There’s more than one type of landscape image, and pictures taken in an urban setting can be just as challenging as those taken in the wilderness. Robert Keeley outlines some key tips for shooting in the urban jungle.
When most people think about landscape photography they tend
to consider bucolic scenes of rolling green hills and valleys, or perhaps the
vast red expanses of the Australian outback. Not many people bring to mind
cities or the suburbs as their key subject matter. But many of the principles involved
in shooting wilderness areas can be applied (with a few important twists) to
the busiest city environments, and urban landscapes can have just as much
impact when they’re shot creatively. Here's some key ideas
you can apply to your photography in urban environments.
01. ISOLATE YOUR SUBJECT
A lot of photographers find the busy and confusing nature of cities
too hard to shoot. Often it’s because they can’t isolate a key subject, or when
they do they can’t find a clear angle for it. With the proliferation of
billboards, neon signs, and powerlines, let alone traffic and pedestrians, it’s
easy to think there are just too many difficulties in shooting around the city.
But these problems can be overcome, and removing some these distractions
doesn’t necessarily mean devoting hours to post-production and cloning tools.
The urban environment is a real test of your photographic judgement, and you
need to hone your assessment skills when you’re developing an urban
composition. Try these two different approaches.
If you are shooting
interesting architecture aim high to take away the impact of wires, pedestrians
and traffic, and then search for a pattern. This is a simple way to create a
stronger image. But as an alternative, think about including everything in the
scene – traffic, people, and even signs. This is much more challenging, but it
can create a more rewarding image if it’s done correctly. All these diverse
elements can work together if you find the right combination, or use the light
effectively. Under-exposing slightly (most SLRs will allow you to dial in
exposure compensation) to create dense black blocks of shadow is one method you
can use to separate subject matter or eliminate distractions. Just be cautious about overwhelming your key subject with large black blocks. Sometimes it can work, but you need to use this approach judiciously.
I shot this scene with a 200mm telephoto lens, which flattens perspective. The aim was to emphasise patterns, and the block-like arrangement of the buildings, which can work well in some urban environments.
Also, study your chosen
environment to find the patterns in it. These can change continuously as
traffic and pedestrians approach or leave, and lights come on or off. You might
need to come back several times to your scene, but persevere because ultimately
it can pay off. And remember that
telephoto lenses can also be very helpful in isolating subject matter in urban
environments.
02. TRY A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
As with many other
subjects, it pays to find different perspectives on your subject. One big
advantage you have with inner urban areas and the Central Business District is
that there are usually a number of tall buildings with viewing towers open to
the public. Go up to them and shoot, preferably towards twilight if that is
allowed. But if you can’t reach the tops of these buildings, look at shooting
straight up with a wide angle lens for another different view. And remember, if you are in a tower and you shoot through the glass, you need to pick an angle where reflections won't show up on your image. Use a lens hood, place your hand over it to cover up any stray light, and press the hood right up against the glass. This will maximise your chances of avoiding glass reflections. Grey days work better if you have to shoot through glass.
Cities provide a great opportunity to get up high. Find a publicly accessible lookout, and shoot with both a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto.
03. MAKE THE LIGHT PART OF YOUR COMPOSITION
As with traditional
landscape images, light can play a really significant role when you shoot urban
landscapes. Of course you can use the artificial light of neon signs and street
lights, which can all be very dramatic, but remember that natural light can be
a real boost for cityscapes. When the sun is strong, as stated previously, dark
shadows can be a key part of your composition rather than a problem. In more
even or softer daylight the intricate details of a city scene can be included.
In this scene the photographer has used a tripod to extend his exposure. Fast-moving traffic has become a series of blurred lines.
Check out the work of one of our great Australian shooters Trent Parke to see
how different light can be used in highly atmospheric ways in cities and urban scenes.
One final note on composition - if you’re shooting large scale cityscapes with
lots of brightly lit skyscrapers at night it usually works to avoid including
too much black sky in your scene.
04. USE THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Most experienced
photographers understand how important early or late light is to landscape
images, but some don’t appreciate just how important it can be to images in an
urban environment as well. You might have noticed how many images of houses made
by professional shooters for real estate agents often have lights on and are
taken around twilight. The balance of warm interior lighting with often dark
blue or shaded exteriors works very effectively and for a short period there is
no extreme range in contrast.
As twilight deepens and city lights start burning, the balance between
the two can create a very dramatic impact, but you will only have a
short time in which to work in this scenario, so prepare well, and use a tripod.
You can use this same principle with broader
cityscapes. The trick here is to identify the scene you want to shoot well in
advance, and set up your camera on a tripod for a sharp image and a longer
exposure (which can also blur the lights of passing traffic in a pleasing
style). The twilight period might only last 15 minutes, so you need to be well
organised.
Be prepared to bracket your shots (change your shutter speed a step
both over and under from the correct exposure) to cover your bases. Early
morning sunrises (where mist might be present) and later afternoon through to
sunset can be great times for shooting urban scenes.
05. UPON REFLECTION
If
your city scene is near water, remember that reflections can be very strong
late in the day with west-facing buildings, and that many modern buildings use
reflective glass. On days with strong sunlight a range of interesting effects
can be achieved right throughout the day (but especially from late afternoon
onwards) by positioning your camera to take advantage of the situation. If
you’re lucky enough to get a still day with strong light (which can happen in
winter), a perfect reflection might present one of the few times you can
compose with a scene with the line between land and water exactly in the
middle. 
Reflections can create a very powerful scene if the water is still, and they can be taken in full daylight or the dead of night. In this well-lit scene I opted to place the horizon almost in the middle. I could easily crop this scene to create a panoramic format.
06. PEOPLE IN THE CITY
While you can make very strong images by
isolating your subject matter and searching for patterns, it’s also worth
considering the value of people in your urban images. So called ‘street’
photography is a different aspect of urban shooting though it requires a high
degree of skill to use pedestrians for extra impact in a scene without making
the scene look messy or lack focus. In cities people are usually moving briskly
and going about their business.
Photographers like Trent Parke are highly
skilled at using pedestrians as abstract elements in their scenes to create
interesting (and sometimes disturbing) effects in their urban images. It’s
worth checking his photography, as well as that of other great ‘street’
photographers, to note how they use people in their urban images.
Equally as important as shooting from high viewpoints is the ability to shoot upwards. From a low perspective tall towers can create a series of interesting abstract shapes. With dull grey light, using a wide-angle lens brought some semi-abstract shapes into play here.
Another example of shooting during the twilight hours. Brightly lit streets and shops can work well as the light begins to fade. Initially, using a higher ISO setting, you will be able to shoot handheld, but as the light fades you will need to be ready with a tripod.