How To Shoot Cities

Award-winning travel photographer Jordan Banks shares his tried-and-tested tips and tricks for shooting stunning shots of towns and cities

- Jordan Banks

Cities are energetic, vibrant and ever-changing places that can provide photographers with a seemingly endless list of photo opportunities. From amazing skylines and unique architecture to the hustle and bustle of the streets, most cities provide enough opportunity to inspire any willing photographer.

While I love working in the wild, the majority of my assignments are actually undertaken in the fascinating concrete jungles that so many of us now call home.

I have learnt to love the energy of a city and I believe that some of my strongest images have been taken in urban areas.

At first, cities can be a little intimidating and tough to shoot for even the most experienced photographers. Being thrown in to a congested city, full of life with distractions at every corner, can be overwhelming and it’s often hard to know where to start. Through my many years spent shooting cities across the globe; I have found that, when I approach my shots with a clear strategy, I am then better prepared to take full advantage of the countless photo opportunities that present themselves. This allows me to capture the true essence of any location that I happen to find myself in.

In this article, I will take you through some triedand-tested methods to guarantee that you get the most of your time on location and help you produce a portfolio of photographs that, I hope, you will be proud to show off to anyone.

GET INTO GEAR

The gear you choose is vital to the outcome of your shoot but sacrifices will often need to be made as it isn’t always feasible to carry everything. Let’s take a look at some essential items that will allow you to shoot great images all day long.