There’s a lot of competition for the most photogenic place on Earth. Immediately places like Bora Bora in French Polynesia spring to mind. But there are also cities which lend themselves to photography.
When people think of a beautiful city, they usually think of Paris or Venice. But because of the way these cities are composed, it’s actually quite difficult to get good photographs of them. Venice is almost entirely low-lying, meaning that it’s hard to get angles that really capture the essence of the city above ground level, street views. And Paris sits in a gigantic valley, like most capital cities. Sure, there are good vantage points over the Eiffel Tower, but most of the surrounding city, outside the tourist hotspots in the middle, is actually remarkably ugly.
There is a city, however, that is just screaming out to be photographed: Rio de Janeiro, the city that hosted the Olympics last year.
The reason Rio is such a photogenic city has to do with the way the city is constructed. It has all the elements that a photographer would want. The city itself is fairly attractive. Most of the buildings are whitewashed, or pebbledash to reflect the summer sun which immediately creates a vacation feel. The city is also clustered around a stunning natural harbor, filled with thousands of boats and yachts, ferrying people to and fro. Then there are the mountains, which stretch up the coast both to the north and the south of the city, providing a stunning backdrop. And finally, there is the Christ the Redeemer statue that sits atop the Corcovado, a mysterious rock that sticks a thousand feet into the air.
To take advantage of the city’s stunning scenery, you’ll need more than a smartphone camera. Because of the depth of features in the city, you’ll need a camera that allows you to adjust the focal length. The Nikon D3300 is a solid DSLR choice for beginners, but it’s worth spending some time reading other people’s thoughts on the Nikon camera to make sure that it’s the right choice for you. Photographers usually like to take pictures of the city from the vantage point of the surrounding hills. The city looks stunning, both day and night.
Rio is one of the few cities in the world where a panoramic shot isn’t required to make the city look good. Thanks to its unique elevation, there are plenty of opportunities to construct snaps that incorporate lots of different elements without having to take on that “landscape feel.” For instance, many photographers take shots of the city that income the interesting verticality of the landscape. The city looks especially stunning at sunrise and sunset, thanks to the way the evening sun glistens off the buildings in the twilight.
Rio, of course, isn’t the only city you can indulge your passion for photography. Other favorites among photographers include London and Detroit. Detroit is an interesting choice, mainly thanks to the social problems the city has had. But these problems have left opportunities for photographers to snap old industry in their wake. It’s unusual, but also very original.
