Summer was quickly coming to an end so my friend Kally and I thought that a trip to Montreal for Labour Day weekend would be a stupendous idea. One of my best girlfriends had recently moved to Montreal and I have been missing living in Paris so I thought visiting an old friend and taking in some European culture would be the perfect weekend getaway. Kally and I wanted to research the best places to take pictures in Montreal before we endured the five plus hour drive. Especially since we both we are both extremely passionate about photography.
Skyline seen from Old Montreal | 30 sec at f / 11, ISO 100 |
Achieving an architectural photography image that invokes excitement with the viewer can be extremely challenging. The following are tips that have worked best for me…
5) Shoot During the Golden Hour
Humber Bay Arch Bridge | Etobicoke | Canada | 6.0 sec at f / 22, ISO 160.
My absolute favourite time to shoot is during the evening just before sunset. The golden hour is when the sun shines a glowing light and anything that it reflects off of often creates a beautiful image. When an image is shot during this short time, the viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the brightest spot of the photo which adds a new exciting dimension to the shot.
4) Try Un-boring Compositions and Perspectives
Sacre Coeur | Paris | France | 8.0 sec at f / 22, ISO, 100.3)
When composing my image I often find that I avoid taking images facing straight at the subject . I try to find an angle that is interesting to the eye and will add a different element to my image other than just the structure itself. I aim to find a perspective that allows the details and colours of my subject to really stand out. I find it best to do a few test shots from different angles to see which will give me the best composition and perspective. In the image below, I shot the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Paris from as low to the ground as I possibly could. I aimed my camera upwards on a short tripod to give the illusion that the Cathedral is grander against the blue sky and cloudy background.
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