59
B+W9 INSIDE JOB
Although most architectural shots are
taken outside, often the inside of a building
is just as interesting, and while dull weather
isn’t great for external shots, the soft, flat
light can work wonders indoors because
it keeps contrast down. It’s the same if
the heavens open – get out of the wet and
keep shooting.
Modern interiors tend to be a riot of
repetition – lines, angles and edges or
clever curves and sinuous swirls – while
symmetry is often evident if you find a
central viewpoint.
New York City, USA
The interior of the Oculus in NYC is as fascinating
as the exterior. Tripods are usually forbidden
inside public buildings, but if you hike up the ISO
you can shoot handheld without any issues.
Canon EOS 5DS with 16-35mm zoom lens,
1/100sec at f/5.6, ISO 1600
If you shoot a tall building from close range
with a wideangle lens, often you’ll need
to tilt the camera to get the top of the
building in shot. This causes converging
verticals, where the sides of the building
lean inwards. The effect can look fantastic
if you exaggerate it, but if you want the
building to look upright, you need to keep
the camera back parallel to it.
Shooting from a higher viewpoint so
you’re looking across at the building
can work. Moving further away from the
building then zooming in is another option
as the effects of converging verticals are
reduced with distance.
Alternatively, correct the convergence
in Photoshop. Go to Select>All then
Edit>Transform>Distort and pull the
corners of the image up and out to
straighten the sides of the building. Using
View>Show>Grid can help ensure the
verticals are truly vertical.
10 AVOIDING
CONVERGING VERTICALS
9
10
London, England
I captured this scene from Tower Bridge.
The elevated viewpoint meant I was looking
across to the buildings rather than up at them,
so converging verticals were avoided.
Canon EOS 5DS with 16-35mm zoom lens,
2 minutes at f/16, ISO 100
‘Moving further away from the
building then zooming in is
another option as the effects
of converging verticals are
reduced with distance.’