Cityscape photography: Photo Equipment for City Streets
Sweeping skyscrapers, city lights, and picturesque sunsets — these are some of the elements that might attract you to cityscape photography. Composing compelling cityscape photography means knowing how to capture an interesting subject, while at the same time getting a technically sound photo. For city street photography that means you need portable tools like a tripod and lighting, along with urban backpacks that can help you to carry it all. Here is an overview of the elements of the best cityscape photography and the tools that can help you to elevate your craft.
What makes a good cityscape photograph?
The appeal of cityscape photography is that you might not need to travel far to reach your subject for your urban street photography, especially if you are already living in a city. However, creating a good cityscape photograph means keeping a few key points in mind that can truly make your photos stand out. Some tips are using the right lens that can help you show your subject with a wide composition, such as by using a telephoto lens, or wide-angle lens. You’ll also want to plan the best time for your urban photography, such as shooting during blue hour, the time between sunset and complete darkness, which allows you to capture both artificial lights and natural light in your image. Avoiding shooting into the sun and taking your photos from vantage points high above a city are other ways to create cityscape photos that will really stand out.
Before you even start shooting, you can take a walk around the city, to scope out spots that might provide the best location for your photography. You might discover new parts of the city that can provide creative subjects at various times throughout the day.
What is a skyline shot?
One of the most popular images from urban landscape photography is the skyline shot. This skyline shot involves creating a horizon from the city below, showing off the textures and tones of the city’s architecture. To capture the best skyline shot, you could use a wide or ultra-wide lens which will give you the ability to take in as much of the city as possible. A standard lens can also work to present the city as the human eye would see it.
The most picturesque skyline shots will come at golden hour, the hour before dawn or dusk, as this will give your city a natural glow. This is a compelling technique for architectural photography as it will allow you to show off the unique qualities of a city’s architectural style from afar.
To add even more intrigue to your skyline shot you can shoot your city with a body of water in the frame. While not every city will have a lake, river, or sea that can work for this, even a small body of water can provide an interesting composition feature as you can use it to highlight reflections from city lights, especially if you are shooting a calm body of water. Once you find your ideal shooting spot, you’ll want to get set up there well before you plan to shoot to arrange the best setting to capture your ideal shot.
Having the right tools can help you capture the kind of picture that you are imagining, whether you are shooting during golden hour, or at night.
How do you photograph skylines at night?
There is something magical about night city photography. But if you are not choosing the the right tools, you might struggle to create images that highlight city lights without being blurry. Camera tripods are going to be your best friends when it comes to shooting at night. That’s because a tripod will allow you to keep your camera steady as you shoot with a long shutter speed. If your camera is set on a tripod, you can also bracket shots together — combine multiple images into one to create more dynamic compositions. Another popular skyline shooting technique is to opt for a stitched panorama.
A tripod is essential so that you can have steady images that will fit seamlessly together. The tripod that’s right for you will depend on how mobile you need to be in your shooting. A carbon tripod adds stability without a lot of weight and tripods that are designed for traveling can break down into a compact size that you can carry with you anywhere. A travel tripod like the Befree GT has the added feature of a solid spider, which allows for maximum stability on all types of terrain, even uneven surfaces — such as if you find yourself perched on a hill trying to capture the perfect shot for your city landscape photography.
How do you take photos of city lights?
Creating beautiful city lights photography is an art that can be made simple by following a few tips. The number one rule is to use a tripod, as with any skyline photography. That’s because the shutter speed for night shots — to capture the full effect of city lights — is too slow to hold your camera by hand, and you’ll also be shooting in a low ISO, which is a recipe for camera shake.
Another trick to reduce camera shake is to have a remote release or a self-timer so that you aren’t disrupting the stability of your camera every time you go to shoot a photo. Depending on your lighting setup, you may also want to think about portable lighting, such as an LED light. This can be used for light painting which can add dynamic light elements into your scenes with of city lights and landscapes.
Cityscape photography can be a fun avenue to explore your creativity and show the beauty of a city in a new way. With a tripod and LED lights, you can come away with images that are vibrant and clorful and show off the energy and excitement of a city.