Photography in London

London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is a 21st-century city founded as a port by the ancient Romans in 43AD (After Death).

I paid a long working photography visit to our ionic capital in February. I spent weeks photographing London’s iconic landmarks, such as Big Ben, the Millennium Dome, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and much more, and wow, I was amazed at the beauty the city offered me.

With a population of around 8.8 million people, London covers an area of approximately 607 square miles, making it the busiest city in the world as of 2013, necessitating 37 minutes and 20 seconds to traverse a distance of 10 km (6.21) miles.

London is the third largest city in Europe thus making it a perfect destination for photographers looking to hone their skills in cityscapes, architecture, street photography, long exposure etc.

The best way to travel to London is by train because it’s cheaper, environmentally friendly and faster. A direct train from Norwich to London takes approximately one hour 45 minutes, whereas it is two hours forty minutes by car.

In contrast, it’s also wise to travel around London by tube and bus because London has approximately eighteen congestion charges between 7 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday and 12 pm to 6 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, except between Christmas Day and the New Year’s Day bank holiday.

Failure to adhere to London’s congestion charges will incur a fine of £160 and it’s also worth noting that parking in the capital is a nightmare not forgetting very expensive.

I used the free TfL (Transport for London) and bus app to plan my journeys in London. Both apps are easy to use, though it’s worth noting that the TfL app does not include platform numbers and names, that said, London tube stations are mapped out in most stations for easy navigation.

Furthermore, I downloaded a weather app to ensure I wasn’t caught out by bad weather. I used the Weather Radar and Met Office app. Both apps provided me with live weather updates every thirty minutes thus reducing my chances of being caught off-guard by rain, sleet and cloud cover.

While most of London is a free city for photographers to come and go as they please, there are several restrictions you do need to be aware of beforehand.

For example, small non-commercial photography projects are allowed by the City of London on public highways however, commercial and non-commercial photographers using equipment such as tripods will need permission from the City of London and will need to pay for a permit too on private land.

In addition, If you wish to photograph or film on private land, belonging to other landowners, you will need to obtain the consent of the landlord first. Failing this you may be asked to move on by security.

Please read more here and here about film and photography permissions.

Before embarking on your trip to our incredibly alluring capital, get your camera equipment insured. While I never encountered any form of crime during my long stay, that’s not to say you won’t. Therefore please take my advice and look at insuring your equipment before you travel.

Moreover, if you plan on carrying a fair bit of camera equipment with you look for a suitable waterproof rucksack with lots of pouches and strong zippers to deter any would-be pick-pockets that do operate in the capital.

I took my 80-litre OLPRO waterproof rucksack. It’s easy on the shoulders and waist, waterproof and robust. The OLPRO 80 litre can easily hold multiple lenses, two tripods, filters, cleaning equipment, a lunchbox, a thermos flask, a spare coat and much more.

There’s much to photograph in London, such as the O2 Arena, formally known as the Millennium Dome as seen below.

Known as The O2 since 2005 – and after an extensive redevelopment as a concert arena and entertainment centre – the Dome was originally built to house the Millennium Experience, a government-backed exhibition celebrating the start of the 21st century.

This shot was taken from the Virginia Settlers Monument, a quaint and secluded spot with little foot traffic situated on the northeast Thames footpath close to East India Quay.

The Millennium Dome is an incredible but fascinating subject to photograph, especially for architectural shots. That said, if you want to shoot up close you will need a shorter lens such as a 50mm.

Tripods are prohibited within the boundaries of the dome. Therefore, I took the tube from Canary Wharf Underground to West India Quay and was pleasantly satisfied with this shot.

Next, we have Westminster and Big Ben. Westminster was originally an island above the ill-drained Thames marshes, but there is evidence of early Roman settlement.

A community of monks was established on the site by 785 ce. Edward the Confessor (reigned 1042–66) built a palace and a new church there, the latter of which became known as Westminster Abbey.

Elizabeth Tower, originally named the Clock Tower, and popularly known as “Big Ben”, was built as a part of Charles Barry’s design for a new Palace of Westminster after the old palace was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834.

Westminster and Big Ben are frequented by thousands of tourists every day therefore it’s best to plan before embarking on a photography project to this destination because it’s usually heaving with people.

I spent all day here. I took a flask, packed lunch, and waited a few hours for the tourist mealy to settle before moving into my spot just here.

While the weather was mostly on my side during my trip to London, there were several days in which cloud cover made it almost impossible to shoot anything realistic, however, this is where Adobes Photoshop 2024 rain effect came into play.

All my images are shot in RAW which makes editing much easier, and while I preferred the somewhat dull-looking Westminster and Big Ben, Adobe’s rain effect filter came in quite handy adding more mood and interest to an otherwise dull and bleak setting.

Finally, we have Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast as seen in the image below.

Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel.

It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and is one of five London bridges owned and maintained by the City Bridge Foundation, a charitable trust founded in 1282.

The bridge was constructed to give better access to the East End of London, which had expanded its commercial potential in the 19th century. The bridge was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales in 1894.

In front of Tower Bridge sits HMS Belfast a Town-class light cruiser that was built for the Royal Navy. She is now permanently moored as a museum ship on the River Thames in London and is operated by the Imperial War Museum.

Construction of Belfast, the first ship in the Royal Navy to be named after the capital city of Northern Ireland and one of ten Town-class cruisers, began in December 1936. She was launched on St Patrick’s Day 1938. Commissioned in early August 1939 shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, Belfast was initially part of the British naval blockade against Germany.

This image was shot during sunset From London Bridge at this spot here. I really wanted to shoot this image from Queens Walk close to HMS Belfast for a lower angle using my tripod, unfortunately, Queens Walk is privately owned land, and security wasn’t having any of it.

That said, London Bridge does make for a more pleasant shooting location albeit it’s often busy with pedestrians and pick-pockets do operate in the area too.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to enhance your architecture, urban life, and cityscape photography skills then London is the place to be.

London has more historic landmarks than any other British city. Moreover, London street photography is bursting with possibilities from dawn to dusk and long into the night. 

The best city in the world is London, in my opinion. In terms of the diversity of people, and culture and recent years, London architecture, is truly vibrant. Rich history, modern attitude, energetic and it’s also quite safe, as major cities go.

Great tourist attractions, British traditions, and endless things to see and do, for any photographer London has it all.

However, if you’re planning on visiting our ionic capital please plan your project thoroughly, insure yourself and your photography equipment, and try to work on one subject per day because London is densely populated making it a nightmare at times to shoot.

Try to travel lightly and remember pick-pockets and thieves do operate in the city, some of which are professional. Take a packed lunch, download the TfL, bus, and weather radar apps, and remain vigilant and safe at all times.

Please stay tuned for my next article on London Photography.