5 Breathtaking City Skylines to Inspire your Urban Photography

At the moment, we are all in lockdown, cooped up at home. As photographers, this means we are limited in what we can shoot and when we can do this.

We may feel tired, demotivated or even uninspired as a result of lockdown, too.

So, in order to combat this, I have compiled a list of 5 cool city skylines you can use to draw inspiration from.

This list will help you to get back on track to taking some amazing urban and street photography in no time.

You will be full of motivation and determination by the time your lockdown ends.

Ready to get started? Let’s jump in!

Shanghai, China

First up we have Shanghai, China.

Unlike many of the other cities on this list, Shanghai’s skyline has rapidly grown since about the early 2000s.

Before then, this city was just a small city that was not as well known.

Nowadays, the skyline is one of the tallest in the world.

The Shanghai Tower, which is the twisting stick one in the top right corner of the image above, is the second tallest in the world.

It reaches a soaring height of 632m or 2,073, only being beaten by the Burj Khalifa.

This is a really inspiring skyline and it shows that rapid change can be brought about in a very short time.

London, UK

London is an amazing example of how the new can blend in with the old. In the city centre, you can see how the soaring skyscrapers shoot above the old historical buildings below.

And, despite what you may think, this makes for an amazing view and if you ever go to London to take some photographs, you will be amazed.

Some great spots to shoot from include:

• The top of the Shard
• The 2 buildings that lead up to St Paul’s Cathedral
• The Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe)
• Tower Bridge
• Westminster Abbey
• Notting Hill

The tallest building in London (also the tallest in the UK) is The Shard, coming in at a whopping 1,016ft high.

All in all, London is an awesome place that proves that you can definitely incorporate the old with the new to create something that is epic.

Los Angeles, California

Next up on the list, we have sunny LA.

Beneath all of the smog, you may see coming in from LAX is an amazing skyline, packed with some hidden gems and interesting history.

Much like Shanghai, most of the development in Downtown LA has occurred after around the 70’s and onwards.

This is because of a height restriction law that prohibited any buildings above 150ft from being built. An exception was made for the LA City Hall.

Since the height restriction has been removed, development has been steady and I am excited to see how the future of this skyline and Downtown unfolds.

There are 2 main buildings that stand out among the others. These are the US bank tower and the Wilshire grand centre.

Both these buildings soar above the skyline at over 1,000ft and if you go to the top of the US bank tower, you will be able to get an amazing vista over the entire greater Los Angles area, consisting of over 20 million people.

New York City, New York

There is no way I could have not included this city on the list.

Since the mid 19th century, NYC has developed over and over again.

It has been shaped for the better as immigrants and settlers from all over the world contribute to building and living in one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world.

It goes to show that you can always improve and you should never give up.

The tallest building in the city is the famed One World Trade Centre, which reaches a height of 1776ft, a nod to the year America declared independence from Britain.

This building was designed to replace the Twin Towers and instead of the old concrete facade, it now features a twisting shape, covered with bright shining blue-tinted glass.

For the best experience, you can go to the top of the tower and use this as an opportunity to take some breathtaking photos over the entire New York skyline.

Seattle, Washington

Last, but definitely not least, Is Seattle, Washington.

This city has always been about the future and the space-age. One glaring example of this is the amazing Space Needle Tower, built in the ’60s at the time of the cold war and the space race.

The tower reaches over 600ft and you can go to the top, where there are a viewing deck and a cafe, which gives you amazing views over Puget Sound, Mt Rainer and the entire city.

This city is great for anyone who is into space and fitness, and if you go there for a holiday and to shoot some photographs, you will not be disappointed.

If you are inspired by these city skylines and you want to take action and start improving your photography skills, check out some of the articles below that I have written:

Thanks for reading this article. What are your opinions on the cities I have chosen? Feel free to give me a shout in the responses below and I’ll happily get back to you.

I have also created a FREE 7-Day Photography Bootcamp for anyone who wants to get started in the world of photography.