How to Get Perfect Light for Urban Landscape Photography

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The art of achieving excellence in landscape photography requires planning. A landscape photographer needs to know beforehand, the potential weather conditions which will affect the shot positively or negatively. The photographer also needs to know the direction of the light. Will the proposed location be bathed in warm sunrise or sunset lighting at sunrise or sunset?

All these factors determine whether a shot will look bland, good or great.

These considerations also apply to Urban landscape, and street photography.

In urban landscape photography, light is everything. Well, almost everything. You also need an aesthetically appealing subject, which also has a foreground, such as a leading line that leads directly to the main event (the building, road, beach, monument, etc). 

You can take a ‘nice’ photo that has a good composition and no light. When I first started photography, I wasn’t particularly practised in searching out great light, so it was all about the compositions at that time. 

I look back at those archived images with mild disappointment.

To take a great photo, you need great light. 

That’s not to say no one has ever not taken a brilliant photo without great light. I’m sure they have. Some of Bresson’s images don’t speak volumes about the incredible light they weren’t in. With much of his work, it’s about the story and the timing.

However, for urban landscape photography, in my opinion, the elements to make a great photo require a mixture of composition and light. That can include sunlight or night lights, such as shop lights or street lamps.

I know my town of Rye well. I know the weather in Rye pretty well. At the moment it’s always raining, but that’s another story.

I know that on a sunny day, at approximately 11:00 am, the sun hits the High Street from the West, and at 3 pm, on the same road, the shadows and the light look spectacular.

I know that, if could ever get up in the early morning, and leave the house on a clear day, The Mint is bathed in glorious sunrise hues.

I also know that on Mermaid Street, just before sunset, not only is the sunset directly overhead, but some of the old-world style house lamps can be turned on, creating a warm and inviting medieval ambience, and even when the light is fading, the nightfall light and the street light ambience continue to illuminate the cobblestoned street.

The characteristic Mermaid Inn sign that dangles from the front of the ancient building is the focal point when shooting on this enchanting street.

I encourage you to seek out locations - buildings, pubs, roads, beaches, monuments, that have a certain amount of beautification about them. 

Curved roads, details, textures, colours. All great locations have one or more of these features.

When you have found the perfect subject, take some time to work out what the light does to this location at different times of the day, and then plan a shoot when the location is illuminated by the most beautiful light. Unless you live in a hot country, it’s a bit like roulette with changeable weather, so you have to check the weather forecast a day or two before.

Once the conditions are just right, head to the location and grab a shot or two. And if you get lucky, you might find that somebody walks into the frame at just the right moment. 

Go forth and create!