Revealed: the most photographed U.S. city skylines
Whether you’re visiting somewhere new or want to capture your hometown in its best light, nothing can beat a classic skyline picture. But which skylines in America have been photographed the most? We’ve scoured hashtags on Instagram to see which cities were featured the most, and have rounded up the top 12 here…
1. New York City, New York
With a huge 361,000 engagement actions in 2021 so far, New York City is the clear winner. There are so many iconic landmarks that make up the world-famous Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center, and the Flatiron building.
To get the best picture of New York City’s iconic skyline, we recommend taking the photo from either the Staten Island ferry, or catching the subway over to Hoboken, New Jersey, where you’ll catch the Hudson River in your image too!
2. Chicago, Illinois
In second place with 41,200 engagement actions is Chicago. The Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears tower), may be the most iconic building in all of Chicago, but alongside that, the skyline includes the St. Regis, which is shaped like a standing wave, the Tribune Tower, and the Wrigley Building.
To capture the perfect Chicago skyline picture, head to the nature boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, or visit Millennium Park, where you can include the bean in your image too.
3. San Francisco, California
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, but that’s not the only thing you’ll get to see in San Francisco’s skyline. With 26,600 engagements in 2021 so far, you’ll also capture the tallest building in the city (The Salesforce Tower), as well as One Bush Plaza, that looks like a glass box, and the Transamerica Pyramid.
To get the best picture, cross over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlines – but be sure to bring a coat, as it can get pretty chilly out there!
4. Los Angeles, California
With 12,400 engagement actions, Los Angeles’ skyline has come in fourth place; which is made even more beautiful with the fact that if you take it from the right angle, you’ll see the snow-capped San Gabriel mountain peaks.
Some of the tallest buildings that feature in LA’s skyline include Two California Place, Los Angeles City Hall, and Wilshire Grand Center.
To get that all-important skyline picture, head up to either Vista Hermosa Park, or the Griffith Observatory – the shots you’ll get are even better if you wait until the sun has set!
5. Santa Fe, New Mexico
Rounding off the top five with 9,460 engagement interactions, is New Mexico’s capital. Buildings in the skyline include the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, La Fonda on the Plaza, and Loretto Chapel – and while they may not be as tall as the buildings in other city’s skylines, they’re still just as beautiful.
Other city skyline hotspots revealed
Honolulu makes it into sixth place, featuring gorgeous white sand beaches and the glittering turquoise Pacific Ocean; followed by Asheville in North Carolina.
For a skyline with a difference, Nantucket offers a charming, olde-worlde backdrop. Other major cities like Washington, D.C. and Seattle, have made it into the top 12 too, which are home to some of the world’s most iconic buildings, including the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Space Needle.
Top tips to get the perfect skyline picture
As we all know, a picture doesn’t always encapsulate just how breath-taking a scene is in real-life, but our top tips will help you to capture that Insta-worthy image.
1. It's all about positions and angles
When it comes to snapping the shot, zoom in to the corner of a building and manually focus to ensure your picture is crisp – and don’t forget to opt for a wide angle.
2. The details make a difference
If you’re taking your image from the waterside, then wait until it’s dark so the lights reflect in the water, creating more intrigue in your picture. If you want to capture light trails, then use Speed Priority, and set your shutter speed to at least 10 seconds.
3. Move over golden hour...
The perfect time to take a skyline picture is in blue hour – the moment where the sky is still blue, but the lights in the city have switched on. Capturing your image at this time will give you an azure backdrop, and give your picture depth.
4. Always consider your location
Leaving the city itself is the best way to get the full city skyline in – even better if you’re up on a hill. Alternatively, if you want to take it from street level, that can work too, as long as you use long exposures.
So, now you know how to take the best pictures of city skylines, it’s time to put it into practice! Alternatively, if you’re looking for some city shots to hang in your home, discover our range of travel photography; or to find out more about different movements and techniques, head on over to our blog.
Methodology
Using Linkfluence, we pulled data on engagement actions (likes, comments, shares, retweets and favourites) on posts across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest over 2021 so far, that have used hashtags such as #skyline, #skylinephotography, and #usaskylines.