towns and cities
Spring doesn’t have to be all about getting out in nature. Here’s how to make the most of your local town or city
Many of the classic traits of spring, such as new growth and the changes in the animal behaviour, aren’t visible in the streets of most towns and cities. You will find the odd flower display or tree-lined road where you can spot some of the signs of spring, but they are often limited in their photographic potential. This doesn’t mean that spring doesn’t have any benefits for the urban photographer, though. The main advantage over the winter months is the quality and quantity of daylight available, which can be useful for candid or street portraits, and also architectural shots. Compared to summer, the sun is lower in the sky during spring, giving more raking light for more dramatic street or building images. This type of lighting is also great for creating dramatic, graphic shadows, that can make striking subjects in their own right, or used to create drama and contrast to your street shots.
With the longer hours of daylight compared to winter, it may seem like an odd time to consider shooting at night-time, but it can be an advantage. Sunset and the after-glow, where there is still some light in the sky after sunset, are more likely to coincide with plenty of traffic on the roads compared to the later or earlier times during summer and winter, making it great for shooting urban locations that include traffic.
Urban photography isn’t confined to architecture and people, though. There are also havens for wildlife in towns and cities that give you the chance to capture spring images of nature with your Nikon. Local parks and gardens often have floral displays that make the perfect subject for shooting
The main advantage over the winter months is the quality and quantity of daylight
colourful close-ups of the flowers. There are also many local nature reserves that offer the possibility of capturing some spring wildlife images within the confines of the urban boundaries.
Search for your local Wildlife Trust, RSPB or other local wildlife charity to find out where they are located and what sort of wildlife you might be able to shoot. There are also plenty of animals that live in and around our towns and cities. Species such as foxes and badgers that are normally nocturnal will be more likely to be active as the days get longer. Photographing these normally shy creatures will require a bit more effort than
smaller and more cooperative creatures such as insects, though. Unless you are lucky enough to have them visiting your garden, you’ll need to research where they go and scavenge for food. The fox cubs start to emerge from the den around April and May, so you may even be lucky enough to capture these with your Nikon.