Architecture Photography – may sound boring?!? Staircases and Close-up shoots present some cool possibilities, so keep your eyes open for them…
Staircases or close-up architecture images are probably the last thing that would come to mind, if somebody were to ask you about potentially interesting photography subjects. However, these spiral, helical staircases or materials and forms of buildings beg to differ. I realized there’s many interesting sets of stairs and buildings around you that will make an interesting image. Here are a few tips to get you thinking about how you can capture interesting shots of these subjects, next time you’re out exploring with your camera. So keep your eyes open for them.
Researching The Location
I usually will start with doing a search on Google for places from the city I will be visiting. My next step is to check out some images on 500px or Instagram, because there are many other great photographers from all over the world and it shows me the potential of photographs for the area I will be going. It helps me a little bit to plan and organized my photo walks. I always looking for unique and fancy locations, like staircases. It´s not very easy to check it out, where there are located, because all people made a big secret about that. So the researching part for architecture locations, especially indoor, it is very important and helpful for my next steps. The whole idea is to know where and when to be at a specific spot to get that shot that you want to get.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”100%” img=”https://www.phototips.cc/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Staircase_6_Romina.jpg” alt=”Romina Kutlesa” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left”]
Guide The Eye
Before I will start with my shootings I take some time to check out my location from different perspective to decide which will be the best angel of view for my image. For Example, as staircases take you somewhere they’re naturally a great way to lead you into and through an image. They can be used to guide the eye to a particular feature or you could hide the last part of the stair to leave the viewer wondering where the stairway may go to. Lines are a great way to lead the eye into the image and you don’t get a better line than a long banister so use them to your advantage.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”100%” img=”https://www.phototips.cc/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Staircase_5_Romina.jpg” alt=”Romina Kutlesa” align=”left” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left”]
Gear Suggestions
A wide angle or a fisheye lens will exaggerate the twists and turns of a spiral staircase while a telephoto lens is good for bringing staircases on the outside of buildings to you. Stand at the top or bottom of a spiral staircase with your wide angle lens and you can get a great but rather overdone shot of the spiral shape twisting up. I work with a 24mm – 105mm lens. A tripod would be handy to help you make sure that the stairs perfectly straight. Time to time I´m a big fan to work without any tripod, so I´m better able to act. I try getting to stand or lay at the bottom or carefully peek over the banister at the top and use the spiraling stairs as a frame.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”100%” img=”https://www.phototips.cc/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Staircase_4_Romina.jpg” alt=”Romina Kutlesa” align=”center” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left”]
Romina Kutlesa
First, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Romina Kutlesa – PhotoartByKulixx and I´m living in the lovely city Munich, Germany. I have been shooting for 6-7 years now and I´m a really ambitious Photographer: Creating beautiful images with my camera is more than a hobby for me – it´s a passion! I started shooting everything that appeared in front of my lens, but after some time I began to realize that I am attracted to cityscapes, architecture and landscapes. I got lots of good feedback from my family and friends and they encouraged me to offer my picture to the public space. The people honored my work, so I got also nice feedback to my work from them. 2015 I got my first Editor Choice Award on 500px, one of the best photo community of the world. I´m very proud of that. Every once in a while I challenge myself to projects I am not regularly used to.
My second passion is traveling and visiting beautiful places that I capture with my camera. I am patient when it comes to the perfect moment of a cityscape or landscape scenery. Only when I am satisfied with my result then I´m finished.
My philosophy is that a photographer is always growing, level to level and there is no reason to put a limit on the artist´s skills. With that in mind, if someone presents an idea or work, don´t let yourself get demotivated or told that an idea is not reachable. The process of creating such great “Art- photos” comes with something every artist needs – A Inspiration. Music is a big part of an inspiration atmosphere and an important source for me.
You can support me my social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhotoartByKulpixx
500px: https://500px.com/kulpixx
My Homepage: https://kulpixx.wordpress.com
Thank you for this informative post. I agree that architecture makes for some very interesting images and I like the idea of staircases too. I think narrow alleyways and courtyards are also good places and strangely enough cemeteries, which often have a lot of atmosphere. I really like your third banister image, the one with the green floor.