A little knowledge goes a long way.
One of the major attractions of many of the places you travel is the architecture. You don’t need an architectural degree to know that most major world cities will have a mixture of styles based on the historical periods those styles dominated.
You’re more likely to take good digital photos of any castle, church, palace, museum, skyscraper or industrial structure if you do a little homework. Learn about the styles of architecture that you’ll see where you plan to travel. Each style presents itself differently. Some have amazing details that deserve to be photographed in close-ups, while others only reveal the artistic expression of the architects who designed them in a wider view. That knowledge also ensures that you’ll pack the right lenses and any special equipment or other photo supplies you may need.
Look for patterns.
Shooting travel photos of architecture is also an opportunity to recognize and use patterns to make your pictures more than a snapshot of a building. The PhotographyTalk.com article, Digital Photography—Look for the Patterns, explains this idea in more detail.
Some architectural patterns are rather obvious: the whitewashed exteriors of all the structures in a Mediterranean seaside village, the common design of an old hilltop Italian town, the windows of a skyscraper, the cables in a suspension bridge, etc. You’ll take a step forward in your digital photography skills when you can recognize the mix of patterns on different buildings, and then find the right angle to create a truly remarkable image that include those patterns as critical components of your composition. Also, look for buildings that are typically of modern designs that are alternatives to the boxy look of skyscrapers and other structures. These ultra-contemporary styles have unique patterns or even none at all.
Compose with technique.
The best travel photos of architecture shows that the photographers thought about what they were shooting and the techniques they would use to compose those outstanding pictures. For example, a wide-angle lens is indispensable to shoot exteriors and interiors. With that view, you can emphasize the height of a skyscraper, the breadth of a great dome, the sharp thrust of a steeple and the grand, open vault of a gallery or hotel. Your education starts with the three-part PhotographyTalk.com article, Digital Photography—The Wonderful World of the Wide-Angle Lens, Part 1.
To appreciate the design genius and beauty of many architectural styles, you must record close-ups of the intricate details. These could be more patterns or textures, including the wear and tear and discolorations after being exposed to the elements for decades, centuries, even millennia. Equally interesting is how a building is constructed: where the parts join and how they are joined.
The other important element that dictates the techniques you can use to compose interesting, beautiful or even amazing architectural images is the light. Outside, that’s regulated by the time of day and weather conditions. Indoor, the light sources are probably varied from a mixture of interior fixtures to sunlight entering the space. There’s a long list of exposure, focus and positioning techniques available to you to use light to enhance your travel photos of architecture. Read these PhotographyTalk.com articles for more information.
Digital Photography—Go Low with Your Camera to Create Highly Unique Images, Part 1
Digital Photography—Go Low with Your Camera to Create Highly Unique Images, Part 2