State Hall of the Austrian National Library
The State Hall is one of the most breathtaking Baroque interiors in the world, a long vaulted room lined floor to ceiling with dark wood bookshelves, towering frescoed ceilings, and marble statues that fill the central space with dramatic visual weight. To capture the full grandeur, position yourself at either end of the hall and use a wide angle lens, around 16 to 24mm, to compress the receding shelves into a single sweeping composition. The oval central dome with its ceiling fresco works well as a straight-up vertical shot, so bring a tripod if permitted, or brace yourself against a column for a sharp exposure in the low ambient light. Midday is fine here since the interior is entirely artificial and natural light barely enters. Arrive early when the hall opens to avoid tour groups crowding your foreground. (Vienna, Austria)
