FIGURE 3.14 “London Looking East.” © Douglas Freer/iStockphoto
not great, but that helped prevent harsh shadows. I think it works
because it is taken from an unusual, high, vantage point and the shot
includes part of the City of London fi nancial district as well as dock-
lands in the distant left. That ticks quite a few buyer boxes.
Another approach is the night shot. Check out Figure 3.15, a popular
high-saturation night shot of downtown Chicago. A shot like this needs
a tripod and a long exposure. You certainly do not need a fl ash for
photos like this, so turn off full auto and experiment with different
settings in manual mode, if your camera supports it.
Try to take architectural shots that will stand out from the crowd
and are technically excellent. Correct converging verticals in your
image editor, for example, unless they add to the drama of the scene
(see Chapter 4). Abstract architectural details are also useful. Search
for and isolate details in buildings and try looking for interesting com-
positions—refl ections, shapes, textures, colors—thinking all the while
CITYSCAPES 47