Photography Tips and Tricks

If you have an interest in architecture, chances are you want to photograph it. Here are some tips to making your photos interesting while capturing the building’s uniqueness.

Look at the Details

Interesting buildings are composed of many different details that you want to focus on in your photographs. Take note of any arches, towers, doorways, or windows with unusual shapes and make sure that your photo highlights these areas.

How? Remember the Rule of Thirds. Use your viewfinder to visualize the end result and make your most interesting objects go in the “thirds” area. Or, put more simply, your focal point should be in the upper or lower right or left of the finished picture for the most impact.

Keep the Angle Right

Large buildings, such as skyscrapers, can pose problems. Certain angles can make the building look as if it is leaning.

To avoid this, try not to take photos of buildings by standing at the bottom and looking up. This will make the photo look like it is leaning away from you. Instead, get as far away from the building as possible and take the picture. Not only will this keep the building from leaning, it will also give the building a frame of reference because the viewer will be able to see how tall the building is compared to other buildings.

If you have to stand at the bottom of the building to photograph it, stand to the side and aim up. This will give you a more interesting angle.

Zoom In

Don’t be afraid to use your zoom as much as possible. Zoom in and capture details that the average viewer wouldn’t be able to see. For example, this gargoyle was at the top of a very tall building. Normally, no one would know it was there. Using a zoom, he finally gets the attention he deserves and he makes a great subject.

Don’t forget to zoom in on large architectural elements, too. Domes can be fascinating and abstract when zoomed in on.

Night Scenes

Don’t forget to take photos at night! Some of the best architectural photographs are taken at night. Set your tripod up and set your camera on a low ISO. Use your timer to reduce camera shake and start snapping. Look for bright lights and lots of color for the best images.

The best way to get good at photographing buildings is practice and taking tons of photos. So get shooting!

Panning can create interesting effects in action photos. It shows motion in the object’s surroundings instead of having a moving object that looks completely still in the finished photograph.

This effect is really easy to learn, but a little harder to execute. Here’s how to get started.

The Basics

Panning effects are created by moving the camera to follow the action while the exposure is being created. The camera speed is set slower than needed and the camera is moved after the shutter button has been pushed.

Detailed Approach and Practicing

Now that you know how panning is done, let’s practice.

Start by placing yourself where you know there will be some action. For example, if you want to take photos of a bike race, place yourself far ahead of the action so you have time to set up. Take advantage of staying in hotels by busy highways. Setting up on a balcony above moving traffic is a great place to practice panning, day or night.

Once you have found the perfect spot, make sure your camera is set to shutter priority (S icon) or manual (M icon).

Now, set your shutter speed. You want a slow shutter speed. A fast shutter speed is speeds over 1/125. Using these speeds freeze your action, so you want to use a slower speed, or speeds between 1/8sec and 1/125sec. The speed depends on focal length, so look at what your focal length is and try to make sure it is close to the second number in your shutter speed.

Once you have your camera set up, zoom in so that your optical viewfinder encompasses the area where your subject will be when he goes by.

Press the shutter button as the subject gets close and follow it by twisting the trunk of your body and leaving your feet unmoving on the ground.

This will take some practice to get your technique just right. Beginners usually find that they need to tweak the time when they push the shutter button to accommodate the speed of the object.

Optional Panning Technique

You can also learn to pan in the opposite way. You can be the moving object focusing on a non-moving object.

Try sitting in the passenger seat of a car with the window rolled down. Make sure that your camera strap is around your neck so that your camera doesn’t fall out the window.

Next, focus your camera on an object that is ahead of you. Press your shutter button while the object gets close, and stay focused on it as you pass it by. This will produce a panned picture like the one below.