Photography skills of urban architecture

Photography skills of urban architecture

Cities are rapidly changing advanced forms of civilization. When you travel to a city, what you record with a camera is mainly urban architecture, which is the soul of the city and the comprehensive embodiment of the city's personality, taste and status quo. So how to take good-looking photos of urban architecture?

First choose the commanding heights to shoot big scenes.

Shooting mode: aperture priority aperture: f/ 16 shutter speed:1100s ISO: 320.

Choosing commanding heights is conducive to expressing the space and level of buildings and the relationship between buildings and the environment. The scene is very grand. Because the building is motionless, the choice of shooting position has a great influence on the performance of the picture effect. The best way to show a grand scene is to choose a commanding height and shoot from it. You can climb the commanding heights of the whole city, such as the TV tower, or shoot through the windows of tall buildings. This perspective is conducive to expressing the space and level of architecture and the relationship between architecture and environment. Pay attention to the use of small aperture when shooting, and clearly show the architectural details far and near.

Second, the wide-angle lens is integrated into more environments.

Shooting mode: aperture priority aperture: f/5.6 shutter speed: 1/400s focal length: 17mm.

Shooting with a wide-angle lens or even a fisheye lens can blend into more environments and easily express the sense of space and extension of the building. Wide-angle lens refers to a lens with a focal length of 24 mm-35 mm. Shooting with wide-angle lens can completely present the buildings in the field of vision on the screen, easily showing the sense of space and extension of buildings, which is very suitable for expressing the grand momentum of buildings. In addition, a fisheye lens with a focal length of 16mm or even shorter can be used to produce dramatic effects through exaggerated deformation.

Third, explore the formal beauty of lines.

Shooting mode: aperture priority aperture: f/ 16 shutter speed:11/80siso:100.

Using symmetrical composition to arrange beautiful bridges in the foreground not only enhances the line beauty and layering of the picture, but also plays a good role in focusing the audience's attention. Pay attention to observe and explore the rhythm and beauty of lines when shooting buildings. In composition, we should make full use of the formal beauty of lines, enhance the depth of the picture and highlight the theme, so as to improve the artistic appeal of the picture.

Fourth, increase the visual interest with the prospect.

Shooting mode: aperture priority aperture: f/ 1 1 shutter speed:1125 ISO:100.

Taking seasonal flowers and trees as the foreground can enrich the visual effect of the picture, render the seasonal atmosphere and effectively set off the theme. When shooting architecture, the best way to avoid being too straightforward is to set off the theme with the foreground. You can walk around the building and bring trees, flowers and sculptures into the foreground. It can not only enrich the visual effect of the picture, but also balance the picture and highlight the main body. For example, taking the flowers and trees in the season as the foreground can render the breath of the season, which is a powerful foil to the theme.

Fifth, build a picture frame and focus on the line of sight.

Shooting mode: aperture priority aperture: f/4 shutter speed: 1/400s ISO: 100.

Build a picture frame with a fence on the roadside, and the arched lines make the picture full of changes. Observing the building through this "frame" has played a role in concentrating the audience's attention. At the same time, the blurred border also enhances the depth of the picture.

Shooting mode: Aperture Priority Aperture: f/1/shutter speed: 1/320s ISO: 100.

Using the porch to build a picture frame, the strong contrast between light and shade deepens the audience's visual impression of the main building. When shooting a building, the surrounding messy environment will interfere with and distract the audience's sight. If you shoot the building alone, it will be straightforward and monotonous. In addition to introducing the foreground mentioned above, finding a natural picture frame that can eliminate the interference of messy environment can also concentrate the audience's attention. Trees, passages, doors and windows are all commonly used picture frames. Excellent picture frames generally assist the composition of the main body through modeling, color, contrast and natural context.

Top secret skills of modern architectural photography

Performance influence of different focal lengths

When shooting architecture, you can choose different focal lengths to shoot according to the feeling to be expressed in the picture.

Generally speaking, the perspective ratio of wide-angle lens exaggerates the depth of the picture, which can expand the perspective space and enhance the visual impact of the picture, but at the same time it will produce positive perspective distortion, which is suitable for shooting buildings or pursuing the performance effect of visual impact; The medium focus lens can restore the characteristics of buildings according to people's visual habits, and the picture performance is true and stable; The telephoto lens will produce reverse perspective distortion and compress the perspective depth of the picture, which is suitable for expressing the characteristic parts of the building.

Shoot the performance effect of the same building in the same place with different focal lengths. The focal lengths of the three photos are 28mm, 70mm and 200mm respectively, and the information contained in the picture decreases in turn, while the details that can be displayed increase in turn.

Looking up at tall buildings, the wide-angle perspective effect strengthens the height and depth of the building.

Performance effects from different perspectives

Because architecture has different characteristics from other shooting subjects, the effect of different shooting angles will be more obvious.

Looking up at the ground is the most common shooting angle in architectural photography, which will make the building look tall. However, when shooting high-rise buildings, it is necessary to adjust the focal length of the lens, otherwise it will be difficult to capture the top of the building, or even if it is captured, the ground part will appear too large in the photo.

Standing on the building near the building and shooting head-up, you can get the picture closest to the vision of ordinary people and bring the audience an immersive feeling.

Shooting from the commanding heights is conducive to showing the layering of buildings and the architectural environment on the ground from near to far, and will give people the feeling that "other mountains are dwarfed under the sky". .

Choose the side view of the building to shoot, and use the horizontal depth perspective formed by the side lines of the building to create a three-dimensional sense and give the audience the most realistic visual experience.

Shooting the night view of the city from a bird's eye view, rows of tall buildings bring a sense of rhythm to the picture; Seeing the city from a different angle is easier to impress the audience.

Common composition methods

According to different existing forms and environments, symmetrical composition, frame composition, diagonal composition and curve composition are commonly used when shooting buildings.

Symmetrical composition is generally used to express the solemn sense of architecture. If the building itself is symmetrical, you only need to shoot on the front of the building to get such a composition effect.

It is also one of the common methods to realize symmetrical composition through the reflection of buildings on calm water.

The calm water presents a complete reflection of the building above, adding artistic flavor to the photo.

Use rigorous symmetrical composition to highlight the solemnity, solemnity and architectural aesthetics of classical halls.

There are two forms of picture composition: adding foreground to give the picture a sense of rhythm, dividing the monotonous and repetitive subject and adding changes to the picture; Through the border to guide the audience's line of sight, so that the status of the main building is more prominent.

The foreground with a strong sense of form gives momentum to the picture, and at the same time guides the audience's line of sight to highlight the main body.

Curve composition can be realized by using the modeling characteristics of the building itself. Curve composition can effectively express the formal beauty of architecture.

Generally, diagonal composition is used to express the local characteristics of buildings, which can produce a sense of movement and rhythm.

The concise sky and the curved outline of the building constitute a visual shock contrast, highlighting the unique formal beauty of the building.

Diagonal interlaced lines and dotted windows fill the picture, showing a very regular sense of rhythm.

Break through the conventional composition

It is very important to observe the building carefully before shooting. Looking at a building from different angles may take on a completely different look. Looking for an unusual perspective to make the buildings in the lens more interesting and attractive will greatly increase the fun of shooting and the artistic sense of the photos.

Show the Arc de Triomphe to the audience from a unique and exaggerated perspective, and the photos are very artistic; And inspire people's shooting thinking and show the beauty of architecture from different angles.

Looking for special theme elements

Careful observation and finding some special elements as the main body of shooting can not only increase the fun of shooting, but also unexpectedly harvest excellent works with completely different feelings.

Select a corner of the architectural image reflected on the glass to shoot, and the picture is novel and colorful.

Selection of background

When shooting a building, you may encounter a very messy background, which will affect the performance of the subject. At this time, it is a very good choice to put down the camera and look up and shoot with the blue sky as the background.

The pure sky sets off the resplendence of the main hall, and the picture forms a contrast between cold and warm, which is easy to attract the attention of the audience.

Silhouette effect

At night, you can get artistic photos by shooting the silhouette of the building from the perspective of backlight. Silhouette effect is used to express buildings with complex shapes and beautiful outlines, and the effect is more prominent.

Silhouette is used to express the strange outline of the building, which makes the picture more artistic in light and shadow and form, and makes the building a strong visual symbol.

Choose the best shooting angle

Some modern buildings have beautiful outlines, some have a strong rhythmic line structure, and a large number of modern buildings go straight into the clouds. When shooting different styles of modern architecture, we can highlight its architectural style from the most suitable shooting angle according to the characteristics of the architecture.

For tall and majestic buildings, looking up is the most common shooting angle, which can show the majestic building. At this time, due to the perspective of the picture, the lines of the building have formed a trend of rapid upward convergence, which not only enhances the sense of depth of the picture, but also better shows the feeling of towering buildings.

When shooting a building with rhythmic structure or beautiful outline, you can shoot it far away from the building or at the same height as the building to get the picture closest to the visual effect of ordinary people.

Standing on the commanding heights, when shooting buildings from the perspective of overlooking, the layered buildings can better show the sense of depth and the prosperity of the city.

The physical structure of modern architecture is exaggerated and avant-garde. Strengthening their peculiar concepts of shape and color through composition and light not only makes the photos ornamental, but also shows the unique design connotation of modern architecture.

modern architecture

In the design and construction of modern urban buildings, the aesthetic thoughts of architects are more and more integrated. Choosing the best shooting angle and composition method to highlight the connotation of this beauty has become the focus of shooting modern architecture.

Use symmetry to express tension

For modern architecture with ever-changing postures, symmetrical composition can vividly show its distinctive personality characteristics and become the first choice for shooting modern architecture. When shooting, you can use the structure of the building itself to form symmetry, or you can use the reflection of water and glass to form symmetry.

Shape the building into another form with the reflection of the water surface, so that the picture has more visual tension.

Symmetrical pictures always have infinite charm, which is shown in the shooting of modern architecture. Because of its unique shape, symmetrical features are more exaggerated.

Express the sense of depth of architecture with a little perspective

If you want to show the depth of the building, you can grasp the convergent structure such as the deep corridor in the building and shoot it with a little perspective composition, so that the picture will form a strong visual impact.

With the extension of visual angle, the outline lines of the building converge into a vanishing point, which strengthens the sense of depth of the picture.

The rhythm of point and shape expresses the structural beauty of architecture.

Because of its own nature, architecture will present a lot of structural beauty. Simply put, it is a little aesthetic feeling, the aesthetic feeling of line structure and the aesthetic feeling of geometric structure. When shooting architecture, if we can grasp the rhythmic beauty of these points and shapes, we can also shoot excellent works.

Select a part of the building structure, make use of its own points, lines and surfaces, and make the photos have interesting rhythm through the contrast of light and shade, straightness and size.

Interlaced lines set off the formal beauty of the building.

When shooting buildings with hollow, complex and changeable network structure, close-ups or close-ups can be used to emphasize the sense of lines and spatial form of such buildings, so that the picture has a strong formal beauty. If we can blend the pure sky into the picture as the background, we can better contrast and highlight this formal beauty.

The simple contrast between the pure sky and the crisscross lines of modern architecture not only highlights the main body of the building, but also sets off a sense of form.

;