2020-05-01_N-Photo_the_Nikon_magazine

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

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Until very recently, I’ve found it quite
difficult to get abstract images of
isolated patterns and shapes. My
normal weapon of choice for general
architectural shooting has always been
a wide-angle prime, most often my
trusty Nikon 24mm tilt-shift lens.
However, as wonderful as wide primes
are for shooting architecture and
cityscapes, they are not so brilliant
when it comes to creating those more
intimate images.

Using a zoom lens makes abstract
photographs so much easier to achieve,
enabling you get close-ups to isolate
the parts that catch your eye, whether
that’s details in the façades, or some
other unique pattern that you’ve
spotted. I’ve been using a Nikon
24-70mm standard zoom for this, and
it’s helped with capturing abstract
images so much.
A longer telephoto-zoom would
probably work even better for this style
of photography, and this is something
I plan on giving a go in the future.

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darkening blue skies, for instance. Yet, as with
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much easier and the image will look better for it.
Finding these contrasts in the architecture is
certainly easier in newer buildings. Smoked or
t i nted gla ss is much more popu la r t ha n it used to be.


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as they are not normally good for architectural
photography, with the harsh light of the sun causing


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such as the sun creating bright spots as it hits the

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patterns and contrasts that wouldn’t normally be
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the good parts will need to be isolated from the


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photography. Photographers tend to take photos of
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taking landscape and coastal images, yet getting to

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close to a city makes taking photos of architecture
and buildings much easier for me personally, and

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Smooth water and reflections
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interested me the most when looking at others’ work
for inspiration, so it made sense for me to start
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caught my eye when looking at this particular style.

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water smooth and bright.
Tidal times are an important factor in shooting

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it. There are times when the water is really still. This
would normally be at low tide, early in the

Above left: There are
many hidden
architectural gems
inside buildings that
you would never know
were there. So, ensure
that you explore!

Left: Avoiding
reflections in glass
buildings isn’t easy, but
the results are very
clean images.

ABSTRACT

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