For subjects with strong graphic design potential, it's hard to top staircases. With a little creative composition, you can turn flights of stairs into dynamic images of lines, curves, patterns, or repetition. Read the following article for ideas that will help you get started photographing spiral staircases.
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Tips for Photographying Classic Spiral Stairways and Other Cool Staircases
1) Keep your viewpoint options open by experimenting with camera angles. When shooting classic spiral stairways, for example, try pointing your camera upward from below, then downward from above. 2) Be ready to work with light and shadow, too, especially when shooting next to a window or outdoors. You'll likely want low-angled sunlight and perhaps a staircase with interesting railings. 3) Use a short lens for a unique perspective, but remember the key to wide-angle success: Move in really close to the foreground in your scene! In those situations, you may also need to use a small aperture (large f/stop number) in order to attain a deep depth of field - the range of sharp focus from foreground to background in your final image.
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4) Choose a zoom or telephoto lens to zero in on the zigzag patterns or the curving lines of classic spiral stairways or outside staircases. 5) Consider a tripod for handling the slow shutter speeds resulting from photographing in subdued indoor or late-day light - or from striving for the highest image quality (with a low ISO) or the greatest DOF (via a small lens opening). 6) For inspiration, don't miss BetterPhoto's Classic Spiral Stairways and Staircase Pictures gallery.
About Author / Instructor / Photographer, Kerry Drager
The content manager and an instructor for BetterPhoto.com, Kerry Drager is also the author of Scenic Photography 101. In addition, he teaches two online photography courses at BetterPhoto: Creative Light & Composition and Creative Close-ups. Kerry's Pro BetterPholio Web site offers an assortment of galleries and illustrated how-to articles on photography. In addition, kerrydrager.com was featured in Shutterbug magazine. His work has appeared in Outdoor Photographer and other major magazines; Hallmark cards and Sierra Club Calendars; and in advertising campaigns for American Express and Sinar Bron Imaging. He is also the photographer of the photo-essay books The Golden Dream: California from Gold Rush to Statehood and California Desert, and is a contributing photographer for the books Daybreak 2000 and Portrait of California. He lives with his wife, Mary, in the country near Sacramento, California, with their six Newfoundland dogs, six cats, two horses, and a mixed terrier.
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