In addition to the exotic landscape, local culture and people, historic sites and landmarks are definitely on your list of shooting during your trip. How can we turn these magnificent, splendid architectures into one-of-a-kind photos? Let’s read on to learn more about the skills and tips!

Most famous architectures are built in special shapes and facades. We should make good use of the lens’ characteristics to further outstand the uniqueness of the architecture. An ultra wide-angle lens can create a strong sense of perspective that makes foreground objects appear bigger while background objects smaller. If we angle the camera up and shoot, the subject will look extremely tall and huge in the photo.

The visual compression that comes from using a telephoto lens can eliminate the sense the space, making objects look closer to each other and can reveal the buildings’ facades in a faithful way. Besides, a telephoto lens can be used to take feature shots of the tiny details of architecture to accentuate the passing of time, such as sculpture on the eaves and the peeled walls.

To capture well-known landmarks with a twisted perspective and create photos that look extraordinary, a fisheye lens is what you need. The Circular fisheye effect* can produce exaggerated distortion and curves to vertical architecture, resulting in dreamy photos that look like the landmark is being absorbed into a crystal ball.
*When used with EOS Full-Frame DSLR cameras

While the use of different lenses can make an architecture look magnificent or modest in the photo, the use of light is the key to control the mood. In the morning, the use of front lighting can reveal an architecture’s details, while a side lighting can add a sense of depth. If an architecture features a whimsical shape or contour lines, we can decrease the exposure compensation level to create silhouette shots to accentuate the distinctive features. The below two photos of Reichstag Building in Berlin were taken at different times. Both feature the glass dome of the building but look vastly different in terms of style.

Although the architecture is the main subject of the photo, a shot with only the building may seem boring and unattractive. Try to observe more and include some interesting objects or human from the surrounding environment to enrich the composition and create an eye-catching focus point for the photo. Let’s get more inspirations from the below photos taken by Club Canon members!