Spain Palace of Arts, front view, Valencia

The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Spain, is a stunning opera house and cultural center designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. Opened in 2005, it is part of the City of Arts and Sciences complex and features a futuristic design with sweeping curves and a striking white exterior. The building hosts opera, concerts, and theater performances, making it a key hub for the performing arts in Valencia.

It is important with this shot to position yourself EXACTLY in front of the building to achieve perfect symmetry. One thing I noticed when spending two days at the City of Arts and Sciences is how many photographers weren't paying much attention to symmetry and shooting a few meters left or right of centre. There are plenty of good non-symmetrical compositions in this place, but if you're going to shoot one of the symmetrical compositions, make sure you get it exactly right. The way I did this was to position my camera and then with live view zoomed to 14x and focused on the sharp triangular structure in the middle of this shot, inch my tripod left and right until the lines behind that point went exactly through the centre of the shot. A hotshoe spirit level can also make it easier to get the horizon straight.

This shot was taken early in the morning. Within 30 minutes of sunrise there will be too many people milling about, so go early or late, ideally out of peak season and watch out for annoying delivery trucks parked on the path below (I had to wait 20 minutes for one to leave).

Use a wide lens for best effect - this was shot with a 14mm equivalent. Any more than about 18mm and I don't think you'll even get the whole building in from this angle.

To reach the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, you can take the metro (Line 3 or 5) and get off at Alameda Station, which is a short walk from the complex. Alternatively, you can use public buses (lines 35, 40, 95, 99) with stops nearby. If you're coming by car, there are parking facilities around the area, though public transport is often more convenient due to the location's centrality. You can also easily walk from the nearby City of Arts and Sciences, which is just a few minutes away.