Readers Photo Challenge: Life in the city

Cityscapes is the theme for the latest Readers Photo Challenge. A cityscape and architectural photography are similar in that it hey north are about buildings and structures. But whereas architecture is about the style and details of a building or buildings, a cityscape is concerned about how those structures work together to create a city or town.

When shooting for a cityscape look for something that brings out the character of that town. It could be that the place is known for it’s tall buildings or perhaps it architecture is old and historic. Look for those things to bring out the flavor of the city. It doesn’t need to be an entire skyline (though that would be acceptable) it could be a certain portion or section of a town. 

Don’t limit yourself to just the buildings. There are other things that give personality to a city. Some have many statues and monuments that can add to a city’s spirit. And like adding a farmhouse to spice up a landscape, an urban tree, bush or flowers can add just the right touch to a city scene.

Cities aren’t empty, sterile places. They are populated with people. Adding human beings to a cityscape can not only add scale to a scene but also context. It could be as simple as having someone walking down a street with a cityscape behind them.

The most important part of any cityscape is shooting at the right time of day. I go on and on about this, but the best light happens at either early in the morning or in the late afternoon/early evening. These times are the so-called “golden hours” when sunrises and sunsets happen and imbue any scene with warm, inviting light. It’s this light that can turn a bland, lifeless building into a something that’s visually attractive. And even after the sun goes down (or before it comes up) the light, or lack of it, can make things interesting. Night cityscapes can be beautiful scenes. While some buildings are illuminated from the outside, their interior lights can make them glow from within. 

So whether you’re in a big city or small town look to express your place’s personalty and character in your images.

Record photographer Clifford Oto has photographed Stockton and San Joaquin County for more than 38 years. He can be reached at coto@recordnet.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

How to enter:

1. Photos have to be taken between May 23 and Jun. 6.

2. Include your name (first and last), hometown, the kind of device you used, how you got your photo and where it was taken (eg.: John Doe of Stockton, Canon 5D Mk III. The Hotel Stockton onEl Dorado Street and Weber Avenue in downtown Stockton).

3. If there is a recognizable person or persons in the photo please identify them (name, age, hometown) and describe what is going on in the photo. Please indicate if and how they are related to you (friend, mother, father, daughter, son, etc). For example: “My daughter Janie Doe, 12, stands in front of the Hotel Stockton in downtown Stockton.”

4.  Please feel free to include any interesting anecdotes or stories on how you took the picture.

5.  The number of photos is limited to 10.

6. Entries can be emailed to coto@recordnet.com. The preferred format is jpeg. Type in “Landscape” in the subject line.

7. The deadline for submission is Jun. 6.  Top picks will be published in the Jun. 13 Record. An online gallery of all the photos on the same day at recordnet.com.