Photography in London

In this week’s article, I am going to talk about my struggles with London’s often dismal weather and how you can overcome it to produce breathtaking imagery for personal use or for your clientele.

Contrary to popular belief, London’s weather is not always sunny and shining. As stated in previous articles, London is often described as gloomy due to its location and atmospheric conditions, which lead to frequent cloud cover and rain from October to May.

The city’s position on the Atlantic Ocean and its surrounding hills contribute to persistent cloud cover and the trapping of moisture, resulting in frequent mist and fog. Additionally, London is influenced by the Atlantic jet stream, which brings high-humidity air, contributing to the city’s mild but often cloudy climate. 

However, while the weather in London is often gloomy and depressing, it does not mean you should shy away from taking your camera equipment out and adjusting to the weather.

Taking photos in bad weather, like rain or overcast conditions, can offer unique opportunities for creativity and dramatic effects. The photo below was one of my most challenging, shot on Millennium Bridge in bitterly cold conditions, gale force winds, sleet and rain.

This image conveys drama, mood, and story, and while for the majority of the day it rained and rained some more, the final image paid off in the end. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to freeze the rain falling, therefore, I added it in Adobe Photoshop 2024.

Still, my clients liked it, and it won the image of the month in the local West London Photography club competitions.

Photographing people in the rain can tell stories of resilience, introspection, and the beauty found in unexpected moments. If you’re lucky enough to freeze the rain in camera, it can add a dramatic element to a scene, creating a sense of mood and atmosphere. It can also highlight the contrast between the mundane and the extraordinary, as people navigate the world despite the downpour. 

The image above was captured on the same day, and again, I added falling rain in Adobe Photoshop 2024.

Photos of people walking, working, or simply existing in the rain can showcase their ability to persevere despite challenging conditions. This can be particularly powerful when juxtaposed with the harshness of the weather, emphasising human fortitude.

Capturing the rain falling in a photo takes a lot of practice and dedication. Therefore, if you want to try it yourself, aim for these settings: focus on using the right shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, along with potential light sources. 

A fast shutter speed (1/250th of a second or faster) freezes the motion, while a slower speed (around 1/60th) creates streaks. A wide aperture (e.g., f/2.8) helps in low light but may reduce depth of field, while a medium to high ISO compensates for low light conditions. 

Both of the above shots were captured freehand without a tripod in manual mode. I selected auto ISO because I had to keep changing settings every few minutes due to the speed of the falling rain.

Below, I’ve highlighted some tips for rain photography that you may find useful.

• Rain Covers: Use a camera rain cover to protect your camera from the elements. 
• Umbrellas: A large golf umbrella can keep you and your gear dry. 
• Tripods: Use a tripod to stabilise your camera, especially during long exposures or in windy conditions. 
• Waterproof Gear: Consider waterproof camera bags or housings for added protection. 

In addition to this, try experimenting with focus, ISO and shutter speeds before you set out on your journey. Unfortunately, I didn’t have this luxury, but I have since learned how to freeze rain on my return home.

• Fast Shutter Speed: Capture frozen raindrops with a fast shutter speed (e.g., 1/1000 sec or faster). 
• Slow Shutter Speed: Create a dreamy, blurred effect with a slow shutter speed (e.g., 1 second or longer). 
• Large Aperture: Use a large aperture (e.g., f/2.8 or wider) to let in more light and control the depth of field. 
• ISO: Adjust your ISO to compensate for low light, especially during darker, cloudy days.
• Story: Overcast and rainy days offer unique opportunities to capture stories or mood. Therefore, look at how people are responding to the weather. Do they appear sad or fed up? In addition, look for colourful aspects, such as red, yellow or blue umbrellas that help to add vibrancy to your image and subjects. Finally, in post process, set your colour to vibrant. Trust me, it pays off.

If, however, you’re not a fan of the rain, there are still plenty of things you can shoot in London, for example, boats.

The image above was also captured on a very bleak day, however, I was fortunate to be gifted with some side light from the early afternoon sun.

That said, the background skyline was dull and uninteresting; therefore, I changed it using Adobe Photoshop’s Sky Replacement tool, which is very easy to use.

Photographing boats in London is good because the city offers a unique blend of historical and modern boating, with diverse boat types and locations like the Thames River providing ample opportunities for capturing interesting shots. Additionally, London’s vibrant city life juxtaposed with the water creates a visually compelling backdrop. 

For a boat shot, you want to aim for a shutter speed of 1/200 – 1/500+ sec, depending on how fast the boat is moving. This will help to freeze the action.

Furthermore, consider using a wide aperture (e.g., f/4 to f/8) for a shallow depth of field, blurring the background. If you want a deeper depth of field, use a smaller aperture (e.g., f/11 to f/32). Finally, keep your ISO low, thus minimising noise.

The image below was captured on yet another bleak day at West India Docks.

I decided to leave the sky in place here because the main focus was on the boat and the background. I darkened the water down in Lightroom to create a contrasting effect and highlighted the boat using an inverted radial filter.

As per usual, I kept my ISO on auto and pushed the shutter speed up to 1/250. I also used a tripod for this shot with an aperture setting of around f/8, and while it’s not perfect, it paid off and won three local photography awards.

Like most large cities, London has lots of hidden gems to photograph, for example, this gorgeous multi-million dollar impounded vessel that’s currently docked in Canary Wharf, West India Docks on the South Bank.

I was fortunate enough to stumble across the Phi Yacht while exploring Canary Wharf. Furthermore, there are not many images online quite like this one, which makes it unique.

For this shot, I used a tripod, shooting from the Sony A7ii with a 24-105mm Sony G Lens. Despite it being overcast (again) and with light fading fast, I was able to shoot a 1.2-second-long exposure without a ND filter, and I quite like the results, as did my client and the South Ealing Photography Club.

As mentioned, the background skyline was overcast, white and dull, therefore, I opted to change the sky using Adobe Photoshop’s sky replacement tool. The shot below was taken a few weeks before the one above, and again, the sky was replaced.

London is also home to some 21 buildings or structures that are at least 100 meters tall, with 42 of these considered skyscrapers reaching a roof height of at least 150 meters.

These buildings offer great opportunities for photographers looking to capture architectural shots. And while the weather was dull, the tip here is to wait for breaks in the cloud, and it sure does pay off.

The image above illustrates One Canada Square. I decided to darken the bottom and side buildings while highlighting the main tower, commonly known as the Canary Wharf Tower.

With a thirty-minute break in the clouds, the sun lit the tower up nicely, in my opinion. Indeed, the sky was dull, therefore, I replaced it in Adobe Photoshop. I love the colours, contrast and the overall appearance. I used a tripod for this shot and my trusty 24-105mm Sony G lens, which I carry everywhere with me.

You’re probably thinking, when is the best time to wait for breaks in the cloud? I use several weather apps on my phone that provide live updates, some of which provide accurate live updates regarding cloud movement every 30 minutes.

Therefore, I do suggest looking for a weather app such as the Met Office’s app because it is very useful for predicting the weather and it can help with timing and planning your day shots.

The image above illustrates Aspen Tower in Canary Wharf, and like the image of One Canada Square, I was fortunate enough to be gifted with some side-lighting through the murky cloud cover. I used a tripod for this shot on the Sony A7, and shot using a landscape colour profile in camera. This shot won the image of the day in the South Ealing Photography Club and IOM in the Colour Photography Magazine.

Conclusion:

During my early years as a budding young photographer, I always shied away from overcast days with minimal natural lighting available, however, I eventually found it to be counterproductive.

Shying away due to a lack of light or heavy rain didn’t help to increase my skills as a successful photographer; if anything, it taught me nothing about photography.

However, once I finally decided to get out there in the open, during rain, sleet, snow, high wind, etc, I found my photography skills increased year on year.

In addition to this, I soon realised that there were more storytelling opportunities, whether it be a family shielding themselves from rain and thunder under a doorwell, to skippers navigating through foggy waters.

Furthermore, I found my post-processing skills increased too, especially post-production in Adobe Photoshop, for example, adding rain effects, sky replacement, cropping, dodging and burning, object removal, etc.

Therefore, if you truly want to excel in photography as a hobbyist or professional, get out there in all weather and shoot until your heart’s content. Practice and practice some more, be patient, and don’t give up!

Thank you for reading.