Since the medieval times, the construction of the stairways has evolved a lot. Developments in manufacturing and design have led to the introduction of different array of materials and building some of the most intriguing staircases.

Nowadays, stairs can be made out of steel, timber, concrete or a combination of materials. Today, we see a plethora of designs and ideas being implemented to build these structures. It adds a lot of value to the aesthetic and architectural aspects of an edifice.

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. There are several perspectives used by photographers to bring out the true concepts and emotions in the staircases. A few of them are:

Leading the Eye

Staircases by their very nature lead us somewhere, so photographers use this to their advantage – They 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 a viewer’s eye through a photographer’s scene. Banisters and handrails are particularly useful for this, so positioning correctly to create an interesting path through the photo is quite important. EXAMPLE

Using natural curves

When photographing curving staircases, showing off their sweeping lines is the best way to bring out the dynamic feel in these stairs. A wide angle lens is perfect for exaggerating the contours of a twisting staircase. Also, placing the main focal point off-centre helps to give a photo more balance. EXAMPLE

Showing off symmetry

Many staircases are constructed in a way that gives them an obvious symmetry. Photograpgers exploit this by positioning themselves right in the middle of the line of symmetry and arranging their 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. EXAMPLE

Finding an unusual angle

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:

• try shooting your staircase from high above or from near ground level : EXAMPLE
• turn the camera to an interesting angle
• use your camera to peer through the gaps between the steps

There a lot more ways to capture the beauty of staircases in photography. It needs a lot of experimentation and the right use of lighting and exposure too.

{source : amateur snapper}

In this article, I have showcased some of the most beautiful examples of staircases. A much needed appreciation goes for the photographers who captured the scene with the right emotion and at the right moment. Although these stairs are spiral by appearance, they aren’t actually spiral in a literal sense. The term “spiral” is used incorrectly for a staircase from a mathematical viewpoint, as a mathematical spiral lies in a single plane and moves towards or away from a central point. A spiral staircase by the mathematical definition therefore would be of little use as it would afford no change in elevation. The correct mathematical term for these staircases would be “helical”.

1) The Expedition yushimoto_02 by christian

2) Wings of rise by Sven Fennema

3) Phare des Baleines by Guido Franssens

4) Abandoned Castle by Herbert Wannhoff

5) Staircase concrete by holger droste

6) Up, up, up we go by Claudia Rückert

7) The Spiral via reinkarnacja

8 ) Spiral by Spaghettitrain

9) Circle of belief by Serban Mestecaneanu

10) Caracole by Giulio Ercolani

11) Into the Light I by KPK

12) The Abyss by reinkarnacja

13) Stairway by carol60

14) Rush Hour by sensorfleck

15) Spiral II. by Jure Kravanja

16) Into the Light II by KPK

17) Palladio’s dream by AndreJa

18) Up, to the light by Jan Gravekamp

19) sixth step by Suryo Tutuko