going about their daily lives. There is truly nowhere in the world where contrasts are as evident as in cities.

7. Ever-changing

The other great thing about cities is that they are ever-changing so there is always something new to photograph. Whether it’s a new building or just a unique situation that arises on a shoot, you are far more likely to be able to capture a unique shot in a city than out in the wilderness. This means you can visit the same city over and over again and still come away with unique photos. Even as a Londoner, I am always amazed by how often I discover new places in my home city. So for someone visiting, the photo opportunities are endless.

Cities are great places to visit for photography as a beginner. There is so much to photograph that you can easily practice any areas that you struggle with. They are also wonderful places to re-visit as you will often find yourself capturing better photos the more times you visit. Even if the city is close to your home town, don’t miss out visiting and photographing it. You will be amazed by how much your photography will improve.