Who has not photographed a staircase at some time in their life? As a protagonist in itself, to help you position your family or a rugby team, simply because of their shapes, colours, contrast or shadows… The truth is that stairs are very photogenic, not only because of the formal content they contribute to the image, but also for the symbolic content that you can give it. Stairs to heaven or towards the light, or stairs that go down to the dark, do not tell us the same thing, far from it, do not you think?
And just in case you don’t realize what I’m talking about right now, I’m going to try to show you in a few images what you can achieve with a “simple” ladder. We see it? 🙂
1. Light and shadow
Depending on the time of day, stairs, due to their geometric shapes, can cast very interesting, abstract and photogenic shadows that can enrich your image.
2. Lines and geometry
Whether round, perfectly square, vertical or horizontal, all stairs are made up of lines and geometric shapes. Consciously integrating them into your compositions will help you achieve more interesting and rich images.
3. The passage of time
We have known and used stairs for thousands of years as part of the progress of civilizations. Mayans, Incas and Egyptians already used them, and we have followed and will continue to do so, I suppose, for quite a while longer. That is why we have innumerable versions of them, and new or old, they all reflect the passage of time, a fashion, an era, a utility and even a certain social power.
4. Color and composition
There are stairs that are a work of art in themselves. Do not forget the importance of color as one more way to compose your images and take advantage of it 🙂
5. Contrast
Take advantage of interesting compositions that provide elements of contrast by shape, color, etc.
6. Take care and plan the compositions
Remember the importance of taking care of your compositions and highlighting the center of interest in your images through the different compositional techniques that exist (rule of thirds, law of gaze, etc.).
7. Vertically too
It is the eternal great forgotten of photography, but you always have to give it a chance 😉 The vertical format can bring you wonderful compositional surprises, do not forget about it and you will see how it will reward you on more than one occasion.
8. Perspective
Many times it is perspective, the key to any image. Just by changing the point of view you can get completely different images, so try different angles and positions, move around until you find an interesting composition 🙂
9. Tell a story
Whether what suits you is mystery, romanticism, or the harshest reality, try to portray it in your images to make them interesting and not just pretty.
10. To direct the gaze
Stairs, like roads, paths (lines, vanishing points), etc., are a way of guiding the viewer’s gaze how and where you plan.
11. Details
No one said you had to photograph the entire staircase, try to get closer, look for relevant details, play with the depth of field, play with different shots…
12. Take advantage of different atmospheric elements
In this case, these cold stone stairs surrounded by fog, with a lonely statue guarding the entrance, make this image something interesting at least 😉
13. Try different editions
If you are not one of those averse to post-processing the image, playing with different filters or basic adjustments can help you improve the image, or at least give it a different touch.
14. Symbols
Many of us share common beliefs and symbols that you can take advantage of when you go out with your camera to search and capture interesting elements. The symbology of light, darkness, going up or down stairs… With them you can convey hope and positivity or mystery and negativity.
15. No prominence
They do not always have to be the only protagonists of your image. They can help you to firm up a composition, to create a background, a structure, a harmony, and to highlight the center of interest.
16. Black and white
It seems that stairs and black and white marry well, right? 😉 Don’t forget to include a black and white image in your compositions with stairs. The geometry, the lines, the textures, the different contrasts… They are great candidates for black and white images.
17. Formalism
Playing with curved or straight shapes to the point of even making it lose its meaning or resembling it to something completely different, as is the case with the ladder in the following image, in which it is more like a snail than a ladder, is another option that gives you the wonderful world of stairs 😉
It seems unbelievable what can be achieved with a photogenic element, a little photographic eye and some determination and desire, right? Stairs are a great photo opportunity because they constantly surround us in multiple shapes and colors, lonely, crowded, gray, colorful, straight or curved. A photographic opportunity that you should not miss 😉
I hope you have been inspired by this series of images, if so, I would appreciate it if you would share them on your favorite social network so that someone else can enjoy them, and as always, thank you and until next time! 🙂