Back in November, I decided to take a photography trip to Portland (a later article) and Seattle. I had never been to Seattle, but I was very excited to experience its allegedly dreary and dark daily weather for myself. Along the way, I photographed many places and made many memories, many of which I'll share in this article.

This was an astounding view of downtown, taken from the Sky Needle. I remember being extremely cold that far up, but I had to stand outside and get as many pictures as I could.

The architecture in Seattle was breathtaking and being from a small town, something I never get tired of shooting. The buildings in particular made for interesting subjects since architecture can be very pleasing to the eye.

The framing in this photo is vital. I had to re-position and even choose another lens in order to capture the whole height of the building. Had I clipped off the top of the structure, it would have completely ruined the vibe of the shot.

I think perspective is very important when going out for a day of shooting. This was shot with a very wide 20mm lens straight up into the sky where this sculpture was resting.

Another key component I try to keep in mind, is context. I loved the glow from the great wheel onto the American flag here as I walked the docks of Seattle one night.

The city is littered with interesting subjects if you know where to look.

This was on a very old run down bus while I was enjoying a cigar.

This piece was very odd. I had to stand very still to capture it due to it being very late at night. I believe it was some sort of suspended art sculpture as I walked back to the light rail station.

I loved how festive the streets were in certain districts at night.

One last tip — I love to mess with grayscale color conversion, but I feel it can be overdone. Normally, I use black and white to emphasize contrast and to make something bold and visually strong. I try not to lean on it as a crutch to cover up sloppy shooting, though it can help certain scenes, so be sure to experiment with it!

Seattle was an incredible place to visit, and I hope this article helps the aspiring photographers out there to see interesting photos everywhere. Try to keep perspective and context in mind for your photos, but also don't underestimate your innate ability to just see something beautiful, and always take the shot!