Tag: architecture photography

3 Ways of Developing Photographer’s Vision

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Chris Yiu

Do you ever feel like your photos look like amateur work, and it seems you will never reach that professional level? If that’s the case, you might have encountered a bottleneck. Reaching that bottleneck is inevitable for almost every amateur photographer. You will find yourself getting stuck at the certain point on the path of learning. There are many factors that may hinder your growth as a photographer. The lack of sense in photography is one of the most common causes. You may want to improve your photographer’s vision in this case. Photographer’s vision is a precious possession. It is a quality that enables photographers to capture fascinating scenes and moments. In this article, I would provide you with some quick tips on how to develop and improve your photographer’s vision.

Using a Prime Lens

You may need to put away those expensive zoom lenses for a moment. It is because photographers would be able to change the focal length of the lens instantly and it is somehow distracting to amateur photographers. You would never stick to certain focal length in this case. On the other hand, you are forced to shoot with a fixed focal length when you are using a prime lens. Thus, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the feeling and perspective of that specific focal length. As the zooming feature is not available on prime lenses, it encourages you to pay attention to compositions with the given focal length, distortion, and perspective. You will observe more as the focal length is unadjustable. You can only substitute zooming with your legs, by moving forwards and backwards. More importantly, you will be able to focus on the idea of your shots rather than adjusting the focal length.

I would recommend you to start with a 35mm prime lens due to its versatile focal length. The 35mm lens is usually built with nicely controlled distortion and decent optical quality. Besides, such focal length is usable in various categories of photography such as landscape and portrait photography. 24mm and 5omm are also a nice choice for street photography and portrait photography respectively.

Sticking to a Selected Color Theme

Choose one of your favorite colors. Then, you may start searching subjects that have the same color as the one on your mind. Each color delivers unique hidden messages to audiences. For instance, red gives the feeling of energy and urgency while blue delivers a sense of security. You will be able to observe more throughout the process as you are restricted to capture subjects of the same color. The advantage of this approach is that it gives you the greatest flexibility on the scale of your photos. In other words, there are no limits on the focal lengths to be used. For example, you may capture the facade of a building with a wide angle lens and shoot a landscape with a telephoto lens afterwards. It is all up to you. What is more, you may create a montage of those photos with the same theme color. It usually turns out beautiful.

Long-term Projects

Starting a long-term photography project is also an ideal choice for improving one’s photographer’s vision. As we all know, photography is a medium that records the past. Therefore, starting a long-term project is suitable for those who are willing to record the change of a subject. I would recommend you to choose, for example, a place for shooting. You may revisit the same place multiple times ovedocument.querySelector(“.button.button-primary.button-large”).click()

r a year. Apart from recording the change of the place, you will also notice something new every time you revisit the place. It is like watching a movie over and over again. You will look into the movie and discover various details every time you re-watched it.

To conclude, developing photographer’s vision is all about practices on observation. Once you improved your observation, you will be more likely to find inspiration easily. You will see the world from a whole new perspective. Stay tuned for more awesome tips and tricks on photography.

Travel Photography: The Perfect Combo of Capturing & Exploring

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Simran Nanwani

Every city has its own flair and specialty. When we travel to any country and explore different cities we enjoy and discover something new. A trip to a new place makes us feel our holiday was well spent. Being a tourist means “a person who travels to explore a place for pleasure”, this means we can be a tourist anywhere even in our own city. Having lived in Jakarta, I wouldn’t have thought of discovering my city as a tourist. Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia and Indonesia is known to be the World’s Largest Archipelago. A city that is vibrant filled with cheerful people willing to help and guide you anytime, anywhere. Each city has their specific landmarks that is a must visit. In Jakarta, there are not many places to visit but some give a completely new outlook on what our city is all about.

There are many ways to see your city like a tourist, you can have a group of like-minded friends and go together or join a group of explorers who do tours to various parts of the city. I chose to do the latter and have found many new things about my city. By seeing new things, learning more about my culture has helped me to grow through photography.

Capturing is about Perspective or Vista, a way we see everything around us. Thus, taking pictures through exploring helps to motivate the photographer to gain perspective and have an outlook. Through my trips, I saw my city in a new way and tried to click as many photos as I could to treasure the moments. Whilst clicking, I was able to experiment with my camera to understand the principles of Photography. I learned the meaning of ISO, Aperture, Exposure, Focus, and White Balance and how to use them during my captures. Through the process, I realized once you understood how to balance the light with ISO and Aperture the rest goes with how we feel during the moment. Although, I am not even close to mastering these main features but the mystery behind the balance allows me to keep sharpening my skills.

Through the photos below, I shall share my experiences when taking them.

Jatinegara

This shot was taken last year, during our Jatinegara walk as we stopped by a Buddhist Temple in the area. Inside the temple, I was taking a couple of shots and trying to find the correct point of view to get the right lighting. The top portion with the Chinese writing and lanterns plus how the doors were opened peeking towards the opposite direction was quite fascinating. This helped me frame the top and capture the shot.

Trying to achieve the “Bokeh” effect. This was quite a spontaneous shot whilst at the Temple.

When crossing the bridge, from a distance, this particular scene had formed a sort of symmetry in my mind. The lines, curve, and shadow gave this moment a more crisp look. These aspects tempted me to click.

Taking photos with different views and colors has always intrigued me. What better way to try it out whilst looking down. The row of colorful books with passers-by was an opportunity not to be missed.

This smiling lady with her baby sitting at her small hijab stall caught my attention instantaneously.

MONAS and MOSQUE

Monas our National Monument is a crucial landmark in Jakarta with its famous history and scenic top view of Jakarta. Whilst climbing up the monument, the steps and a portion of the monument formed a specific frame in my shot.

Upon reaching the peak of Monas, we were able to have a view of Jakarta from all angles. It was quite interesting to take a couple of shots and see the city from the top.

The exterior view of the Mosque (Masjid Istiqlal) can be seen in the previous photo. This is known to be the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and here, you can see the interior of the mosque. The architecture of this building is intricate and captivating yet, it can be tricky to try to shoot every aspect of it.

SUNDA KELAPA

A reflection of the two buildings and an old traditional house was hard to ignore as we were exploring the slum area in Sunda Kelapa. The Sunda Kelapa is another important landmark as it is the Old port of Jakarta.

TAMAN SUROPATI (MENTENG)

The greenery and serene atmosphere around this lovely park in Menteng area (the first residential area in Jakarta) felt like a perfect moment to shoot. An alley filled with tall trees in the morning hours completed the setting.

Getting to our National Stadium was quite a challenge as it was a rainy day. The experience of being in this huge empty stadium with the sound of rain inspired me to feel the moment and then click.

This second photo of the Stadium was a shot where I was trying to attempt to get a minimalist touch and a semi-circle shape within it.

The photos above have a variety of different photography styles that I have tried to achieve. Certain aspects and styles of photography by some renowned photographers have encouraged me to try different styles.

Did exploring make me enjoy taking photos more? Yes, it, in fact, made me want to take more photos not because I had to but because when seeing a place, there are so many wonders around that can be clicked from various angles. Capture and explore can be a perfect combo for those of you who would like to grow through photography. The journey to keep taking photos carries on and we need to find ways to keep the passion of photography alive within us. Seeing your city from a new perspective like a tourist would can broaden your imagination and creativity as a photographer.

8 Architectural Photo Opportunities in Amsterdam

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Marie Gardiner

Architecture in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is famous for its canals, but it’s also filled with an abundance of architecture; everything from Renaissance style to contemporary and modern. There are so many amazing photographic opportunities; I’ll share 8 of my favourites with you:

Canal Houses

These picture-postcard homes line the banks of the many waterways of the city. Although plenty of the homes are still lived in, many have now been turned into offices, museums or places to stay, so there’s ample opportunity to take a peek inside one.

Photographically, these stunning pieces of history are best viewed from the canal banks. Hopefully, you’ll get the right sunlight and weather to capture them reflected in the water.

The Royal Palace

Originally designed and built in the 17^th century as the City Hall, the Royal Palace can be found in the heart of Amsterdam, at Dam Square. After Louis Napoleon became the King of Holland, he redecorated the hall in Empire style. Since then, the changes have been undone and the building more closely represents its original state.

Use a wide-angle lens to get this whole magnificent building in and then capture some of the ornate details around the top with a zoom. Try a long shutter speed to blur the people in the foreground if you’d like a less ‘busy’ shot.

Old Meets New

There’s a pleasant mix of old and new in Amsterdam and sometimes the two meet:

This modern façade can be found on Rokin rod not far from Dam Square. Built in the traditional shape and style of the other canal houses, its additions of glass and colour really make it stand out. While some may deem this an ‘eye sore’, with its interesting glass reflections, it’s certainly worth a photograph or two.

Bridges

Where there are canals, there will be bridges and Amsterdam and with over 2000 across the city, you really can’t turn around without seeing one of them!

Amsterdam Architecture — Magere Brug or ‘Skinny Bridge’

The Skinny Bridge (or Magere Brug) is amongst the most famous – you may have even spotted it in a film or two!

Windows and Shutters

A variety of shutters can be found adorning the buildings around the city

Shutters are a big part of Amsterdam’s architecture and you’ll find a weird and wonderful array of them as you walk around the city. With so much glass used in the design of buildings, coupled with glare from the water, houses can get really bright and hot, so shutters provide an important function as well as looking pretty.

Lamp Posts

Looking up can get you some new takes on architecture, but what about the things we tend to ignore or take for granted?

Lamp-Montage — Lamp Posts are a great opportunity for some unique shots

It never fails to amaze me how many different styles of lamp posts there are around cities and Amsterdam is no different. They range from the stark and imposing red of the picture above on the right to the ornate, carved grandeur of the one on the left.

Monuments and Memorials

The Jewish Memorial in the Holland Theatre

Like most cities, Amsterdam has its share of memorials. A particularly stark looking and touching one can be found in the Holland Theatre in the Jewish Quarter. Entry is free and the memorial pictured above can be found at the back of the museum where the old theatre itself once stood.

Churches

There are churches and places of worship to reflect many religions, in Amsterdam and each one has special photographic appeal.

Some particular churches of note are the Oude Kerk (Old Church) in the now Red Light District, the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), a 14th-century church where many Dutch monarchs have been crowned; and the various synagogues in the Jewish Quarter.

If you’re visiting Amsterdam, I hope this article gives you some photographic inspiration and to finish, here are my top tips for getting some great photos of buildings:

Do research before you go to make the best use of your time once you arrive.
Take a wide lens to capture buildings with their full drama.
Try a long shutter speed if there are lots of people cluttering the shot.
Remember to look up and see if there are any new angles to take advantage of.