Outdoor Photography How To

All photographers run out of fresh ideas on occasion and struggle to think of something interesting to shoot. When this happens to you, how about grabbing your gear and giving cityscape photography a try?

The good thing about this accessible genre is that just about everyone lives near a big city or a town with numerous photo opportunities. With the tips in the tutorial below, all you have to do is take an urban photo walk and shoot whatever captures your fancy. Even better, this type of photography doesn’t require a lot of gear.

Natalie Amrossi (AKA Misshattan) is a New York-based pro specializing in photographing architecture, urban landscapes, and candid street portraits. In this episode, brought to us from B&H Photo Video, you’ll learn five simple tips for making compelling cityscape photos.

Amrossi’s advice covers everything from planning and perspective, to composition, gear, exposure and more. Her first suggestion involves advance planning, and she says, “I know it’s an underrated tip, but it makes a world of difference.” Early on she was always a run-and-gun photographer “winging it” on the fly. But that changed when she realized the importance of preparation

She explains, “I learned that once I had a game plan I would leave with so many more incredible shots.” You’ll be able to do the same thing by taking advantage of Amrossi’s specific approach to planning.

On a related topic Amrossi discusses how shooting at the right time of day can makes a huge difference in your results, as can weather (good or bad).  These considerations should be added to your game plan once you decide what type of images you want to shoot.

Another powerful tip has to do with shooting from unique perspectives, and Amrossi says. “Those who know me understand how much I love aerial photography.” This doesn’t necessarily mean shooting from an airplane, helicopter, or with a drone, because rooftops or windows in a high floor of a building are often all you need.

Amrossi’s other tips are equally helpful, so watch the video and then get out there and shoot some great stuff. You can view an assortment of her wonderful imagery by visiting her Instagram page.

There’s also much more to learn on the B&H Photo Video YouTube channel.