A strong case for shooting "cityscapes"

Outdoor stock photographer Adam Barker wonders, "Why is it we hear folks mention they’re 'going to the countryside' for the weekend, but I’ve never once heard anyone mention going to the cityside? I'm guessing 'cityside' isn’t even a word, but it does help me make a point. 'Country' implies beautiful and serene, whereas 'city' implies industrial and noisy. I find in my own photography, however, that cities can be seen as every bit as beautiful as a majestic mountain vista. It all hinges on my own perspective and having the right light and air quality.

"I recently completed an extensive tour of various 'citysides' throughout the US and Canada. No, I didn't find the same wilderness opportunities that abound near my Utah home, but I must say there can be something strangely beautiful and dramatic about a city skyline. Under the right light, skyscrapers take on a stately and sophisticated feel. A silhouetted skyline has an inimitable shape and many are instantly recognizable as national icons.

"As with any other shoot, I kept my Singh-Ray filters close at hand to capture whatever images came my way. I find the soft-step ND Grads to be my tools of choice for shooting city skylines at dawn or dusk. Jutting rooftops and other objects above the horizon can be clipped by the abrupt transition line of hard-step filters. In some cases, a Reverse ND Grad may be more suitable if you are shooting into the sun at sunrise or sunset.

"The image (above) of the Salt Lake City Capitol Building and surrounding fog was shot on a particularly frosty evening. A recent winter storm had just pushed through, guaranteeing crystal-clear air and some spectacular, unobstructed views of the city. I chose to use my 3-stop Reverse ND Grad to hold the color and detail across the brightly lit horizon while also achieving an accurate exposure on the city in the foreground. As I do with most images when using my Reverse ND Grad, I handheld the filter, moving it up and down just slightly across the horizon, thus enabling me to hide any filter line that might appear.

"This image of the Seattle skyline was shot from an often photographed location at Alki Beach. The city was about to get pounded with rain, and the stormy light was a sight to behold. I chose my Singh-Ray 4-stop soft-step ND Grad to close the giant gap in dynamic range between the intense pink cloud and the shaded buildings. While this certainly isn’t a new take on Seattle, I believe the difference in this image is the exceptional quality of the light. Don’t forget that spectacular light can lend an entirely new feel to a seemingly old composition.

"During my time in San Francisco, I was blessed with unbelievably clear skies. On the one hand, that made for fewer dramatic clouds. On the other, I could see for miles. I chose to shoot this cityscape from the Twin Peaks Overlook on one particular evening. The air was pleasantly crisp, as San Fran’s enjoyable Indian summer was in full effect. For this panoramic image, I chose to use a 2-stop soft-step ND Grad to add some extra punch to the dusk color in the sky. This also allowed me to slightly overexpose the city, letting the buildings soak up just a bit more reflected light from the opposing horizon. When shooting panos to be stitched in post-processing, take special care to have an accurately consistent filter placement in each image. With today’s panoramic stitching software, it’s fairly easy to produce evenly toned skies. However, some care must be taken not to have drastic tonal differences at the time of capture.

"The image with the full moon was shot using my 3-stop Reverse ND Grad. The filter was essential to get an accurately balanced exposure of the moon as well as the city. This image is not a digital blend, nor is it a color-altered photograph. Used in combination with a long focal length lens and relatively large aperture, the Reverse ND Grad accentuated the dusk glow, or 'earth shadow,' producing an intense pink and orange hue on the horizon.

"So, if you live in or near a city and long for something special to shoot, be sure to look around you. See through the traffic, noise, pollution and hubbub of everyday life and get to an overlook on a clear day. You might be amazed at how beautiful the place where you live really can be."

To find more of Adam's varied images, check out his photo gallery and his lively -- and often opinionated -- blog.