Perth is Western Australia’s capital city. Western Australia is the biggest state in Australia but it is only home to over 2.5 million people. It’s more famous for it’s outback, national parks and regional towns than it is for Perth city itself. The city has grown so much in the last five years with it’s new laneways, bars and eateries. Coffee culture has also exploded in and around the city. The city itself has a mix of both old and new buildings, which makes it an interesting place to explore and photograph.
Back in January, I joined a photowalk around Perth city where the theme was urban landscapes. To me urban landscape photography is about capturing candid moments on the streets, architecture and cityscapes in the urban places we live and work in. This is something I love capturing when visiting big cities. However it’s not something I routinely do in the city I live in. This photo walk gave me the opportunity to explore my ever evolving city of Perth. My focus was more on the architecture and city scape, and less on people and the streets.
Tips I follow when shooting in cities
Use different focal lengths
I enjoy using both a wide angle lens to capture a broad view of a scene as well as a telephoto zoom to capture details in a scene.
Contrast/Juxtaposition
Contrast can be created by having different colours, tones or shapes in the photos. It can also be about old and new architectural styles or buildings. This is something I look for a lot.
Lines, shapes, angles
Lines can lead the eye into the shot and create visual flow into your scene. Or it can divide your image and give it contrast.
Look up/down (different perspectives)
As we go about our daily lives we often look straight ahead at eye level. We don’t often look up or down. When photographing, point your camera upward and you might find a scene you don’t often see.
Go down low on the ground and shoot up.
Reflections
Reflections are easy to find in modern cities with modern buildings as they are often build with reflective surfaces. It can sometimes we challenging to find the right angle to get the reflection you want.
Walk slowly and look closely
We are often so busy in our daily lives that we don’t stop and just enjoy the moment. The best way to explore is to walk slowly and look closely at what you find.
Symmetry
This has got to be my favourite way to shoot. Perhaps it’s the OCD nature of mine, but I love looking for symmetry, especially in architectural shots.
Have fun and be creative
Lastly, but most importantly, photography is about having fun and being creative. There may be “rules” and recommendations, but often the best shots come from breaking the rules and experimenting.
To many people, Perth may not be the most exciting city in the world, but it’s the place I call home and it’s an ever evolving city. It’s nice to explore somewhere so familiar yet is always changing.
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