Using Contrast for Better Cityscape Compositions
Last week, we showed you multiple ways to use contrast to improve your architectural images. This week, let’s talk about cityscapes! While it might not be always as obvious, you can certainly use contrast to your advantage with cityscapes too. Of course, the first option is to find a scene with dark and bright areas, […]
Tips to Photograph in Cold Weather
With winter weather, it’s easy to stay inside warm and not shoot for a few months. However, the city looks so different during the winter, with snow, frozen lakes and rivers, that it’s worth getting out and exploring. Let’s talk about what you need to go out in the cold and how you can get […]
How to photograph fireworks and cityscapes
Summertime means fireworks in a lot of places. National holidays like the 4th of July are an obvious event, but many places do them all summer long, like Navy Pier in Chicago (every Wednesday & Saturday night between Memorial Day and Labor Day). Let’s see how you can get some interesting cityscapes shots with fireworks. […]
2019 Los Angeles Workshop Recap
A couple of weeks ago, we went to Los Angeles for our third workshop! There is a lot of great architecture to photograph in LA, and it’s one of our favorite cities to teach our workshop in. We had beautiful weather (if only a little chilly) and, as usual, a great group to spend the […]
Student Images from our 2019 Miami Workshop
Last month, we shared our images from the Miami Workshop. Today, we wanted to share our students’ images. After each workshop, we do a critique session, and we’re always amazed at some of the images our students get: angles we’ve never thought about, buildings they saw across the street, etc. So we ask them to […]
Chicago Skyline Views from the 18th Street Bridge
The 18th Street Bridge is not as well know for skyline images as the Adler Planetarium, but it’s a great location that offers a variety of views. The bridge goes over the south branch of the Chicago River, as well as a railyard, which are great foregrounds. The easiest way to access the bridge is […]
How to Shoot Cityscapes Through Glass
If you like shooting from observatories, chances are you’ve had to deal with shooting through glass. Most observatories are indoor (the Top of the Rock and the Empire State Buildings are notable exceptions). Shooting through glass can be challenging for a few reasons, so let’s talk about what you can do to get a great […]
Photographing the Chicago Bridges Lifts
Today, I wanted to share something that’s in between architecture and cityscapes: the Chicago Bridge Lifts! Every year, the bridges have to open to let sailboats move from between Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Lifts are scheduled on several Wednesdays and Saturdays in April-May and October-November each year. In 2015, I was in Chicago for […]
2018 Chicago Workshop Recap: Friday Add-On
Last week, we shared our images from the Chicago Workshop. We also had a Friday add-on option, to get to shoot even more before the main workshop. We had a smaller, but highly motivated group who wanted to photograph some locations in the Loop. We started with an early sunrise at the Adler Planetarium. Despite […]
Guest Post: Bryan Esler on Using Long Exposures for Architectural Photography
We’re back with a new guest blog post with our friend Bryan Esler! He’s going to talk about long exposures for cityscapes and architecture. Bryan Esler is a corporate, landscape and event photographer located in Grand Rapids, Mich. He has worked with clients such as CNBC, Michigan State University, ArtPrize, Steelcase, SpartanNash and more. His […]
