Round Staircase in Deutsches Historisches Museum Pei-Bau

This image of the round staircase was taken inside the Deutsches Historisches Museum Pei-Bau in Berlin. To photograph the staircase, make sure to walk through the back entrance of the museum (off of Hinter dem Zeughaus). After entering, make sure to keep to the right and take the stairs up. There's no need to pay for a ticket to get to the location since you're not fully inside the museum, but make sure it's open on the day you're visiting. When you're on the upper floor from the entrance, you'll be able to see the view of the modern staircase that's shown in this picture. By public transportation: - Closest station: Am Kupfergraben (via 12 or M1 Line or M1 Bus) - Head west on Dorotheenstraße - Turn left toward Am Festungsgraben - Continue straight onto Am Festungsgraben - Turn left onto Hinter dem Gießhaus - Turn right onto Hinter dem Zeughaus Address: Deutsches Historisches Museum - Pei-Bau, Hinter dem Gießhaus 3, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Since there isn't any landscape in your shot, you can photograph the round staircase at the Deutsches Historisches Museum Pei-Bau during any month.

Morning, midday or late afternoon on an overcast day will produce similar lighting conditions. For a more dramatic look, you could also visit on a sunny day. When there's more direct sunlight, the light will pierce through the glass and create harsh shadows and lines.

To make the most of the leading lines, I positioned my model on the stairs to guide the viewer's eye to the twisting lines of the staircase.

I used a wide-angle lens (16mm) to fit the entire scene into my shot. If your lens is too narrow, you could risk not being able to incorporate key elements of the photo into your frame.

It could also be interesting to get lower to the ground or closer to the model to create a more intimate feeling.

I highly recommend going inside the museum and learning about Germany's history.

Make sure to explore the historic center in Berlin. Walk down the Unter den Linden boulevard toward Brandenburg Gate to see the ancient buildings and take in some of the country's local culture.