Five Tips For Shooting from Observation Decks
New York City from Top of the Rockefeller Center Observation Deck
Use a ball head
Most public spaces like observation decks, bars, and restaurants in buildings won't allow tripods. The solutions are to shoot handheld, lean yourself or camera against a fixed object or place your camera on or against something. It is pretty easy to push your camera against something or lean against a wall to steady yourself. Even better is to bring along your ball head detached from the tripod and push it or set it on a rail or wall. I can't claim credit for for the ball head idea. This one I can credit to the famous photographer Jim Zuckerman. You can also use this trick in churches, museums or anywhere else tripods aren't allowed.
2. Bracket your shots
I like to bracket my shots keeping a fixed aperture so that later I can either pick the best exposure or blend some of them together. You can either vary your shutter speed or ISO. Some will say one is better than the other but it is really your call. They each have their pros and cons. When shooting from the top of a building you can likely open up your aperture all the way. Most objects will be far enough away that you won't have to worry about things being in focus. If you are close to some buildings you may want to do a quick hyperfocal distance calculation to ensure you will be ok. If you are shooting with a wide angle you are for sure safe to open wide up.
3. Take a scarf
A dark scarf or other bit of fabric will come in handy when shooting through a glass window. If you have ever shot through a window thinking you had this amazing shot only to realize later when looking at the images that you have a reflection in the glass in your frame you are not alone. Place the fabric around the lens pressed up against the glass and this will prevent unwanted reflections.
4. Shoot wide and long
When shooting from tops of buildings the whole point is usually to capture the entire skyline. Having a wide angle lens like 24mm or even a 13mm is a great starting point. I personally love zoom lens in the 24-70 mm range. This is my everyday carry around lens. Many will argue with me on this but it does allow me to quickly shoot some very different images than a single prime. Secondly carry a telephoto so you have the ability to get some details far away. A long telephoto will also allow you to compress many buildings or the landscape you see and provide a unique perspective. I have a 100-400mm that I will often carry around just for this purpose.
5. Don't fear high ISO
High ISO is your friend with the latest cameras. Use it to ensure you are shooting fast enough for those hand held and / or night shots. I've mentioned this in other blogs that you can get great shots with a higher ISO. Use noise reduction as part of your workflow for any images that you deem need a little help. I have found that even when I shoot at ISO 100 at night my shots can benefit from a little noise reduction. For stills I love DxO PureRAW as an integral part of my workflow.
Not one of the five tips necessarily but I have found there are two other things you should do when up on observation decks. Number one is definitely act like a photographer with that big camera and lens. The other tourists will give you extra time or room to use some of the best spots. This is true even if you have no clue. Secondly do shoot a few shots and video with your phone. Your phone has amazing capabilities so don't overlook this tool.