Stunning Staircase Photography

Lines, patterns, symmetry and interesting shapes have long been used by photographers to produce intriguing compositions that draw your eye in. That's what makes staircases such a great subject - they have them all in abundance.

Lead the Eye

Spiral staircase

Lead the viewer's eye and create intrigue. Image by extranoise.

Staircases by their very nature lead somewhere, so use this to your advantage - choose a viewpoint that hides the far end of the staircase, enticing the viewer to wonder where it could lead. This 'mental exploration' adds mystery and engages the viewer.

Leading lines are a great way to draw your viewer's eye through your scene. Banisters and handrails are particularly useful for this, so position yourself so that they create an interesting path through the photo.

Use Natural Curves

Spiral staircase from above

Show off the natural curves of a sweeping staircase. Image by slightly-less-rand om.

When photographing curving staircases, show off their sweeping lines to the image a natural and dynamic feel. A wide angle lens is perfect for exaggerating the contours of a twisting staircase. Also, place the main focal point off-centre to help give the photo more balance.

Show Off the Symmetry

Symmetrical staircase

Use symmetry as a focal point. Image by me*voila.

Many staircases are constructed in a way that gives them an obvious symmetry. Exploit this by positioning yourself right in the middle of the line of symmetry and arranging your composition so that the symmetry becomes the main point of interest in the photo.

A symmetrical staircase is often best photographed by moving back as far as you can and zooming in, or even using a telephoto lens. This flattens any distortion caused by perspective, making the symmetry even more prominent.

Find an Unusual Angle

Square spiral staircase

Experiment with different shooting angles. Image by sallycinnaminn.

We are used to seeing staircases from eye-level - we do so all day long. A photo taken from this level will seem too familiar to be interesting to us. Instead, experiment with different shooting angles and positions, for example:


All of these are views that we're less used to seeing, meaning they will often produce a more intriguing photo.