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B+W
A DSLR is the ideal tool for shooting
modern architecture, but a digital
compact or even your mobile phone is
worth trying because different types of
camera encourage a different approach
and that can only be a good thing. Don’t
be afraid to experiment with creative
techniques either, such as HDR, infrared,
or using long exposures to record motion
in the sky and blur people walking through
the scene. With a 10-stop ND filter on your
lens, exposures will be so long that people
and traffic will disappear altogether, giving
you a very unusual interpretation of the
busy urban environment.London, England
I used the in-camera HDR mode of my Canon EOS
5DS for this shot as the contrast was too high for
a single frame to cope with. It’s a great feature
that has saved my bacon on many occasions!
Canon EOS 5DS with 16-35mm zoom lens,
1/200sec at f/5.6, ISO 400London, England
If abstracts, patterns and details in modern
architecture interest you then you really need
a telezoom lens. I never leave home without
my Canon 70-300mm.
Canon EOS 5DS with 70-300mm zoom lens,
1/320sec at f/8, ISO 4003 GOT THE GEAR?
Though you’re most likely to use a
wideangle zoom from close range to
shoot architecture, don’t be afraid to back
off and switch to a longer lens to reveal
the building in its environment, and use
perspective to add impact. The longer the
lens, the more perspective is compressed
so the elements in the scene appear
crowded together. This gives a totally
different feel to wide shots. In urban areas,
a telezoom creates a claustrophobic effect,
with buildings squished into the frame
like a deck of cards. You can also home
in on specific areas to create stunning
abstract and detail images. A zoom in the
70-200/75-300mm range will be ideal, and
remember that its effective focal length on
a non full-frame DSLR will be increased by
50-60% so you’ll have even more telephoto
power at your disposal.4 TELE-VISION
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‘In urban areas, a telezoom
creates a claustrophobic effect,
with buildings squished into
the frame like a deck of cards.
You can also home in on
specific areas.’