Many photographers consider urban spaces as boring locations to photograph, due to the fact that they may be too busy and/or cluttered. Moreover, these places can be quite crowded most of the time and noisy too, but if you are willing to slow down, and take time to observe and photograph some unique and interesting shots, then urban spaces provide a lot of photographic opportunities.
Urban spaces or cities provide opportunities for several genre of photography like architecture, street, urban wildlife, etc. It is always recommended to scout locations beforehand, get to know the area and study how light falls in a particular area during certain times of the day, etc., so you can come back with very compelling photos.
Here are some tutorials that we have put together, so you can get some ideas and be inspired to photograph in urban spaces.
Here is a tutorial or a walkthrough for an interesting start on how urban spaces can be photographed. This article includes a lot of sample images with details along the way to give you an understanding of how light, perspective, angles, etc., can be used to capture interesting urban photographs.
When we hear the word landscapes, we immediately think about natural landscapes in the wilderness like the ones that have meadows, grasslands, hills and mountains, beaches etc. Landscapes can be also extended to urban areas where urban landscapes can be captured as they are quite interesting if you follow some tips.
While many photographers choose to stay indoors on rainy days in order to protect their gear and themselves, these days provide great atmosphere for photography and many creative opportunities. Urban landscapes transform into magical spaces during or after a rain and with some precautions and safety measures, one can capture stunning urban photos on a rainy day. Here are some tips for rainy urban photos.
Cities are places where something keeps happening all the time – there are a lot of stories, events, cultural activities and so on, that can be photographed. Besides, cities provide great opportunities to capture architecture during various times of the day and seasons, street photography, environmental photos, etc. Here are some ideas to capture stunning city photos.
Street photography in a city can offer unique perspectives on what is happening in a city and the light falling through tall buildings and alleyways can offer interesting compositions and stories. Right from train stations to city centres, each space provides different stories and elements that can be used to capture the life in the city. A keen eye for details and a story telling mind is all that you need for capturing great street photos in a city. Here are some tips and ideas.
A lot of people choose to live in cities because of the vibe and the other interesting things they can experience there. Cities are also spaces that are filled with architecture and other structures, both new and old. It is not just about capturing the buildings in a city, but also the life there, that makes for epic cityscape photographs. Here are some ideas on how to capture cities in unimaginable ways.
Do you live in a city? If so, are you bored of photographing the place that you live in? We all have this habit of not photographing the places we live in, because we see it all the time and don’t feel that it has anything new or interesting to contribute. If that is the case, you are wrong. Your city has a load of photographic opportunities and you need to look at it with the eyes of a tourist. Read to find out how!
Have you seen wildlife in urban spaces? Unlike capturing wildlife photographs in the wild by staying very far away from the animals and birds, urban wildlife that are used to humans around them can be captured up close as they mostly stay close to human residents, parks, etc. The wildlife in urban spaces can be interestingly photographed against daily happenings in the cities and towns. This article gives you tips on how to photograph urban wildlife.
Besides all the stunning subjects and cityscapes in urban spaces, if you are a photographer interested in capturing portraits, cities offer amazing opportunities to capture interesting portraits. Some very interesting geometrical compositions can be used to capture portraits in urban areas, Here are some tips to start with.
Also, if you are interested in learning about geometrical compositions, check out this article – How To Use Geometry For Creative Composition In Photography
We have all heard of the golden hour as the best time to photograph anything because of the glorious, soft but dramatic light the sun casts during that time. Do not pack your camera bags after sunset, because the blue hour is one of the best times to capture very emotive and soft photos especially in the city when the lights are just turned on. Here is how to shoot cityscapes during the blue hour.
If you are someone interested in urban decay, or wish to shoot something different in urban spaces,, then urban decay is a genre that will be of interest to you. Moreover these spaces will not be crowded, so you can take time to explore and capture them from unique perspectives and angles. Make sure you have permission to enter and photograph these spaces as some areas and buildings may have restrictions or may be private. Here are some tips for you to get started.
Finally if you are interested in black and white photography, urban spaces are great because of the light, textures and drama they can lend to great black and white photographs. Make sure that you have a good tonal range in the scene so the resulting black and white image is powerful. You need to learn to see in black and white in order to capture images to convert to black and white.
If you want to check out some creative urban photos, check out these “Urban Etchings” by Grant Legassick, which is a definitive study of an urban environment comprising multiple images layered over one another, giving the impression of a fine, delicate pencil drawing or metal etching. These images are mind-blowing and the photographer shares how these were made.
Further Reading