Any city in the world is some form of organized chaos one way or another. The concrete jungle with its towering structures remain still as the whole world seemingly moves around it. While cityscapes always seem to be very lively and dynamic environments, it is actually the inhabitants of it and the natural elements around it that bring it to life.
There is a particular challenge in photographing city life. This is specifically with the aim of capturing the life and dynamism of the city in single photographs that can only contain so much information. That is why compelling photographs of city life requires a bit of creativity to be able to encapsulate so much life into a single image. In this endeavor where street photography and landscape photography intersect, the common factor is being able be in sync with the urban environment, feel its rhythm, and anticipate the moments when dynamic interactions between the city and its inhabitants happen.
Long exposure plays a key role and brings forth so much value in photographing city life. There is an almost limitless collection of subjects and phenomena that happens within the city and with a sharp vision, they can be turned into the most compelling images that tell the story of the place and its people. Exposure techniques can be used to conceal identities of people in a photograph, to cover or remove clutter from the overall visual design, to illustrate the movement of people, the passing of time, the state of being constant amidst an ever changing environment, to illustrate life, big and small, within the bounds of the urban jungle.
Essential Tools for Photographing City Life
Doing photography in the city can of course be done with any camera. From the simplest smartphones to the highest end gear, the biggest determinant will be the capability of the photographer to work with whatever they have. However, it is of course more beneficial to be using more capable and more versatile gear to deal with the demands of the envisioned photograph.
Cameras and Lenses
Any camera can be used to photograph the city, however it is definitely more advantageous to use a camera with higher resolution and one with better low light capabilities. This simply benefits the photographer in being versatile with the final output and when they intend to produce prints. The choice of lenses will always depend on the exact scene being photographed. While wide angle lenses definitely have an edge in being able to capture more of the city from within its boundaries, there are instances when longer focal lengths become more beneficial specifically when the goal is to isolate certain portions of the view from the rest of the environment and juxtapose interacting elements. Overall, the most important attribute of a camera setup is how easy it would be to manipulate to be able to achieve specific shooting methods.
Tripods and Clamps
Tripods can sometimes be quite a chore to carry around but they always offer a lot more possibilities when you have them. Tripods can either hold the camera for you in situations where the shot calls for multiple exposures, or when you take long exposure to illustrate motion. Nonetheless, tripods should always ensure the stability needed to keep your shot stable and clear. The only thing that ruins artistic motion blur is unintended motion blur from camera shake. At the same time, the tripod should of course ensure that your camera will be secure especially when shooting from a significant height.
Other tripod alternatives can definitely be useful. For one, portable tabletop tripods are definitely much better than having no tripod at all. While they are often limited in height, you can use tables, ledges, and other elevated platforms to attain certain levels. Good quality tabletop tripods often have considerable payload capacity despite their compact size and that is the crucial factor for them. On the other hand, mounting clamps can be very handy as well. Clamps are used to mount cameras onto railing and ledges that are often found on rooftops and balconies. Some clamps can be paired with tripod heads or articulating arms that will give you more flexibility. Good quality clamps such as those from Manfrotto can carry up to 15 kilograms of camera gear comfortably and allow you to photograph the city from unusual perspectives.
Filters
Neutral density (ND) filters are also useful in photographing the city specifically when shooting during the day. ND filters are essential to be able to do long exposure effects when there is more than enough ambient light. Graduated neutral density (GND) filters can help you balance the exposure when the sky is much brighter than the city or when the city lights are making the sky too dark. Circular Polarizing filters (CPL) come in handy when there are reflections that you want to enhance, especially when it is a unique way of using symmetry, as well as when glare from reflective surfaces can get in the way.
Camera Triggers
Remote triggers make shooting creatively much easier. Most of the time, the use of long exposure effects, as well as HDR and time-lapse workflows can become quite complicated with necessary adjustments and sequences. Camera triggers can help make these processes easier. Basic remotes can help you control the camera from a certain distance if necessary but more advanced triggers can be as helpful as doing the thinking for you in terms of exposure time, and automating the process entirely.
The MIOPS Flex is one of the most capable smart camera remote triggers in the market. This device handles a wide range of tasks creating a fool proof shooting process no matter how many variables are at play. Paired with the MIOPS mobile app, the Flex can becomes a wireless tethered shooting device through its own remote live view and device control. It can aid in long exposure shooting from as simple as triggering the exposure remotely to avoid camera shake, to computing for the proper exposure time with ND filters. The Flex also has various time-lapse functions that can help you create seamless clips while adapting to the changing environment and light. It has lightning, sound, and laser sensors that can be used to trigger exposures automatically for photographing thunderstorms, fireworks, fast moving objects, and many more. These sensors can also be integrated with time-lapse shooting. Best of all, the MIOPS Flex has the capability to create real-time previews of your time-lapse or HDR output without having to open a computer. It then stores the output on its own micro-SD storage which also serves as a viable backup.
Slow Shutter and Motion Blur
Slow shutter is done by taking exposures of about 0.5 to 4 seconds in length. During this period, motion of objects that are moving quickly across the frame is turned into a slight trail that can seem like a single brush stroke. This is commonly used in architectural photograph to use human elements for scale without putting a distinguishable person in the photograph. The same principle can be used for anonymity in street photography. At the same time it can be used for concealing clutter in any given urban scenario as long as there are moving visual elements that momentarily cover them in their path.
Using motion blur may or may not require the use of a tripod depending on the length of the exposure and the feasibility of using image stabilization. Nonetheless, it can be done much easier on a steady platform, controlled with a remote trigger. With the MIOPS Flex, this can even be automated by using the laser sensor that will trigger the exposure once an object crosses its path.
Long Exposure and Dynamism
There are many things that long exposure can achieve when photographing the city. As the city remains a still structure, there is a multitude of moving objects around it that can create an ultimately dynamic photograph. Much like any outdoor scene the changing weather can do wonders with long exposure. Either by shooting at night or during the day with ND filters, fast moving clouds in the sky create appealing textures that can either contribute to the flow of the image as leading lines or create a background that will complement the view of the city.
Aside from the sky, long exposure can also create dynamic patterns in the foreground. The most common and most obvious element of motion in cityscape photography are moving cars. The light trails created by moving cars on the road not only paint light but actually highlight the path of the road and when taken from the right angle, they create the most compelling leading lines that invite the viewers deeper into the city.
The primary determinants of the length of exposure should be the length of the road that is visible in frame, and how long it takes for the cars to reach from one end to the other or from the corner of the frame to a vanishing point. With just enough traffic the light trails can be done in 10-15 seconds. However if there aren’t too many cars on the road then it could take a couple of minutes to have enough trails to fill the frame.
The City and the Night Sky
In advantageous weather conditions with considerable visibility, it is possible to photograph the city with the night sky as the background. Because of light pollution, the result will not be as clear and vibrant as night time landscapes taken from rural areas but it doesn’t mean that the stars can’t be visible. By shooting consecutive long exposures on intervalometer/time-lapse mode, one can capture star trails created by the rotation of the earth and these trails automatically create direction in the background. Alternatively, the output of the same shooting process can be used to create a time-lapse that shows not just the movement of the stars in the sky but also the movement of the city’s inhabitants, the turning on and off of individual lights in the city, land and even air traffic.
Photographing the city, whether during the day or at night is like painting with light. Your brush is the camera kept still on a tripod while you let your canvas be filled with motion brought by the passing of time. With your artistic vision and the proper use of tools, the possibilities are endless.
Blog Credit: Nicco Valenzuela
Nicco started his photographic journey in 2007 practicing the craft as a hobby. Currently, he shoots for various local and international architectural firms and construction companies. Out of his love for sharing his knowledge, Nicco began writing about photography and various pieces of gear.
