I have found lots and lots of doors in my hometown Potsdam, that I could marvel on for hours. The more doors I find, the more I find myself looking for small details that could hint at what lies behind a door.
Do you also think that doors are fascinating? I want to share a few experiences with taking photos of doors.
1. Stand right in front of the door
The angle you are taking a photo from always as a huge impact on you image. I found that it’s best to face the door so that it looks like a rectangle and rather two-dimensional. Bear in mind that you want to show the door as in its while beauty. The viewer of our photo can perceive the door at ist best advantage, when it is closed and shot from a frontal point of view.
2. Avoid parking cars and other obstructions
See the car in the lower right corner of the photo below? I waited for so long to find this particular door without cars blocking the view! But the time I needed to get my camera out, a car found its way to the parking space in front of it, so I had to be very quick. A photo of a door with mundane cars parked in front of just wont to, it doesn’t look like a proper doortrait. So if you get the chance, try to avoid cars in front of your door. Sometines it helps to wait a few moments or to visit the door at a later time. It can also make a difference from where you are taking your photo. With a wide-angle-lens you can get much nearer and maybe avoid obstructions, blocking the view.
3. Give the door a frame
A door is just a door, when it has no context. The space around it can provide contrast and make it more interesting. Think of it as a frame, that will only enhance the colors, the details and the structure of your image. Sometime not only the facade, but also trees are plants will provide an interesting frame. Take a few steps back and think about the details that could make the door look more symmetrical or work as a frame for your door.
4. Edit your photo
Just to be clear, you don’t have to do a lot of editing. But some small adjustments make your photo look so much better, espacially if it is rectified. I love to use the Upright function in Lightroom for this, its mostly just one click. Sometimes I like to highten the contast and make the door stand out a bit more by adding more light in the center or by increasing the saturation of a certain color (like with the blue in the image below).You don’t have to put much effort in it but it will make a notable difference.
I hope this was helpful. I’m sure there is a lot more to say about this topic, so I’m looking forward to you comments! 
