Public Library Courtyard (Bibliothek am Luisenbad)

This image was taken in front of the Bibliothek am Luisenbad, which is a public library in the Mitte borough of Berlin. It's situated along the Panke canal. I stood on the north side of the courtyard, facing southeast, to get this perspective. By subway: - Closest station: U-Bhf Pankstraße (via U8 line) - Head southwest on Prinzenallee toward Badstraße - Turn right onto Badstraße - Turn right along the Panke river path and the destination will be on your right in the courtyard

Visit the Bibliotehk am Luisenbad during the spring, summer and fall months so you can incorporate the leaves in the top portion of your image. In the winter, the leaves will be bare and you'll lose that added element in your shot.

You can find similar lighting conditions during the morning, midday and late afternoon. My personal recommendation is to visit early on a Sunday morning when you'll have the entire courtyard to yourself. Also, be aware that there can be a flea market in this area. Check online, or with the library, to make sure the flea market won't block your view of the library.

I used a wide-angle lens (16mm) and I recommend doing the same to fit the courtyard, library and other buildings into your shot.

To enhance the angles and framing, I tried to add more depth by including the foliage. It's also worth going around the area and finding new angles, like I did with the leaves.

Experiment with lower angles to capture more of the cobblestone and play around with the contrasting textures.

Either bring along a friend or wait until someone walks into your frame to add a human element to your photo. Having someone in the frame will also add a sense of scale.

Explore the rest of the courtyard and surrounding buildings. There are so many undiscovered backyards in this area, so spend the day getting lost in the neighborhood.

You can also walk along the Panke river path for some relaxing waterfront views.