Slow Photography #45 URBAN EXPOSURES
Top 15 Ideas for Your City Photo Safari
by Jim Austin M.A.
Urban Icons: New York Harbor, Manhattan & the Brooklyn Bridge (This series was shot with Sony 4/3, Nikon D810, Canon 7D).
THERE ARE MOMENTS IN OUR PHOTOGRAPHY when we cross new bridges to stretch our vision. We can start out by planning a photo trip to an unfamiliar city. To fully capture the energy of a new city, here are 15 ideas to help you get more exciting urban exposures.
Tip #15: Plan It.
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“The
Scream” is one of many sculptures at the Holocaust
Memorial, Miami, just three blocks away
from the Lincoln Road Mall. Plan to spend an hour or two here to see the names, pictures and
memories along the site's Lonely Path that leads down to a gigantic hand pointing upwards.
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Before you visit an unfamiliar locale, search the web for images of your city. Learn what that city has to offer, visually and culturally. For instance, link to cultural events that happen while you're there.
Google the geography, its rivers, harbors, historical sites, and parks of the city. Get a sense, visually, of the cultures of the people who live in its diverse neighborhoods. In Miami Beach, Florida, for instance, I'd planned to see the Holocaust Memorial, designed by architect Kenneth Treister. It is free and open until 10: 00 PM. The sculptures in the memorial are unforgettable.
Tip #14: Practice It
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| Downtown street scene in Tokyo, Japan. |
Before you leave, take a trial run with your photo travel gear in your own city or close to home. Think of this trial as a warm up. Packing your equipment will remind you of what you need to carry. A single practice day can prepare you to pack and use your gear efficiently when you do hit the road. It may also prompt you to take less gear, especially if you are walking the city.
Tip # 13: Walk It
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High
rise reflections in a pool, Vancouver, BC.
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Walk the city: become aware of a world of photo opportunities that you might miss if you drove.
Since each city has its own style, don't assume a distant city has the same customs. Asking a question like: "Do the taxis here take credit cards?" might save you an hour of precious photo time, if you were unaware that they only took cash.
Tip # 12: Choose a Consistent Theme
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| Flagler College reflected, Saint Augustine Florida. |
Choose a central theme to guide your choice of subject matter. For instance, "Architectural History", or "Main Street Moments" are possible themes that help narrow the range of subject matter. Of course, you'll probably want to shoot a variety of travel images, but a specific theme will keep you mentally focused.
Tip #11: Lighten it Up
Minimize your gear profile by choosing lightweight gear. Cover up brand logos with gaffer tape. Why? Less weight means you can walk farther with more energy. Logos make you conspicuous as you travel. If you take a DSLR, also bring along a smaller point-and-shoot. Pack chargers and backup batteries for both cameras. Leave a carbon fiber tripod behind and grab a lighter, plastic one.
Tip #10: A Drier Digital
For those who love the ocean, coastal cities offer memorable photo experiences. When you are out on the water or in conditions when rain or sea spray is likely, your camera electronics are at risk. Invest in effective rain gear that: a) protects your camera from the elements and b) lets you access and stow your valuable gear quickly.
Tip #9: Neither Here Nor There
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| Reflections of Times Square, Manhattan, New York City. |
Search out urban reflections that are unique to a neighborhood. For instance, I found a reflection on the sidewalk of New York City. Find reflections in the windows of a high rise or skyscraper, in car windows, and on the water. Exploring on foot, you may capture these reflections in a fresh way. For instance, try to create layers of depth in camera using windows and buildings. Look through windows to focus on the inside scene, or change focus to the reflected scene outside.
Tip #8: Designer Details
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| Panorama of the second floor of the Great Hall, Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, DC. |
Find unique architectural details and vantage points. Make an auto-stitched panorama. Most pocket cameras, micro 4/3rds, and hybrid cameras now have built-in panorama stitching to help you. As you frame a panorama, remember to include interesting subject matter at the far right and far left sides of the frame.
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| Pricy Lights: The Million Dollar Staircase of the Albany, New York State Capitol building. |
Tip #7: I Shall Say Good Night
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| Harbor Reflections: Baltimore at twilight. |
For well known city spots, plan to visit the site again. If you pass by a compelling composition at noon or in harsh light, return to it during those luminous moments at twilight. Night shooting also sharpens our skill set. It makes us slow down, be more aware of light's intensity and color, and rewards good shooting techniques, especially if you tripod-mount your rig.
For time exposures of urban rivers, and when photographing twilight city scenes, pack a tripod, Neutral Density filter (unless your camera has one built-in) and remote release. Urban night photography can help us master proper exposure since it often requires balancing high ISO's ( ISO 2000 and higher) with long shutter speeds.
Tip #6: Go Wide and Tall
A wider focal length lens can challenge your composition skill, and give your framing a creative boost. If you have not used a lens in the range of 8 to 24 mm focal length, rent one because its perspective adds depth to your scenes. Don't just go wide, try vertical framing as well.
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| Valuable Books: this Library Square project was the largest project by the City of Vancouver, built at a cost of $106.8 million Canadian Dollars. |
Tip # 5: Make an Impression
Visually, downtown environments are places of hard, reflective surfaces. To soften them, make impressionistic images. Think about ways to soften areas of the image with wider apertures for shallower depth of field, in-camera motion blurs and slow shutter speeds.
Study the light: you'll become sensitized to its qualities. For instance, is the light hard, soft, clear or diffuse? Impressions work well with overcast conditions and low light, because these allow you to choose slower shutter speeds and shallower aperture settings like f/2.8, without having to mount a neutral density (ND) filter on your lens.
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| Night Impression: a cyclist dodges downtown traffic at night in Vancouver, BC. |
Tip # 4: Put in Some Peeps
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| Climbing for Freedom: a school group climbs to the 2nd floor of Independence Hall, Philadelphia. |
We know about land scapes, but what about people scapes?. When you are composing a large, expansive city scene, wait for people to come into it. It will give your image a sense of scale.
Tip # 3: Portraits from the Pavement
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| Agent Seed Bomb in Chinatown, Vancouver B.C. |
Walking down the middle of the street in Chinatown, I encountered this woman, asked her name and inquired why she was there. " Agent Seed Bomb," she replied. Dressed in a seed pod outfit, she gave me the URL of her website, which was written on a dried leaf. Her attire promoted the multi-artist installation at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver. Although this photo of her is a face-the-camera portrait, it also works to make portraits when your subject is fully engaged in their own work.
Tip #2: Share It
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This red telephone box, a gift from Portsmouth, England to Portmouth VA
symbolizes the relationship between them, as the two are "sister cities."
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Put together an online portfolio of your urban exposures on your website. Use Smug mug, Flickr, or Facebook. Ask your viewers what their favorite images are from your gallery. Make prints of the favorites, yours, and theirs. Frame and matte your best urban exposures for your office, home, RV or boat.
FINAL Tip #1: Back it Up
Back up your work on a travel-sized external device or trusty storage before you share.
Summary:
To summarize, plan ahead and map out those city sights that fascinate you.
Travel with fast, light gear so you can walk around a city for unique views. Set aside uninterrupted time to explore the
character of the city, and go into unfamiliar neighborhoods. Keep it light and fun, and you'll return home with unique and memorable urban exposures.
Thanks for all your thoughts, and visits. Jim
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