Stairway to Heaven

A dash of colour can brighten your images instantly, and add a definite visual appeal. Photograph/R van Dijk

Homeward Bound

Every home, every office, every shopping mall consists of a flight of stairs, as it is one of the most common architectural elements of every building. However, begin with photographing the staircase in your home. Use it as a metaphor for a host of individual memories, and include it in the larger theme of photographing your everyday life.

Additionally, use it as a backdrop to photograph your family members. Ask your cousins, nephews and nieces to grace the steps. You will be surprised to find the number of alternative uses and games that children design around a staircase. Use the Burst Mode and shoot away!

Stepping Over Low Light

Photographing stairs will most likely lead you to spaces that are insufficiently lit. You can make use of high ISO values and slow shutterspeeds, while shooting in low light. Alternatively, you can use the on-board flash of your camera at a reduced power, to balance ambient light and to fill in shadows.

Go Abstract!

Explore another way of shooting a staircase—try going abstract! Play with its graphical elements and accentuate the colours, shapes, contours and texture. For instance, make close-ups of just the steps, the carpeting, the sidebars, signboards, moss, cracks, peeling paint, gates and so on.