Photographing Compelling Urban Scenes With Martin Lindner

Jul 23, 2024

A triptych image: Left shows hands adjusting oversized sunglasses on a mural with a cartoon face. Center depicts a modern, cable-stayed bridge with two golden spires. Right features a golden Buddha statue wearing sunglasses with a street sign behind.

Martin Lindner is a German photographer and Adobe Lightroom Ambassador known for capturing captivating images with unique perspectives in urban environments. Lindner’s use of shapes, patterns, symmetry, and leading lines create images that ask his viewers to use their imaginations to decipher the story being told in the frame.

Full disclosure: This article was brought to you by Adobe

Adobe Lightroom Ambassador Martin Lindner’s educational and employment background lies far from photography. The German-born Lindner attended the University of Erfurt, graduating with a Masters of Arts degree in education. Afterwards, Lindner moved to Cologne, Germany, where, to this day, he works as a math and English teacher at a secondary school.

A blue and orange train travels down narrow tracks through the middle of a bustling, vibrant alley lined with greenery, flowers, and buildings. People on balconies and doorsteps watch its passage, while a motorbike is parked close to the tracks. — Hanoi, Vietnam. Edited in Lightroom.

Lindner’s passion for photography began in 2016, on a three-day layover in Singapore. Even though he only had a smartphone camera, Lindner left Singapore excited to practice composition while spending his summer holiday in Bali, Indonesia.

“Since there were no direct flights from Germany to Bali, I flew to Singapore, with the intention of briefly exploring the city before spending the next month enjoying my summer break close to the beach,” Lindner tells PetaPixel.

Wanting to see the city from a photographer’s point of view, Lindner reached out to a well-known local creative whom he had followed on Instagram. “Luckily for me, he happened to be in need of a subject to place into his urban photography frames,” he explains. “I gladly volunteered, hoping to learn a bit about his creative process as I got to know this massive, chaotic metropolis.”

A cyclist wearing a red jacket and face mask moves through a congested street filled with motorbike riders, all wearing helmets and masks. The background shows a dense urban setting, with blurred buildings and numerous commuters. — Taipei, Taiwan. Edited in Lightroom using AI-Powered Lens Blur.

Lindner immediately fell in love with the architecture that Singapore had to offer, and found himself obsessing over returning to capture its skyscrapers, staircases, and bridges while he vacationed in Bali. “I couldn’t get the shapes, lines, and patterns out of my head. I decided to leave Bali a few days early and travel back to Singapore to explore more, with my camera in hand”

A person stands on a futuristic, reflective surface under an arch structure, with a cityscape of illuminated skyscrapers in the background. The scene is captured at night, showcasing vibrant lights and reflections, creating a surreal and modern urban atmosphere. — Singapore. Edited in Lightroom

The photographer met other travelers, who quickly became his subjects in the sprawling urbanscape. “I love showing the scale of places using a single subject, by showing how small they are in comparison to the architecture.” While having a static subject is effective for showing scale, Lindner’s creative mind often incorporates light-hearted poses that play tricks on the viewer’s eye.

A person in dark clothing is lying on their side against the wall of a futuristic, white, geometric tunnel. The tunnel is illuminated with strip lighting that creates a pattern of squares and rectangles, extending into the distance and creating a sense of depth. — Shanghai, China. Edited in Lightroom.

A person is walking on an empty street beside a large building with multiple window frames painted in vibrant colors, including red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The building's facade features an array of symmetrical arches and decorative details. — Singapore. Edited in Lightroom.

“This was a technique that I had seen a number of photographers in Singapore practice, so when I arrived back in Europe, I started having my friends do these unique poses so I could play with the perspective,” Lindner describes. “ To this day, we still get a lot of strange looks when I am taking these types of photos with my friends, which adds to the fun that we are having.”

A person in athletic wear is seen walking up a modern, gray stairway inside a building with large, curved glass walls. The architectural design creates an illusion of the person defying gravity, appearing as if they are on the side or climbing the stairs vertically. — Singapore. Edited in Lightroom.

These moments reminded Lindner that, for him, photography is still a fun hobby. “I have a full-time job that I love,” he explains. “Luckily for me, that job gives me an entire summer off, which I always spend traveling and taking photographs. While I do occasionally explore Europe with my camera on the weekends, I spend most of the year in a state of excitement, eagerly anticipating what I will see with my lens on my next school break.”

A large golden Buddha statue is partially obscured by buildings and foliage, but notably appears to be wearing a traffic light as glasses. The traffic light shows green, yellow, and red lights. A street sign in Chinese and English reads "Jianxing Rd." in the foreground. — Taichung, Taiwan. Edited in Lightroom.

With many travel photographers obsessing over sunsets and landscapes, Lindner is drawn to the simple chaos of urban settings. “Due to my background as a math teacher, I am naturally more attracted to symmetry, leading lines, and shapes,” he explains. “With modern architecture, you often get perfect angles. As beautiful as classic architecture is, for my style of photography, it is often too busy. I am attracted to modern, clean, and simple architecture. This is what I call Creative Simple Architecture, and it is what a large portion of my portfolio consists of.”

A large cable-stayed bridge with multiple yellow towers spans across a river, with numerous lanes of traffic. The background features a modern cityscape with tall, sleek skyscrapers. The sky is partly cloudy, adding to the dramatic effect of the scene. — Bangkok, Thailand. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

With almost a decade of personal and professional photography work under his belt, the Lightroom Ambassador was excited with the recent Generative AI additions to Lightroom. The two most notable additions are Generative Remove and AI-powered Lens Blur. Adobe says that “Generative Remove is Lightroom’s most powerful remove tool yet, with the power to eliminate anything from any photo non-destructively in a single click.”

The interior of a mosque features an ornate geometric design on the walls and ceiling with Arabic calligraphy. The floor is covered in blue carpet. People are seen standing and walking, some are gathered near the entrance. A dome with skylights allows natural light in. — Cologne, Germany. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

“As soon as I received access to the new Generative AI tools in Lightroom, I knew I had to re-visit two photos that I struggled to edit when I first took them,” Lindner explains. “The first was a sunrise photograph of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I was there on a project, and I wanted to get a solitary figure watching the sunrise over this iconic monument. Unfortunately, the plaza by the Eiffel Tower is incredibly busy, even in the pre-dawn hours. I am not very skilled with the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop, so this photo took me hours to edit, and you could see that there were obvious breakdowns at the pixel level. When I ran this image through Generative Remove in Lightroom, I was amazed at not only how accurate the tool removed all of the distracting people, but also, how clean it looked on the pixel level.”

The Eiffel Tower stands tall under a dramatic sky with moody clouds at dawn or dusk. People are strolling or jogging on the expansive, patterned plaza in the foreground, creating a sense of tranquility and space. A soft, orange-pink hue glows in the sky. — Paris, France. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

The second photo that Lindner wanted to test with Lightroom’s Generative Remove was one of his personal favorites showcasing the famous cherry blossoms in Japan. “There is this beautiful river in Tokyo flanked by cherry blossoms on either side that you can row a boat down,” he describes. “I had envisioned a photograph of a lone boat among this stunning scene, however, that is nearly impossible as there are constantly dozens of boats in the frame. Luckily, this was an easy problem to fix with Generative Remove.”

People are rowing boats on a serene river bordered by vibrant cherry blossom trees in full bloom. In the background, modern skyscrapers rise against a slightly hazy sky, creating a blend of natural beauty and urban life. — Tokyo, Japan. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

Two people in a blue rowboat and another person in a red rowboat enjoy a scenic lake surrounded by blooming pink cherry blossoms. The water reflects the soft pink hues, creating a dreamy atmosphere. — Tokyo, Japan. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

While it might not help with the creative aspect of his work, Lindner credits his teaching background with being instrumental to making his creative visions come to life. “Being a teacher involves a lot of strict planning and organization, and I find that these traits are invaluable in my creative process,” he says. “Often, I will find a scene that draws me in, however, the timing to take the photograph isn’t right. Maybe I don’t have a subject in the frame, or the light isn’t right at that time of day. I make detailed notes about the location and what I envision for the photograph. I have a collection of these notes and I am constantly looking for information online, such as sun angles, least busy times of day, etc. Of course, often I can stumble upon a scene and capture what I want right then, but sometimes, these photographs are days, weeks, or even months in the making.”

A person walks on a stone path toward a large, red torii gate partially submerged in water, shrouded in mist. The scene is serene and eerie, with branches of a tree visible on the sides. — Hakone, Japan. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

Lindner has a process that helps him identify the unique compositions that he is known for, which he teaches to his secondary school students when he hosts breakout 3-day photography classes. “The first thing I tell my students is that it’s important to forget about any photos you have seen of the place you are photographing,” the teacher explains. “It’s often easy to subconsciously set up your compositions based on what your mind remembers it has seen in other’s photographs. Then, I encourage them to do what I do, which is to keep the camera in your backpack at first. I just walk around the site with my phone in hand. I take 10 or 20 quick shots of the angles, patterns and lines that draw my eye. I try out different angles, from low to high, and I just naturally start to envision the final photograph in my eye during this process.”

Hand holding a smartphone that displays the same view as the backdrop: a stunning, symmetrical ceiling with intricate stained-glass windows, featuring vibrant colors and a striking architectural pattern. The smartphone screen seamlessly blends with the real ceiling in the background. — Paris, France. Edited with Lightroom

He recommends slowing down and analyzing the scene. “The difference between landscape photography and urban photography is that you can work more methodically in the urban environment. In landscape photography, the clouds are always changing, and the golden light from a sunset can disappear quickly. These factors do apply to urban environments as well, however, the soft light in the morning and the warm sunset tones and blue hour tones tend to last a lot longer, so it’s important to not rush the shot. I scout, I try different things, and eventually the image that I love just comes to me naturally from that process.”

A red and white apartment complex with many balconies stands tall under a clear blue sky. A red taxi drives past the entrance, which features blue columns. People are walking near the building, which has small shops at the ground level. — Hong Kong. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

Since his early days of urban photography, Lindner has used people in his images, but not just to show scale. He will often place his subjects in a specific pose that is meant to slightly confuse the viewer, causing them to analyze the image further to understand what they are seeing. “I call this my pose toolkit,” he explains. “Whether it’s making someone look like they are hanging from a balcony or walking up a wall, these poses help keep the viewers of the image engaged. In this world of endless speed scrolling through social media, I love to challenge myself by creating scenes that make the person stop scrolling and study the image. I am inspired by creativity that challenges me. In turn, I like challenging people to see the world in a different perspective. Their imaginations instantly become activated, and at first they see what I want them to see, however, they can’t stop looking at the image until they dissect what they are looking at. For me, this is one of the most rewarding moments of being a photographer.”

A colorful building facade composed of interlocking red, yellow, and orange panels with some blue accents. The panels create a geometric pattern. There is a gap in the middle showing a staircase inside, with a person visible through the gap. — Singapore. Edited in Lightroom

A person in athletic wear appears to be running in a surreal, large-scale 3D maze structure with oversized ledges and platforms, all in shades of white and light gray, creating a confusing and intriguing visual effect. — Singapore. Edited in Lightroom

Lindner also teaches his students that, in the age of massive memory cards and digital cameras, not every photo has to work. He describes that he will only consider publishing about one out of every ten photos he takes. “It is so much trial and error,” he explains. “Often, I think I captured the shot that I was after, but I will keep trying new compositions and ideas. And most times, I wind up capturing an image that I like even more. I don’t mind that not all the compositions work, because, for me, it is the creative process that is fun. And a lot of times, I am shooting with friends and fellow photographers that I meet around the world. To me, chasing that creative high with fellow photographers is such a fun activity, so I don’t mind when the photos don’t work out. Even if I leave empty handed, I consider the expedition a success.”

A person sits on a stone ledge overlooking a vast cityscape during a beautiful sunset. The city is bathed in warm light, and two tall buildings stand prominently in the distance near the horizon. — Barcelona, Spain. Edited in Lightroom using AI-Powered Lens Blur.

Like any photographer, Lindner goes through periods where inspiration is hard to come by. However, he credits his full-time job as a teacher with helping his photography creativity and his inspiration remain largely intact. “I am in a unique position where I can really only focus on my photography a few times a year, when my school has breaks,” the photographer describes. “While it can be difficult to contain the inspiration when I am working, it comes out in force once I am on break and traveling to take photos. While I don’t recommend taking months long breaks to keep trying to find your inspiration, it’s important to not force yourself to try to find creativity if it isn’t there. Taking a break and focusing on another hobby can subconsciously re-ignite that creative spark for photography.”

A grand traditional Korean palace stands under a clear blue sky, with several people walking and taking photos around it. The stone-paved courtyard stretches out in the foreground, leading to the intricately designed, multi-tiered building. Mountains are visible in the background. — Seoul, South Korea. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

A person sits on a post near a city street at night, holding a drink. In the background, tall skyscrapers lit up with blue and white lights rise against the dark sky. Trees and streetlights line the road, adding to the urban scenery. — Singapore. Edited in Lightroom using AI-Powered Lens Blur.

Lindner believes that photographers shouldn’t be overly consumed with their work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He stresses that it is important to strike a balance between work, creative hobbies, and a social life. “For me, that is one of the most important aspects of the new Lightroom Generative Remove feature,” he explains. “Before, it could take me hours to edit a number of people or distracting objects out of just one photo. I would spend countless hours of my already limited time in front of the computer, clone stamping seemingly non-stop. Now, with the new Generative Remove feature in Lightroom, I can remove those people and objects in mere minutes, even on my phone or tablet.”

Image shows a large stone monument featuring a tall pillar topped by a statue of a man on horseback, located in a serene park. In the foreground, people are rowing boats on a reflective lake. The background includes a colonnade and lush green trees under a clear blue sky. — Madrid, Spain. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

“This feature has already saved me untold hours of editing, which has let me spend my time focusing on other things that I like to do,” Lindner continues. “I play badminton in a club and I also love meeting friends for coffee or a drink. Finding that balance was difficult with the time that I used to spend editing my photos, and to be honest, it would take away the passion I had for the creative side of photography. Luckily, those days are behind me and I find myself much more relaxed and happy when I am able to strike that balance.”

An older woman grinds maize dough on a traditional stone metate in a colorful kitchen adorned with Mexican cultural decorations. Two bowls with dough are on the stone counter in front of her, and another woman works in the background. — Oaxaca, Mexico. Edited in Lightroom using AI-Powered Lens Blur.

While Lindner stresses that he believes he could have a successful career as a full-time photographer, he has no desire in making the career change. “Being a teacher is a career that is strict and organized. Photography, for me, is the exact opposite. It’s my opportunity to be creative and loose. This creates a really healthy work-life balance, and having the tools in Lightroom that help me reduce my time editing allows me to enjoy the other things I look forward to in life. I don’t want my passion to become work, so the more time I can spend enjoying the creative side of photography, the longer I will enjoy it.”

Three dogs sit in a park with cherry blossom trees and people walking in the background. The dog on the left, a dachshund, nuzzles the middle dog, a long-haired dachshund. The dog on the right, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, looks forward serenely. — Tokyo, Japan. Edited in Lightroom using AI-Powered Lens Blur and Generative Remove.

Lindner explains that since becoming an Lightroom Ambassador, his use of Lightroom has evolved from a primarily computer-based application to an invaluable mobile app that he relies on for powerful photo editing tasks, thanks to the addition of tools like Generative Remove in the mobile and tablet versions of Lightroom “While most of my basic editing was always done in Lightroom on my computer, I would often transfer the file to Photoshop in order to remove distracting people or objects using the Clone Stamp tool, or more recently, the Generative Fill tool. ”

“As powerful as Photoshop’s Clone Stamp tool is,” he continues, “it was cumbersome and sometimes inaccurate if you weren’t an experienced user. It was really difficult to clone stamp objects out of complicated backgrounds with lots of patterns and colors. Photoshop has also had the Generative Fill tool since last year, however, that would require me to edit the files in both Photoshop and Lightroom, adding time and effort to the editing process. The new Generative Remove feature in Lightroom is incredibly quick and accurate, so instead of spending those valuable hours clone stamping or editing the photo in both programs, I can focus on my other hobbies that also bring me enjoyment. I have also found that being able to edit quicker increases my motivation to explore and take more photographs, as I know I don’t have to sit for hours editing when I get home.”

A richly adorned church interior featuring an ornate, high-vaulted ceiling with intricate frescoes and carvings. Wooden pews line both sides of the aisle leading to a golden altar. A person stands near the entrance, taking a photo or video of the stunning architecture. — Oaxaca, Mexico. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

However, there is still one occasion when Lindner will use the additional power that Photoshop provides. “I love using Photoshop for stacking multiple images,” he explains. “I usually do that for when I want overall sharpness but have an object in the foreground as well as a relevant background and I want both in focus. A good example is the photo I took with the sunglasses held in front of the building with the woman painted on it. Without Photoshop, this result wouldn’t be possible as the distance between the foreground and background is just too far to be in focus captured through a lens only.”

A vibrant mural on a building features a colorful woman with large sunglasses, red lips, and black hair. The artwork includes hands holding oversized painted glasses, cleverly aligning with the mural for a 3D effect. Electric cables and trees are visible in the foreground. — Bangkok, Thailand. Edited in Lightroom.

The urban and architectural photographer also explains that the latest changes brought to Lightroom have motivated him to try new ways to tell his visual stories by using lens blur, a tool that he has rarely used in his photography career. The powerful new AI-powered Lens Blur tool in Lightroom comes with all-new presets for easy, automatic aesthetic blur effects. “Honestly, I never give much thought to lens blur when I take my photos,” Lindner describes. “I usually prefer my images to be sharp throughout, however, I wanted to see what some of my favorite photos would look like with the new AI-Powered Lens Blur tool in Lightroom, and I was immediately hooked. The blur effects look completely natural, and I feel that it helps me tell a slightly different story with my images. It is definitely a tool I will be using much more frequently.”

Two elderly men with face masks sit on plastic stools under a street sign that reads "Wong Chuk Street." They appear engaged in conversation. Rolls of fabric are displayed in the background, indicating a market or shop setting. The overall mood is calm and casual. — Hong Kong. Edited in Lightroom using AI-Powered Lens Blur.

For Lindner, he sees the advancements in AI as a tool that can help him create more compelling urban scenes, but the technology could never replace his creativity, nor could it mimic the results that he achieves. “Photography is such an intense creative process for me. My passion for photography doesn’t lie in the editing or posting of the images, but rather, the creation of the images. I love the feeling of walking through a dense city and being flooded with potential photographs in my mind as I wander. I love studying a scene, studying the lines, patterns, and shapes, and letting my imagination run wild with unique ideas. There is so much critical thinking in the thought process that goes into my style of photography that AI is not going to replace. AI tools simply support my art by making the more mundane aspects of the workflow easier, which allows me to focus more of my energy on the creative process, which in turn, makes me even more inspired for my next adventure with my camera in hand.”

A monk in orange robes crosses a street at a pedestrian crosswalk. Behind him is the ornate and elaborately decorated architecture of Wat Phra Kaew Temple in Bangkok, with tall spires and intricate rooftops set against a soft pink sky. — Bangkok, Thailand. Edited in Lightroom using Generative Remove.

More from Martin Lindner can be found on his website and Instagram.

Full disclosure: This article was brought to you by Adobe

Image credits: All photos by Martin Lindner