Outdoor Photography How To

Not long ago we featured a tutorial from photographer Evan Ranft describing composition mistakes that cause “eyeball confusion” in photos. In this latest video, Ranft demonstrates four more common errors that can ruin an otherwise great cityscape image.

Ranft is a positive guy, so he not only identifies mistakes to avoid, he also offers simple solutions for capturing the most compelling cityscape photos possible. There aren’t too many cities with a better backdrop than New York and that’s where Ranft captured the images for this tutorial.

The first problem Ranft discusses has to do with either choosing the wrong lens for the situation at hand, or not using it properly. He urges you to learn the “sweet spot” of every lens you own, and offers recommendations on exposure settings for lenses of different focal lengths.

Ranft insists that for cityscape photography, it’s the relationship between foreground and background that can make or break a shot. He also stresses the importance of location scouting and planning. In this case, he notes that spectacular images typically result from shooting at a great spot and from the best vantage point at the right time of day.

There’s plenty more advice in this six-minute video, so take a look. And be sure to check out the earlier story from Ranft we posted with four composition mistakes that cause “eyeball confusion” and can ruin a shot. You can find more helpful tips on Ranft’s YouTube channel.