They say a photograph is worth a thousand phrases. Very same might be claimed about a very good photograph. But what helps make a photograph that powerful? Master about some beneficial urban photography tips in this particular piece of writing
Are you able to name 1 matter in this particular planet that may capture a thought and ensure it is immortal? Tunes and lyrics capture feelings, phrases capture strategies, but what on earth is it that may capture a thought? I say it would have to be a photograph. A photograph, just like a painting, can speak volumes without having declaring anything. It is actually a memory frozen in time, a poem penned in colours.” No put is boring,” claimed Robert Adams for Darkroom & Creative Camera Techniques in May 1995, ” if you’ve had a very good night’s sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film.”
Urban Photography
Urban photography is all about capturing on film the different components of urbanization, urban life, urban culture, urban people; in short, urban places and urban faces. If I was to make a word-cloud of all the phrases that come to my mind when I say the word ‘ urban’, the cloud would contain such phrases as buildings, bridges, traffic, market, stores, lights, and of course, people. It might also contain some abstract phrases like noise, crowd, pollution. However, the 1 matter that would be contained in the word-cloud and that would be significantly absent in its counterpart – a word cloud for ‘ rural’ – that would be ‘ urban decay’. Urban decay refers to the depiction of old, abandoned, dilapidated buildings, or ruins of buildings and other constructions. Urban photography is, hence, a type of photography that encompasses all the aspects of urban life – or life in a metro.
Some Useful Urban Photography Suggestions
Urban photography, as already stated, refers to capturing the elements of the urban life on camera. Every artist must devote to finding the beauty in the planet that lies hidden from the eyes of the common man and ensure it is visible to him. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and it is the artist’s duty to realize this beauty and portray it in his pokrycia dachowe works. We may not realize the beauty in the form and structure of the planet that lies around us, and of which we are all a part. We may not notice it in the drill of everyday life. But an artist does see it, and that is why he is an artist. As an urban photographer, you must try to capture this beauty, this essence of life, and show it to the planet.
urban-photography-buildingThe very first matter that comes to my mind – or the very first word I would write in that word cloud – would be buildings. They signify urbanization. They are the single most stark contrast between the urban and the rural. Buildings may seem very dry and dull to us. But there lies beauty in this particular creation of man. The angles of a building, and the way light and shadow play hide and seek around their corners, all can make for wonderful pictures; like in the image shown alongside. Notice how the shadows have formed an interesting stripe-pattern on the entire building. It indeed looks very charming. Who would’ve thought a building might be depicted this way. Photographing buildings allows a great amount of space to experiment. Imagine a photograph of a really tall building as seen from a window on its top-most floor; it could well make a man with vertigo dizzy! The other end of the spectrum might be standing on the street and taking a shot of several towering building from ground-level
urban-photography-bridg
Bridges also make rather interesting subjects of urban photography. A bridge can vary in degree of architectural complexity and hence, in the degree of structures and patterns it is composed of. But the true beauty of bridges come out when the sun comes up. Even William Wordsworth could not help appreciating the sight when he saw it. The soft morning rays of the sun that fall on bridges light them up in rather spectacular ways. Even as the sun continues to rise up and above, light and shadow continue to cast their spell on the structures of the bridge and on the quiet waters that run beneath it. It is actually but a mesmerizing sight indeed; 1 that may surely take your breath away! While photographing bridges, it would be considered a nice idea to try to capture this very play of light and shadow. Always try to focus on either the bridge or the backdrop. Trying different angles can add interesting perspective and great depth to your photography, as seen in the photograph alongside.
urban-photography-roads As I talk of bridges, I think of roads, then the traffic, and immediately I frown at the thought of all those cars lined serwisy obiadowe up on the road at rush-hour. We tend to associate traffic with noise, headaches, pile-ups, and of course, being late for work, or even a date perhaps. ( I would definitely NOT want to be the girl waiting alone at a table for her date to arrive!) Now could you imagine playing with colours and actually creating a mood in a photograph of the traffic? No, right? But doesn’t the photograph shown here manage to do just that? The blues of the atmosphere are perfectly interrupted by the red lights of the taxis lined up 1 behind the other. The photograph also manages to perfectly and simultaneously denote two contrasts – motion and stillness. The fact that it is a photograph of vehicles make us think of ‘ travel’. But the taxis are all standing still. Traffic allows us to capture’ motion’. Playing with the exposure could also add unique effects to your pictures. The blurred lights of vehicles zooming past your lens could make a stunning photograph.
urban-landscape-photographyUrban landscape photography is pretty much straightforward. However, the few ways in which you can experiment with it is to try and choose different heights from which to take a shot. The view of a city as seen from ground level, from atop a building, from a hill and from a chopper would be different and would each carry a different feel. Landscape photography should aim at capturing expanses of the field. Taking a panorama shot might be a great idea too, while night time could also add to the elegance of an urban landscape, with all the lights twinkling like little stars! Another aspect of urban landscape might be urban decay photography. Abandoned, deserted building could make for interesting landscapes. They can also be made into symbolic pictures. Urban decay photography – quite ironically – portrays the stark difference between the urban and rural life; nothing appears ‘ dead’ on the rural backdrop, but an abandoned building looks more dead than a tree with no leaves.
urban-landscape-photography-nightscapeAn integral part of the urban life is electricity, and the night-scape of a city can almost make you feel like you are walking among the stars. Night-lights are the hardest to capture on camera, but probably the easiest and most fun to play around and experiment with. They look like colorful diamonds scattered on a black cloth… And if there is usually a water-body nearby, a lake, a river, it just serves as the icing on the cake. Doesn’t the photograph alongside look simply awesome?
urban-photography-peopleLast, but not the least, it is the people that make a put; and so it would be unfair to leave out this aspect of urban photography. Urban life can be seen on the faces of those living it; the pros of it, the cons, the beneficial parts, the not-so-good parts, the joy and happiness, along with the longing to be close to nature. The girl in the photograph given here surely looks like she wished she could take a jog in the woods rather than on the streets! Photographing people in different moods, thinking, smiling, talking, doing different activities, walking, driving, could all make great subjects of urban photography. Urban people and pomiary elektryczne the lives they lead could in fact become an altogether different theme for photography.
A Final Word…
Being able to capture the essence of urban life through urban photography is the biggest and foremost task of an urban photographer. Identifying the peculiarities of your city, and being able to capture them on film, is where your skill lies. There is usually a great deal of scope to add symbolism in urban photography, and each photograph might be clicked to signify an aspect of urban life. Each photograph could tell a story of its own… Your task as an urban photographer is to choose the right story, or make people see your story in the right way, the way you want them to see it! It is actually an art, at the end of the day; something you can only understand the basics of, but something you really have to develop and master on your own, as you, and your art and skill mature.