Improve Historical Building Photography With Samsung Kit

Next time you find yourself paying a visit to a historical building, make sure you pack a camera as there are lots of opportunities for great shots.

The Samsung NX kit is relatively small and lightweight, making it ideal for a trip to your local castle, manor house or other building of historical interest, as a lot of them may have restrictions on the size and amount of kit you can take in. 

You'll need a relatively wide zoom, such as the Samsung 18-200mm lens, to be able to fit all of the building in the shot, and to zoom in and capture some of the more intricate details on the walls, too. If your NX camera model doesn't have a built-in flash, it might be worth investing in an external flash unit such as the SEF580A Professional Flash, for photographing often dark interiors in castles and the like.

If you're unable to use flash due to restrictions at the stately home, castle or other building (always check before shooting!) then the impressive low light capabilities of Samsung NX cameras should help. If you're unable to use a tripod, support yourself on a wall to help steady the image, and up the ISO if your shots are coming out too dark. Newer NX cameras, like the NX500, have Smart dynamic range and HDR modes built in, enabling you to get properly exposed images in even the darkest of rooms. 

Often, the smaller details at grand old houses are what make the shot - keep your eyes open for unique and ornate sculptures and ornaments as you roam around. When taking shots outdoors, try and find somewhere across from the building of a similar height to try and avoid converging verticals. Don't worry too much if this isn't possible as the effect can be fixed in post processing software if necessary. Try to avoid getting people and transport in the shots, as these will date the photo. If there are people in vintage costumes however, they can add to the ambiance of the shoot. 

There are lots of places around the country that you can visit to have a go at historical building photography - a bit of research can unearth some great locations in your local area.