Let’s discover more about London and the many opportunities this city offers for cityscape photography admiring some photos of Eddie Ngugi. Read the first part of his interview to learn more about the topic!
- Hello Eddie and thanks a lot for having accepted to dedicate us a bit of time… You are a cityscape photographer, and with your help we would like to discover more about it. So, first of all, what’s the difference between cityscape photography and street photography?
You are absolutely welcome and thank you for reaching out.
Cityscape photography is the focus of shooting the city as a location in whole. You focus on capturing the iconic buildings or skyline of your respective city. Usually without people. Street photography captures the mood of the city with its inhabitants as the subject from the perspective of another person.
- Where does your inspiration come from? Does it come from the city itself?
You could say it is the city itself. I’m inspired by the buildings, architecture and layout of the city that I photograph. In my mind there is a divide and also a relationship between the buildings and the people. I am intrigued by how nature can interact with a city, such as a sunset or how fog can make iconic buildings look every and mysterious. How the same location can give you nothing in the day time but explode with colours in the night.
- Is London the perfect location for your cityscape photography?
I don’t think it’s the best, but I do believe it’s one of the top 5 places to be if you’re going to shoot cityscapes. London has a lot to offer to a photographer and its ever changing very quickly too. Even if London is your home, you learn to rediscover it and look at it in a different way. The day I became a Photographer, is the day I really found London and this is a common saying amongst London photographers.
- Which place in London or outside this city has been your favorite location? and why?
To be very honest, I don’t have a favourite location. But where ever I go I always look for somewhere high to take my photographs from.
- How would you describe your own style?
I have never decided on a solid answer to describe my style, but others have said its part fantasy and part cinematic. I agree with them; because I feel like there is a kid inside me that comes out whenever I have an idea to shoot something. I am very playful with my edits and therefore I get different results. In most cases my photos are vibrant, bright and soft toned. In terms of composition, there is always a dominant subject leading the image.
- Are colors important for your style of photography?
Colours definitely play a big part in my work. My photos are missing something if there is not enough colour and that has something to do with the way I shoot. I feel like colours bring the whole picture together and in some instances draw more attention toward the city or subject I am photographing.
- Is there a piece of work you are particularly attached to or proud of?
I took a photo on Christmas Day of 2015 on a hill called Beachy Head in Eastbourne, England. As I was heading home with my parents after a couple of hours in the area, I turned around and saw this incredible sunset behind us. I took a quick snap with my telephoto lens and the sun overtook majority of the composition and created an amazing silhouette of the 5 people going downhill. Its a simple picture, but each persons body language is very descriptive and this was a turning point for me, because I felt I could work more with silhouettes and tell a story with less detail in a photo.
Keep on reading to discover more in the second part of the interview, and in the meantime explore Eddie’s stunning photographs on his website, facebook or instagram.
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