How To Compose Dynamic Cityscapes: Photzy
How To Compose Dynamic Cityscapes: Photzy
How To Compose Dynamic Cityscapes: Photzy
Fortunately, cityscapes don’t require a lot of exotic VERY HELPFUL, ARGUABLY MANDATORY
gear. A camera and lens that allows you to get your
desired composition are all that is truly necessary. ·· A tripod, or other means to stabilize your
Having said that, there are a few things that will camera. Even if your shutter speed is fast
improve your images, especially if you venture out in enough to shoot hand-held, securely stabilizing
low light situations. the camera will help you get as sharp of an
image as possible. It’s also necessary if you’re
COMPULSORY bracketing your images for exposure blending
or doing time-lapses. Setting the camera down
·· A camera. Any will do, but one that lets you will also force you to slow down and focus on
control the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO is your composition a little more.
preferable.
·· A remote shutter release. It may not be
·· A lens with adequate focal length for your noticeable to you, but even while stabilized
subject. For most cityscapes, a wide to normal the camera moves when you press the shutter
lens is best suited for the job. However, button. A remote release will help minimize this
depending on your vantage point and artistic movement. If you don’t have a remote shutter
vision, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses may also release, your camera’s self-timer can work.
work.
OPTIONAL, BUT USEFUL
·· Spare batteries and memory cards. It’s no fun
to go home early because the battery dies or ·· Filters. Neutral density filters force longer
there’s no room to store your images (I know exposures, which can help blur people and
from experience on both accounts). vehicles out of your scene as they pass by.
Graduated neutral density filters can help hold
back a bright sky when the foreground is dark,
or vice versa. Polarizing filers will reduce glare
from reflective surfaces such as glass or water.
·· A soft lens cloth. Condensation, fingerprints, ·· A friend. It’s fun to explore downtown or other
and other things find their way on to the lens urban settings with someone else. There’s also
and filters. You’ll want to be able to clean them safety in numbers.
off.
Your specific aperture, shutter speed, and ISO will depend ·· Try auto white balance first. Most newer cameras
on your camera/lens combinations and scenes, but there are pretty accurate in AWB, but if the color is off
are some settings you can take care of ahead of time. while you’re shooting, set a custom white balance.
Setting what you can ahead of time will get you out in the Shooting in RAW will allow you to fine tune the color
field faster and reduce the chance of missing shots. in post-production.
·· Shoot RAW files. When post-processing your ·· Use Manual focus (or use back button auto focus). If
images, using a RAW file will allow you to manipulate you use your shutter button to focus, there’s a chance
the most data possible while keeping the image the focal point will drift when you take the picture.
clean. This is especially important when shooting in For a single shot, that may not be a big deal. If you’re
high contrast and low light situations. bracketing exposures for HDR, or looking to stitch a
panorama, you want the focus to stay put to reduce
·· Shoot in Aperture Priority or Manual mode. the chance of stacking/stitching errors.
Cityscapes are the urban equivalent of a landscape.
You’ll want as much of the scene in focus as possible, ·· If shooting at night, dim your LCD as much as
so use an aperture somewhere in the f/8-16 range. possible. The camera’s preview display is very
You may need to experiment to find the sweet spot deceiving in low light and will trick you into thinking
for your lens. your image is brighter than it really is. Rely on your
histogram for determining correct exposure.
·· Set your ISO to the lowest native value your
camera offers. For most cameras, this will be ·· Bracket your exposures. This is optional, but it will
between 50 and 200. You’ll get the best contrast and give you much more flexibility in post-processing.
color range your camera offers, and minimal noise.
Given the definition we’re working with, go anywhere Be on the lookout for elements that will aid in
that offers a view of the city that excites you. If you your composition. Roads, bridges, railroad tracks,
are just starting out, or need some inspiration, search and rivers can all be used as leading lines to
the internet for images that others have taken of the guide your viewer through the scene and to your
same area. Select one or two of your favorites and try subject. Consider the elements in the foreground
to figure out where they set up to take the shot. Go and background and how they can balance and
there and work on your shooting technique. As you complement your image instead of distracting from
become more comfortable and familiar with the city, it. Pay attention to where the sun is and see how
find your own vantage points. its position affects the lighting on your scene. Also
consider how the seasons affect the scene.
When scouting locations for a cityscape, look for
hillsides, bluffs, or accessible tall buildings that give
you a bird’s eye view of the streets and buildings
below. Look for low vantage points where the
buildings rise up in majesty. Find a street or path that
is lined with buildings and activity.
This is the $64,000 question. Unfortunately, the To come up with a more concrete answer, consider
answer is, “It depends.” the scene you wish to photograph and ask yourself a
few questions.
The blue hours are generally regarded as the best
times to shoot cityscapes. The lights of the buildings, What type of ambient lighting do I want? If you want
bridges, and street lamps are on, but it’s still light the balance of ambient and artificial light, shoot
enough to see without them. The balance of ambient during the blue hours. If you want the golden rays
and artificial light gives you plenty of detail in the of first or last light, be ready at sunrise or an hour
shadows while keeping the highlights from blowing before sunset. If you want a daytime scene, favor
out. Of course, the golden hours and early morning/ earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon. If you
late evening will also yield fantastic results. It’s usually really love hard shadows, shoot at noon.
best to avoid the harsh midday sun.
The usual rules of composition apply to cityscapes. compositional rule. Try to find another way to fit the
The Rule of Thirds is one of the most popular options scene in your frame that is visually pleasing.
for horizon placement, but the Golden Ratio also
works well. The decision to use the upper or lower As I mentioned earlier, leverage roads, bridges, and
third depends on your foreground and background rivers as leading lines to guide viewers through your
elements. A fiery sunrise or sunset would be better image, or as frames for your subject. Keep an eye
emphasized by putting the horizon in the bottom out for diagonals and triangles that can enhance your
third, while a flat sky can be minimized by using the composition.
upper third. Whatever you do, don’t awkwardly cut
off part of your subject for the sake of satisfying a
If you can’t fit your scene into a single frame, or Recommended Reading: If you’d like to
you want to emphasize the expanse of the scene, learn more and improve your landscape
turn your camera to portrait orientation and take photography, grab a copy of Photzy’s
several shots to stitch into a panorama. Be sure bestselling premium guide: Complete
to shoot these frames in Manual mode to keep Landscape Photography.
your exposure, focal point, and white balance
the same. Once again, compose loosely because
you’ll have to crop the image after stitching the
frames together.
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