My 10 top tips for photographing London
London is one of the most photographed cities in the world and with so many inspiring views from epic cityscapes to ornate details, after just a short time out with your camera, you will be hard beat to come away without a good crop of photos. That being said, with just a few useful pointers that will help you plan and inspire while out in the city, you can increase your chances of going from taking a few OK photos to taking a few great photos of London.
One thing to note before we dive in is that although some of these tips are specific to photographing London such as some of the locations I mention, most of the tips can be used in any city or town you happen to be in so just because you might not be photographing London, it doesn’t mean you can’t take some of these ideas and apply them locally to you.
So, let’s not waste any time and jump into my 10 top tips for photographing London!
#1 Check where and when you can use a tripod in London
This photography tip is an important one because the use of tripods in London is to some, a contentious topic. Experiences and therefor opinions of when and where tripods can be used will vary so although I won’t be able to say definitively what is or isn’t ok, I will be able to give you some general advice to help you manage this ambiguous subject.
There are some well-known areas of London that have some very strict “no tripod” rules such as the area around County Hall and the London Eye near Westminster Bridge as well as More London and City Hall over by Tower Bridge, as these are all technically private land. There are, however, plenty of places you can still use a tripod to capture some great shots along the Thames. Directly in front of the Tower of London on the north side and the areas around Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge are good examples to start.
My personal experience has overall been positive. I have taken my tripod into London countless times and can count on one hand how many times I have been approached about the use of my tripod. I tend to stick to the rules and I’m aware of the absolute no-go areas so, overall, I have learned to work around the restrictions avoiding any necessary telling off from the local security guards. Check my advice below so you can be as informed as possible when heading into London with your tripod and remember, the vast majority of outdoor places are ok with tripods providing you act responsibly.
Research the location
Before you travel, do your research. Check the owner’s website if they have one or ask the photography community. Knowing the rules can help if you get approached by someone less informed and in some situations, enables you to reasonably and respectfully stand your ground if you know tripods are allowed.
Look out for the tripod police
If you are unsure of the rules and there are no signs, go ahead and set the tripod up but always be ready to be approached and told to put the tripod away.
Avoid confrontation
If approached, just be polite and respond appropriately. The guards are just following instruction and even if you come across a wise guy, the best thing to do is move on and avoid any unnecessary confrontation.
Be considerate to others
Even if tripods are allowed, remember that you have no right of way over anyone else so try to keep out of the way to avoid your tripod being bumped or worse, someone tripping on one of the tripod legs. Photographers have a hard-enough rep and we certainly don’t want it to be made any worse.
#2 Embrace the grey weather when photographing London
You may notice as you read this post that all the photos have a common grey, almost monochromatic look to them. This was a deliberate choice I made to keep the images consistent but also show that London can still look great in what most consider bad light. London gets cloudy. I mean, like, all the time and anyone who visits the city has a pretty good chance of experiencing this pretty dull weather for themselves. So when heading out with your camera, you have to keep an open mind as to the style of the photos you will likely walk away with and instead of being put off or unmotivated, try to embrace the weather, seek out some interesting shapes and lines and let the darker clouds give your photos a sense of mood rather than let them defeat your inspiration.
In this previous blog post, I talked about how a wet, miserable day in London turned out to be a surprisingly positive shoot: Capturing London on a Cloudy Day.
#3 Photograph London’s financial district on the weekend and don’t forget to look up!
Like most major cities around the world, London has a financial district, well actually it has two. One in the Square Mile (The City of London) and the other over at Canary Wharf just east of the city. The thing about most of these financial companies is that they tend not to work weekends and as such, this part of London pretty much shuts down over the weekend which for street photographers is less fun but if you want to capture some of these cool skyscrapers and empty London streets, it’s a great location to spend a few hours having the place nearly all to yourself.
While surrounded by all these tall buildings, why not have a go at some “Look Up” shots like this one here. Not an original idea but with the ever-changing London skyline, there is always a new view to be captured and best yet, you can take these types of photos any day of the week!
#4 Get out early to photograph London’s popular tourist hot spots
London can get really busy, particularly at the weekend around the popular tourist hot spots and if you are looking to capture the location free of too many people, then you really must avoid daytime and evening visits. Instead, set your alarm for 4 or 5 am and get out to these popular locations before most of the tourists have even sat down for their hotel breakfast.
London’s great for an early start as public transport will be running and you can get anywhere quickly enough. In addition, you get to be out during the very best time of day for photography as the light is always best in the morning, it’s so much quieter and you have the entire place to yourself for a short while.
#5 Get up high for free, without booking and photograph London’s rooftops
Although there are plenty of opportunities to get some cityscape photos from high up above the streets of London, many come at a cost for entry or requirement to buy food or drink but there are a few rooftop photo spots in London that don’t cost or even require advance booking and you can just rock up on the day and take advantage of some of the epic views of the city and start shooting. Below are my top three to get you started.
One New Change (Find it on Google Maps)
Great for fantastic high-up and close-up shots of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Tripods allowed? No.
Tate Modern Viewing Platform (Find it on Google Maps)
Great for elevated views of the modern financial district in the city and fantastic views of St Paul’s Cathedral from across the river.
Tripods allowed? No.
The Garden at 120 (Find it on Google Maps)
Great for a framed view across West London like the one posted above. Also, there are great rooftop views of Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and St Mary Axe (aka The Gherkin).
Tripods allowed? Yes.
#6 Photograph the London skyline by walking the South Bank
My absolute favourite thing to do with my camera in London is to walk the South Bank between Westminster and Tower Bridge. This stretch of the Thames Path is popular for good reason as you get to experience some of the best views of London’s skyline available. Although the walk itself isn’t too long, you do need to allow a couple of hours at least if you visit for the first time as you will no doubt stop to capture all the great views as you go.
Along with the classics such as Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and the high rises over in the city, the South Bank offers some great opportunities to capture some street photography and architecture too so, like much of London, it has something for all types of photographer.
Bonus Tip: If you have time, walk back along the North Bank. Although a little quieter, you can still grab some great cityscape photos of The Shard, Tate Modern and the London Eye.
#7 Walk London’s streets and photograph the hidden views
Next up in my top tips for photographing London is to get out on foot and find some of the hidden views of London. They are dotted all over the place and provide great opportunities to take cool, framed photos of some of London’s architectural icons.
The centre of London isn’t a huge place and if you're prepared to get your walking boots on and wander the streets you can be rewarded with some great views of the city. Unless I have a planned shoot and need to get somewhere in good time, I would rather wander the streets with my camera instead of missing potential opportunities by rushing across the city on public transport. If you’re short of time, I’ve listed a few of the more popular backstreets that provide great views of London which also include links to Google Maps to help you find them.
Lovat Lane (Find it on Google Maps)
This cobbled street provides a great foreground for this fantastic view of the Shard from across the river.
Watling Street (Find it on Google Maps)
A great view of St Paul's Cathedral where you can make use of the buildings that flank the street to frame the cathedral and the yellow painted lines which provide some great lead-in lines.
St Helen’s Place (Find it on Google Maps)
This is a cute little street hidden amongst the high-rise buildings in the city and provides some classic London architecture with a great view of St Mary Axe (The Gherkin) which towers over where you stand.
Those were three of the more popular hidden views of London but there are so many more which can be found as you wander the street so if you have time, grab some comfy shoes and head out to explore.
#8 Shoot London, whatever the weather
Number 8 in my top tips for photographing London is a bit of an extension of tip #2 as it also talks about the weather conditions but this time, it’s all about having some fun and shooting in the rain.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass...It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
Just like the grey, cloudy weather, there’s always a good chance that you’ll get rained on when in London so my top tip is to embrace the conditions as much as you or your gear will allow so you can capture some really cool shots during or just after the rain.
The photo below is a great example of how the scene changes in the rain. The wet cobbled street in front of the Tower of London provides this cool reflective surface making for a much more interesting foreground.
After mistakenly leaving my weather-sealed camera at home, I took a chance and went for a walk into London after dark to take photos in the rain which you can read all about here: On Location | Photographing London With The Fuji XF16mm F2.8.
There are endless opportunities to get creative by taking photos in the rain such as reflections in puddles or shooting through streaky wet windows so don’t let it put you off and grab your raincoat and hit the streets whatever the weather.
#9 Add people for interest and scale when photographing London
London boasts some of the tallest buildings in Europe but it can sometimes be challenging for those taking the photos to portray the scale and “epicness” of the city to those viewing the image, so, tip number nine is to try including people as a familiar point of reference that will allow the viewer to grasp just how big (or small) the objects in your photo really are. Including just one person, like in the photos below, can add just enough interest, mystery and scale to your cityscape photos without them looking overly cluttered and distracting.
Referring back to previous tips in this post, including just a single person in your composition in one of the busiest cities on the planet can be a tad challenging so as per tip #3, hit the city at the weekend when there are fewer workers around or tip #2 by getting up and out early when most people are still waking up. By doing this, it gives you the best chance of avoiding the crowds and capturing that solitary figure to help you portray the scale in your photos.
#10 Do your research before heading out to take photos in London
This final tip is about what to do before a shoot. Whether you have a particular location and type of photo you want to capture, or you like to just head out into the streets to see what photo opportunities jump out at you, you can always increase your chances of coming away from a shoot with a few good shots if you prepare to some degree.
Scout the location to get the best compositions
If you are after a specific shot of London and have limited time, research the location online before heading out. Use Google Maps, Flickr or Instagram to understand the best place to stand so you don’t miss the best light wandering around searching for that killer angle and not being able to find it fast enough. My website also has lots of London based articles to view and gather useful tips. Check out two of my articles below.
Check the venue information
Check opening times and like in tip #1 above, check the rules and regs they have. Not everywhere is photographer friendly and knowing this before you head out may well save a wasted trip.
Check the weather and conditions
Check the weather before you head out! The conditions, wind direction or angle of the sun can all affect the final image and, in most cases, can make or break the shot. Also, knowing the weather conditions will help ensure you head out with the right clothing and camera gear so you’re not standing there soaked through because you didn’t bring your raincoat rushing your shots so you can get back inside.
Bonus Tip: Stay safe and have fun
It should go without saying but please do not take your safety for granted. Photographers tend to carry quite a bit of valuable gear and not all areas of every city are safe to wander alone so, whatever you do, be discrete, take care of yourself and where possible, take a friend with you, especially at night.
That’s it. My top 10 tips for photographing London has come to an end. I do hope this article comes in useful for anyone looking to come and photograph London in the future or as mentioned earlier, using the transferable tips to photograph your local town or city wherever you live.
If you have any tips you would like to share, feel free to drop them in the comments below so everyone can take advantage and get the very best images when out photographing London.