Urban photography is fast becoming a trend nowadays as anyone who is armed with a smartphone, point and shoot camera, or even DSLR can capture interesting images while on the road or simply walking around the block. Of course, not all urban photography themes dwell on colorful landscapes but even the dark and depressing side of the city too. If you have a good idea for a fine shot you’ll be capturing some amazing photographs in no time.
For those who want to improve on their urban photography skills, here are a few tips that you might want to keep in mind.
- Urban portraiture. Urban landscapes tend to have a lot of people in them which can affect your shot. Ask yourself whether the people in your line of sight will affect the shot in a positive manner, then add them. If not, choose a time when there is less foot traffic in the location of your shoot so you won’t be bothered by them.
- Add or find a point of interest. Urban photography is not just limited to black and white shots or even about geometric shapes of buildings but can be about anything interesting. If you can’t find any point of interest in your current location, why not bring one yourself? It can be a model, a toy, or anything that you would like to be in your shot.
- Research your locations. Although sometimes walking around can yield some surprising photos it pays to learn more about the location that you want to visit. Find out if there are any interesting sites, the lighting, amount of traffic, and others that you think are relevant to your shoot. Think about nooks, angles, and even visualize how you want your shot to appear. Choosing the right time of day to take photos is also important if you want to reveal some spectacular shots.
- Check out different city zones. What’s great about taking photos in an urban setting is various sites and feelings that you get to see and experience. From a bustling business district to abandoned industrial plants, to a booming residential area, you will find plenty of subjects to shoot from. Some landscape photographers tend to stick to one area only but if you are just starting out, there is no harm in moving from one site to the next until you find your preference.
- Perspective is everything. Urban photographs can be boring at times especially when they’re taken using the same angle. If you want to make your images more interesting, change your perspective. You can shoot from down below going up or from the above looking down. Whatever angle you’re going to use it will definitely make your urban landscape more interesting to look at. If your hands are a bit shaky, bring your tripod with you to take steadier and more dramatic shots of the urban life.
- Bring different lenses. When you’re out and about and wanting to practice your urban photography skills, you should bring different lenses with you. Bring one with longer focal lengths so that you can capture the details of your subject better and one wide angle lens to capture a wider landscape. This way, you won’t waste time doing the same shoot in different days.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways for you to upgrade your urban photography skills. Whether you are using a professional camera or your smartphone, it pays to know these tips so you can apply them the next time you decide to take some photos of the city that you live in or are visiting.
