Tips on urban landscape/building?

[cyc]

Hi all,

I've only started photography for about 2 weeks, so please go easy on me. :blushing:

So I've walked around the city for the whole afternoon today and took a whole lot of pics. I realized how they are not all that great after I'm back home and uploaded them to my computer. I have included a few of them and hope you guys can critique/give me some advice.

Do you guys also have some advice/tips on taking pictures of the urban landscape or buildings in general?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dylan-Fishman]

If I go out and shoot 500 pictures I only end up editing and adoring 2-8 shots. Tips are always have your camera, wide lenses will be your friend, try to find different vantage points even if it is a bit scary (ask bitter jeweler, I just read his thread about lift bridges), have a 18-15mm & a 55mm+ lens. I really like 2 & 5.
<>Dylan<>

 

[Dylan-Fishman]

Oh and welcome to the forum!

Please read the pact
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photographic-discussions/169089-pact.html#post1633751

 

[manaheim]

Ah one of my favorite topics...

Here are some tips to keep in mind...

1. Be mindful of your light- city streets play hell with the sun. If the sun is to your back and on the subject you are shooting, you'll generally be better off. If it's not, be aware that to expose the subject properly you will necessarily overexpose your sky. In these cases sometimes it's best to omit the sky entirely and/or focus on details of the subject vs. trying to get the "whole scene". (see next)
2. Also... graduated neutral density filters can help... they can darken the sky by 1-3 stops of light and allow you to still see your buildings.
3. Also, consider HDRs when possible... this can help compensate for the rough lighting situations, but be mindful of what movement in the city will do to your composition in the end.
4. Corner views are your friend. Try not to shoot buildings with only one side of the building visible- try to get at least two.
5. Look for interesting details, patterns, colors, etc. Shoot interesting angles and odd perspectives to bring interest to your shot. Think both about how the building looks and how the various architectural elements in the building tie in to make the building interesting. Focus on details as well as the broader whole.
6. Correct perspective... not always... but frequently. Look at your first shot there... see how the buildings appear to bend in towards the top of the frame? It doesn't look like that to your eye because your eye/brain combination corrects for this automatically (unless you intentionally override it). Software such as ePaperPress PTLens will do this for you. Photoshop has less automated capabilities as well. (For an example go to my website)
7. Cities are alive!!! Remember that buildings are neat, but sometimes the buildings are more a part of what is going on around them... you made an attempt with that fountain there, but the lighting was a miss (fill flash MAY have helped)