How do you photograph a city?
There are many answers to the question. From simple “just press a shutter button” to the most vogue “it depends”.
Nikon D5300 + Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 @ ƒ7.1 1/50s ISO 1400
But first, let’s answer another question – why are photos of cities so popular?
Currently, more than a half of the Earth’s population lives in the cities, towns or other urban settlements. And in the future, this number will only grow. No wonder cities are very popular objects for photographers. From vacation snapshots to abstract modern architecture. From glorious historic buildings to backdrop for street photos. Urban portraits, cityscapes, night street lights – cities provide enormous opportunities for photos.
Different civilizations and cultures built different cities. From medieval Japan to ancient cities of the Middle East. From historic European towns to modern North American cities. A lot of options to choose from.
How do I photograph a city? My answer is “it depends”. For me, city photography has many layers to it. I can choose to photograph:
- vast cityscapes
- individual buildings or building complexes
- architectural details
- city during different times of the day (morning, evening, night) or in a different weather (overcast, sunny, rainy or snowy).
In the future posts I will discuss each of these options in a (bit) more details. Meanwhile, please write in the comments, how do YOU photograph a city?