Something Old, Something New
Modern cities are made of layers and layers of different styles of architecture. This can be either a dream or a nightmare for photographers –an awkwardly modern or unusually old building sticking up in the background can easily ruin the illusion of a photo.
But this can also work to your advantage. Juxtaposing two dramatically different styles of architecture can be exactly what your photo needs to tell its story. Look around and note how buildings, especially in built-up cities, stand tall over each other regardless of their style or time-period. Picture a smooth, glass skyscraper looming over a small, stone terrace or a towering minster overlooking a row of modern shops. Contrast is everywhere.
Angles
Changing up the angles can also add an interesting effect. When we look up at tall buildings it can seem like they’re about to topple over, and capturing this in a photo makes it seem even more real. But how often to we get to see places we’re familiar with from above? Angling your photos from the top of a multi-storey car park, a public tower, even the nearest tree… all of these could add a rarely seen perspective to something we look at from below at every day.
Man Vs Nature
Urban cities are man-made landscapes that have, over time, swallowed up what used to be rolling forests and countryside, but some of these elements manage to sneak their way back in… Look around for the places nature is slowly reclaiming the towns and cities that have replaced it.
Tree roots breaking through a concrete path, creeping plants slowly working their way up a wall or even a tumble-down building strewn with weeds growing through the rubble – finding nature where it no longer belongs can add an interesting atmosphere to an otherwise dull scene.
