Winter – A great time to shoot building exteriors

I know it’s not winter yet, but boy are we getting some cold nights in Melbourne!

Which got me thinking – now is a good time to start planning to any photography of building exteriors you may have been putting off.

What’s so good about photographing buildings in winter?

Here are three:

Foliage – there’s less of it. Of course this will depend on the individual building and surrounding trees, but if parts of the building are normally obscured by deciduous (European!) trees, winter is your chance to see more of it.
Light – Dawn and dusk often produce the most interesting and/or beautiful light. And of course they both arrive at more civilised times in the winter – no need to set the alarm for four in the morning or to stay out late!
Air – Although cloudless, dry days are a little less common than in the other seasons, the air is often clearer and less hazy during winter. This won’t affect the foreground subject that much, but if the picture is to include a city skyline or more distant landmarks, it is a great advantage.

Of course there is a downside, too – pack your gloves!