How can I photograph old buildings effectively with a Canon DSLR, 18-55mm, 75-300mm, tripod, and a $100 budget?

Asked 1/5/2012

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I enjoy photographing older bridges, houses, and buildings I find while traveling through rural areas. My current gear is a 6 MP Canon DSLR, an 18-55mm kit lens, a 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens, a wired remote release, and a basic tripod. I’d like to get the best results possible when shooting architecture and historic structures with what I already have. What shooting approach, composition ideas, and conditions should I pay attention to—such as camera position, focal length choice, sun angle, snow, and sky conditions? If I spend up to about $100, would any small upgrade help more than simply improving technique?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

2 Answers

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Consider software not hardware

You can't really purchase any additional hardware within this price range that will maximize your experience other than the excellent and inexpensive 50mm f1.8 prime lens that can be picked up for around $100 or less used. You could use that for some detail shots with a background bokeh, etc. The CPL filter was also mentioned in the comments above and since you have a tripod and a shutter release you might also want to consider a neutral density filter.

However, given the listed equipment I would encourage you to use try using your tripod, shutter release and the 18-55mm lens to do some HDR shots. Old buildings against dramatic skies (which HDR will further enhance) look particularly interesting. To do this you might need to invest into some software such as the NIK HDR Effex Pro or similar to process the exposures into an HDR image. There is all sorts of software and plugin filters for various image processing applications that will allow you to be creative with your photos. I already mentioned NIK and I admit I enjoy using their plugins so I would also recommended the Color Effex Pro or the Silver Effex Pro for Black and white images. The plugins are more then your budget but still reasonable and they will surely make a bigger impact on your images then any $100 piece of hardware.

Originally by user4977. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4977

14y ago

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AI Answer

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Your current kit can work well for old buildings, especially with careful technique. The 18-55mm is the better general choice for full-building shots, while the 75-300mm can isolate details. Use the tripod and wired release whenever possible to keep images sharp, especially in lower light.

With a small budget, software may help more than hardware. HDR processing can be useful for old buildings against dramatic skies, helping balance bright sky and darker building tones. Since you already have a tripod and remote, bracketed exposures are practical.

If you do buy gear, the main suggestion was a Canon 50mm f/1.8 for inexpensive detail shots with soft background blur. A CPL filter may also help control reflections and improve skies, and an ND filter can be useful for longer exposures.

In short: focus on composition, steady shooting, and making the most of good light and weather; use the 18-55mm for most scenes, the telephoto for details, and consider software/HDR before major gear changes.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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