Sunset Over Westminster | Weekly Photo #15

When I first took this photo of Westminster from Waterloo Bridge, I absolutely loved it. So much in fact that I created a blog post demonstrating how I post-processed the shot from RAW to the final edit.

Fujifilm XT-10 | XF18-55mm | 23mm | 58 Seconds | f/11 | ISO200

I originally took this photo while on a walk along the River Thames in 2017 as I was trying to recreate an image I once took at night but this time during the golden hour. If I remember correctly, the golden hour came and went without much of a show but once the sun had dropped under the horizon, the sky was illuminated with these pink and magenta colours. It really was quite beautiful.

Back in 2017, I was still using my first (and still favourite) Fujifilm camera, the X-T10. I used a 10-stop Formatt-Hitech filter which gave me the 58-second exposure resulting in the smooth river and spinning motion in the London Eye. With very little wind, the clouds hardly moved during the exposure so there were no long, streaky clouds you can often find in long exposures which I think, in this particular image works rather well.

Why you should revisit your old photos.

Fast-forward nearly 2 1/2 years and I just happened to be browsing through some older images and came across this photo and I was a lot less impressed with how it turned out. So much so, I decided to have another go at editing the image. I’m so glad I did.

I like the way the image has more contrast and instead of the image being almost all magenta, I brought back some of the blue tones in the shadows and yellows/oranges in the sky nearer the sun. Finished with a bit of dodging and burning and a slightly tighter crop than before, I was done.

Going through this process got me thinking about the benefits of revisiting your older photos which I have listed below.

#1 You might find images you once overlooked.

When I first import and process my photos in Lightroom, I search for images that are sharp, well composed and properly exposed. I would normally have an idea as to the image I am looking to capture which means I may overlook other, perfectly good images. Going back and looking again without any agenda means I occasionally find really good images I once overlooked as it didn’t fit my needs first time round.

#2 Your styles and interests may have changed since you took the original photo.

Photographic styles and interests inevitably change over time and photos you once took that didn’t align to your photographic interests at the time or didn’t suit your previous processing style may now be just the kind of images you currently create.

#3 You can take advantage of new processing skills or the latest software tools available.

You may have photos in your library that for reasons of skillset or software limitations, you were never able to get the look you were after. As skills and software improve, you may now be able to process that image the way you wanted.

So, that’s it. I would love to hear if you have any more thoughts on revisiting older photos that I haven’t covered. If so, please leave a comment below.

Until next time.

Trevor

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

My Top 10 Photography Spots in London

I have been taking cityscape photos of London for many years now and with so many famous views available to photograph, I wanted to share some of my favourite spots to capture this great city.

Photographing London’s iconic locations

In this article, I will be taking you on a journey along the River Thames from west to east as we visit 10 of my top spots to capture a cityscape in London including how to get there, when is best to take photos and if the locations are tripod friendly or not.

When you have finished reading this article, why not check out some of my other “Photographing London” posts.

My top 5 free rooftop locations to photograph London

My 10 top tips for photographing London

My Top 5 Long Exposure Locations in London

#1 The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) from the South Bank

As mentioned above, we are working west to east and the first stop of my top 10 photography spots in London is Westminster and the Houses of Parliament. This is a great location to capture a cool bridge shot leading you across the River Thames to the Elizabeth Tower. The photo shown below was taken in 2017 as, at the time of writing, this view of the tower is obstructed by scaffolding as a 4-year renovation project is undertaken to preserve this iconic London structure which means we will be able to admire and photograph this cityscape for years to come. Roll on 2021 when we hope the work will be complete!

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

If are you after a sunset photo from this location, I advise you to avoid spring and autumn months as the sun will set directly behind the buildings and create a huge amount of dynamic range which most cameras will struggle with. During the summer and winter months, the sun will set either side of the tower reducing the dynamic range just enough to capture the colours of sunset and the architecture on the far side of the river. Capturing this location in the morning is less challenging as the sun will illuminate the Palace of Westminster making it much easier to capture but you may not get such a dramatic sky.

Can I use a tripod?

Yes, you can. There are no rules that prevent the use of tripods but as the location can get busy during the day and into the evenings, you should choose your spot carefully to avoid it being bumped into by other people.

How do you find the location?

The closest underground stations are Westminster (Jubilee Line) and Lambeth North (Bakerloo Line) and from there, head to Westminster Bridge and on the eastern side (South Bank) with the bridge on your right-hand side, this scene should be directly in front of you.

#2 The London Eye from the Golden Jubilee Bridge

I have been photographing this second composition ever since I started photographing London. I love the way the London Eye is dominant in the frame and towers over the smaller buildings that surround it. As you can see from the image here, this is a cracking location to capture the London Eye as a long exposure which I cover in a previous post featuring my top 5 locations to capture long exposure photos in London.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

The photo above was taken during a late summers evening which is a perfect rime to capture the colours in the sky. Although the River Thames runs east/west, this view actually faces south due to a bend in the river so sunrise is off to the left and sunset is off to the right. Both times of day are great to photograph this scene. If you want to capture the river with less traffic, then the early morning is probably best otherwise you may end up waiting some time for a clear river in the evening which is what I had to do for the shot above.

Can I use a tripod?

Yes, you can. When setting up your tripod, especially when taking a long exposure, try to keep the legs away from the edge of the bridge as it’s a popular spot for people to cross the river and its quite common for people to jump on the rails which could cause the tripod to shake at the wrong time during a capture.

How do you find the location?

There are actually two Golden Jubilee Bridges, each one flanking the Hungerford Bridge. You want to be heading for the bridge on the south side. The nearest tube station is Embankment and this composition is taken from the “north” side of the river.

#3 The London Eye from Waterloo Bridge

It’s always good to find different and unique views of iconic locations and the third location in my top 10 spots to photograph London provides just that. You get a fantastic view looking down the River Thames and being slightly behind the London Eye provides a different perspective. This location is also fantastic for long exposure shots as shown in my blog post My Top 5 Long Exposure Locations in London.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

Personally, I prefer the golden hour in the summer. The sun sets just off to the right of this view which provides warm, directional light across the image and the sunsets can be beautiful when captured from this spot on Waterloo Bridge.

Can I use a tripod?

Yes, but watch out for pedestrians, especially in rush hour as the path is a little narrow and a lot of commuters cross the bridge to and from work.

How do you find the location?

From the south of the river, head across the Waterloo Bridge on the left-hand side about 1/4 of the way across. Turn to your right and the view seen here should be in front of you.

#4 St Paul’s Cathedral from London’s South Bank

What I like about this 4th spot in my list is how it looks at night with the artificial lighting in the landscape and along the pathway which provides quite a romantic feel to the image. You could imagine a couple walking along the path on a cold winter’s evening and capturing them just as they are under the street lamp (I think I now have a new shot idea for this coming winter so stay tuned!).

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

This is an early morning or late night-spot. If taking a night-scape like the one above, then it will need to be a late one, like after 10pm as this is a very busy walkway and capturing it without people means being there at a quieter time.

Can I use a tripod?

Yes, tripods are fine at this location but like some of the other places in this article, it is important to find a spot away from where people want to walk. When it is quieter, people are happier to walk around you but during busy periods, you are best to be out of the way.

How do you find the location?

This spot is on the south side of the Thames in between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge. The nearest Underground stop is Waterloo Station on the Jubilee Line but what I like to do is walk along the South Bank from Westminster and as long as you stay on the Thames path along the South Bank then you will get to this spot after only a few minutes. Once you can see the dome from St Paul’s Cathedral, Blackfriars Bridge and some of the buildings in the city, you are at the right place.

#5 St Pauls Cathedral from the Tate Modern viewing platform

This is one of my favourite spots to capture St Pauls Cathedral and the first of two rooftop locations on this list. The composition isolates the cathedral somewhat from “modern London” allowing it to stand proud like it once did way back when. I wrote about this image in one of my weekly photo blog posts. With a cafe up on the viewing level, it’s a great location to grab a coffee and admire the view of London.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

If you want to capture St Paul’s Cathedral at night, then it’s a much more pleasant experience doing so in the warmer months as you are quite exposed to the elements when on the tower and it can be rather cold but with the sun setting later, you should aim to visit on a Friday or Saturday evening, when the museum is open until 21:30. Otherwise, you can catch a nice sunset or night-scape image during the winter months any day of the week, just wear an extra layer or two!

Can I use a tripod?

No, the museum has a strict rule about the use of tripods. To get a sharp image in low light, you can try to use a table top tripod like the Manfrotto PIXI which I carry in my camera bag and balance it on the corner of the railings or on the floor but just be careful as it’s a slightly risky manoeuvre. My advice is to make sure that whatever you do, you keep the camera strap on in case the camera slips.

How do you find the location?

Tate Modern is located along Thames Bankside on the South of the river, opposite St Pauls. Just use the main entrance to the museum and head to the back where you will find the lifts up to the viewing level.

#6 The City of London from the roof of St Pauls Cathedral

Although this is probably one of the oldest viewpoints in London, it’s a recent addition to my top 10 photography spots in London. What I like about this location is the 360-degree views you get around London. You can capture The City, The Shard and around the other side you can capture Tate Modern and the London Eye. There are so many photo opportunities but my favourite has to be the ever-changing city skyline as shown below.

Quick Tip: Although it costs around £17 online (£20 on the door) to visit the Cathedral, UK tax payers can gift-aid the cost of the ticket and receive 12 months free access from the time of your first visit. It’s a fantastic deal if you want to visit again within the year.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

As the opening times to the cathedral are what they are, most of the year, the Cathedral will be closed during the best of the light but there are two times of year when you can catch some epic light. First of all, during December and January, the Cathedral is open just long enough to capture the golden hour and sunset. In addition, during August, St Pauls Cathedral opens later on a Thursday until 21:30 which presents another opportunity to capture London during the best light of the day.

Can I use a tripod?

No, there is a strict “no tripod” rule within St Pauls Cathedral. Even if this rule didn’t exist, there simply isn’t enough room to set up a tripod in the Golden Gallery, right at the top of the dome.

How do you find the location?

As this is such an iconic landmark, finding the spot isn’t very difficult as the instantly recognisable dome can be seen from around the city and the Cathedral has its own tube station of the same name. More importantly, it’s about getting to the right vantage point which is the Golden Gallery, located at the very top of the Cathedral’s dome and to do so, you need to be fit and able to climb 528 steps. Although it’s not quite as high, if 528 steps are too many, the Stone Gallery offers similar views whilst knocking off around 150 steps from the climb.

#7 Tower Bridge from the Tower of London

Still working towards East London, location number seven is a classic view of Tower bridge. There are so many places to capture this epic landmark but the cobbled street and ornate lamp add a nice finishing touch to this composition. If you like to add people to your photos, then this spot is perfect as you can place someone walking along the path or even sitting on the bench looking out across the river.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

This location lends itself to a sunrise shot in the colder months during December and January. The sun creeps into the frame on the left adding some nice sidelight to the bridge. In addition, this is the only time of day where you can catch the location free of people. As soon as you get to 8-9am, people flock to the location meaning you cannot take this shot without a bunch of people in the scene.

Lastly, if you want to capture this location at night, a word of warning, it shuts at 9pm every night and if you are set up on a tripod the guards will start to usher you out at around 20:50 so they can lock up on time.

Can I use a tripod?

Surprisingly so, yes. Even though this is private property, it seems the management team at the Tower of London are happy to allow tripods even though it can get very busy during the day which is quite refreshing to say the least.

How do you find the location?

Tower Hill is the nearest tube station located on the other side of the castle. otherwise on the south of the river, London Bridge Station is the closest. Head to the north side of the river, directly in front of the Tower of London and you will see the spot along the river.

#8 More London from Tower of London

This is fast becoming one of the most iconic views in London and is in my top 10 spots to photograph London for that very reason. It encompasses More London, City Hall, The Shard, HMS Belfast and in the background, London Bridge. It’s a rather modern looking view of the city with lots of reflective glass that can vary the look of the buildings depending on where the light comes from and the type of light available.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

The summer months are best when photographing this location as the sun is further over to the right during the golden hour. During the colder months, the sun will be directly behind The Shard resulting in the buildings being silhouetted which does not make such a good photo.

Can I use a tripod?

Yes, whether you take the photo from Tower Bridge or in front of the Tower of London, tripods are allowed. Just be careful as this area gets very busy and I advise anyone to tuck themselves out of the way as much as possible to avoid the tripod legs tripping someone up or being kicked by a passer-by.

How do you find the location?

This is one of my favourite views in London but compositionally, it can be tricky to capture and whereas a lot of people will try to capture the scene from directly opposite in front of the Tower of London, I prefer to capture this view from the north end of Tower Bridge as I prefer a slightly higher vantage point looking further down the Thames and with the Shard directly the middle, the image looks a little more balanced in my opinion.

#9 Tower Bridge and The Shard from The Girl and the Dolphin Fountain

Number 9 on my list is a great location to capture Tower Bridge with some foreground and background interest. The Girl and the Dolphin fountain creates a great focal point and if you stand in the right place, you can use the statue to frame the iconic bridge. If you are lucky and the clouds are moving towards you then this can make a great long exposure photo as seen below. The smooth lines created by the movement in the clouds can help frame the overall image nicely.

Quick Tip: I recommend taking a wider lens with you if you intend to shoot this location as it allows you to capture the entire fountain along with the bridge.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

From a light and weather point of view, both morning and evening light can create great images but to make the capture process easier, I recommend a sunrise shoot as this location is very popular with tourists and in the evening, it is really hard to get a clean shot without people wandering into your frame. The location is far less busy first thing in the morning.

Can I use a tripod?

Yes, but be aware and courteous to people around you as the best composition is in the middle of the public footpath. I have shot this location many times and never been bothered by the tripod police.

How do you find the location?

The closest tube station is either London Bridge or Tower Bridge. The location is on the north bank of the Thames. On one side of Tower Bridge, you have the Tower of London. This location is on the other side of the bridge. The fountain is right on the edge of the water so you can’t miss it.

#10 Canary Wharf from the Blackwall Basin

Last but not least in my top 10 photography spots in London is this epic view of Canary Wharf over on the Isle of Dogs. It’s a great spot to capture the high-rise buildings such as One Canada Square and with the still water in the Blackwall Basin, you can capture some really cool reflections which is not normally possible along the River Thames due to its choppy waters.

When is the best time to photograph this spot?

An early morning shoot is a good time to capture this scene as the sun will light the front of the buildings. Alternatively, if capturing a sunset, aim for June or December as the sun will set furthest to each side of the frame minimising the chance of the buildings being silhouetted by the sun.

Can I use a tripod?

You can use tripods from this location.

How do you find the location?

From Canary Wharf Station on the Jubilee line or South Quay on the DLR, head east to find Preston’s Road. Head north from there and just after crossing a bridge there will be a residential area on your left where you will see the scene above

So there you have it, my Top 10 Photography Spots in London! There are so many other great locations to capture the city from down in the streets, along the Thames and up high looking over the rooftops.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, do check out some of my other posts to help you take the best photos of London

My top 5 free rooftop locations to photograph London

My 10 top tips for photographing London

My Top 5 Long Exposure Locations in London

Until next time.

Trevor

Dramatic London | Weekly Photo #14

When it comes to photographing London, it’s been quite a slow summer. Apart from being busy with a few weekends away, my motivation to photograph London has waned a little during these hotter months. I’ve heard a lot of other photographers say the same but this is the first time in years of photographing landscapes it has happened to me. It won’t be long before the days grow shorter and it gets colder so I’m sure I will be out more regularly soon enough. The break from shooting London has been good for me as I have taken the opportunity to capture other locations such as Brighton as you can read about in this recent post On Location Photographing Brighton. That being said, I did manage a few trips out over the summer months and a few weeks ago I popped back to St Katharine’s Dock and took this week’s photo.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 25mm | 1/10th Second | f/8 | ISO200

Sometimes a photo just comes together with only a small amount of effort, the scene’s exposure is well balanced, the light is great and it just needs a small tweak in post processing but more often than not, the photo takes much more work and this image was no different.

As with my previous visit to this location, I had originally intended to capture a long exposure photo to help simplify the image a little but after trying out a few different exposure times, I wasn’t happy with how the sky was turning out. The shapes caused by the movement in the clouds wasn’t particularly pleasing to the eye and I was much more drawn to how the sky looked as is, without the movement.

The biggest challenge I had to deal with when capturing and processing this photo was the huge dynamic range between the darkest and lightest areas. I decided to bracket the shot while out in the field but in the end, I used just the +1 exposure as the other, darker images had too much noise and lacked definition in the shadows when I tried to recover them. Working on the brightest of the three images, I darkened (dodged) areas of the image to bring back that dark, moody look I remembered while out in the field and I was able to recover most of the highlights due to Fujifilm’s excellent raw files so only a small part of visible sun remains blown out. I don’t normally like any of my images to have blown out areas but the only exception to this rule is when photographing the sun or artificial lights at night as all cameras will struggle with these and trying to recover these will likely cause the affected areas to look grey and messy. Leaving them as is results in a much more natural looking image.

If I were being super critical, which I try to do with all of my images, I would say the water, architecture and clouds create a particularly busy composition. In such situations, I sometimes take a long exposure to smooth out the water or sky but as mentioned above, that doesn’t always suite the final image.

Thanks for stopping by this week.

Until next time.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

London in the Mist | Weekly Photo #13

This is a photo of East London and specifically Canary Wharf taken at sunrise from the Sky Garden located 37 floors above London’s streets. During the winter months, you can book an early morning visit to this fantastic viewpoint from 7am making it a great spot to capture a sunrise over London.

Having already photographed the sunrise on this particular morning, I was greeted by some beautiful low-lying mist across the city creating a great sense of separation and depth. I really like the glimpse of the River Thames in the mid-ground, the strong shapes created by the buildings over at Canary Wharf and the subtle contrast from the cranes in the foreground.

See my previous article titled “Photographing London’s Rooftops” where I showcased other photos captured from this and other rooftop locations.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1/2000th Second | f/3.5 | ISO200

It’s a little tricky to get a clean, sharp, reflection-free image when shooting up in the Sky Garden. With the dirty windows and no tripod rules you have to get a bit creative so here are a few tips to help you.

The no tripod rule:

Some locations that have a no tripod rule turn a blind eye to the mini tripods but having tried this in the Sky Garden, I was quickly corrected by the staff, so for this location big or small, you can’t use a tripod. Improvising, I laid my camera bag on the floor right up against the window and used it to rest my camera on. It was a little tricky but it did the trick and my images were nice and sharp.

Shooting through dirty windows:

This one is simple. get the aperture as wide as you can. Use f/2-4 if you can get that wide. Shooting these distances won’t give you any depth of field issues but even though most lenses are not their sharpest wide open, that’s the trade-off to render all of the marks on the window out of focus and invisible in the final image. Also, with a wider aperture, you will have a faster shutter speed which helps combat the no tripod rule above.

Avoiding the reflections on the glass:

When taking photos through glass windows you will no doubt have some trouble with reflections. The cheap and easy way to avoid this is to place the end of the lens right up against the window. Although this might be effective, it restricts you to the angle you can shoot so you might not be able to capture the ideal composition. The alternative is to invest in a lens hood. I use the Ultimate Lens Hood which fits around the end of the lens and creates a reflection-free area when pressed up against the window. I find it still a little tricky to use but at least I can capture the compositions I want.

I hope you find these tips useful in the future.

Until next week.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

3 Minutes in Brighton | Weekly Photo #12

This photo encompasses so much about why I take long exposure photos. The calm created by the velvety clouds and sea with the pastel like blend of light as it changes throughout the long exposure and the main subject standing out without distractions competing for attention.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 28mm | 181 seconds | f/9 | ISO200

In my pursuit to capture more photos down on the south coast, I once again travelled to Brighton on a warm July’s evening to try and capture a few images I had planned. I wrote about it a bit more in my latest “On Location” post titled On Location | Photographing Brighton Beach where it became apparent that the particular style of image was not going to be possible on this trip so after a couple of hours of photographing the seafront, I wandered to this spot by the Palace Pier to relax, capture the scene in front of me and enjoy the sunset.

As the sun was setting, I set my Fuji XT2 camera on the tripod which was only extended quarter height as I was sitting down on the beach, I mounted my Formatt-Hitech 10-stop filter onto the front of the lens and with the cable release in hand I went about capturing the image. (Read more about how I take long exposure photo here).

Sometimes I wonder if the images we take reflect the mood and environment we took them in and judging by the resulting photo, I think there is certainly a lot of truth in that as for the 30 or so minutes I was sitting on the beach, there was a relaxed, peaceful vibe. With the smooth look created by the 3-minute exposure and the pastel colours in the sky, I think this shows through in the image too.

A beautiful end to a beautiful evening.

Until next time.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

Solitary Gondola | Weekly Photo #11

“This was Venice, the flattering and suspect beauty – this city, half fairy tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once rankly and voluptuously blossomed, where composers have been inspired to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism.”

— Thomas Mann

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/40th Second | f/9 | ISO200

This photo was taken on my second visit to Venice and having already captured a sunrise image from this spot (links below), It’s such a classic and instantly recognisable viewpoint which I wanted to capture another photo but this time, towards the end of the day and including a point of interest. I arrived on the busy Ponte dell’Accademia Bridge around 5:30pm, still some time before sunset and as expected the Grand Canal still had quite a few boats on the water.

I take a lot of cityscape images and as you may have read in other blog posts I have written, I like to declutter the compositions removing distractions and simplifying the scenes as much as I possibly can. In the case, the boats on the water were creating the clutter in the image resulting in no clear focal point in the composition. So, I did what I had too, and waited patiently for a gap in the traffic.

It was probably 20 or so minutes later when the traffic reduced so I just needed that focal point I was after. Keeping an eye on both sides of the bridge I noticed a single gondola sailing underneath my feet and as it entered my frame, most of the other boats had left it, allowing me to capture this iconic cityscape with the focal point I was after. I didn’t have an opportunity to wait for the second gondola to leave down a side canal as in no time at all, boats started to enter the frame once more. I felt confident that I had captured the best version of the image I could that evening. It’s a great feeling when you feel you have a keeper on the memory card and can’t wait to get it back to the computer to process.

The settings I used were fairly standard, and I was able to use a low ISO, f-stop of f/9 at 1/40th second exposure as I had my tripod to avoid any nasty camera shake. I processed the shot in Adobe Lightroom to emphasis the nice blues in the water and sky and lighten up some of the architecture that frames the shot.

This became my favourite photo of the trip which I printed and looks fantastic on paper. I say it all the time, “print your photos!!”.

I have written a number of other posts covering my trips to this city and a few notable posts are listed below:

On Location Photographing Venice - Part One

On Location Photographing Venice - Part Two

On Location Photographing Venice in Black and White

If you ever have the chance to visit Venice, I highly recommend it as I for one can’t wait to be back, surrounded by the deep history and beautiful architecture once more.

Until next week.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

St Paul's Cathedral | Weekly Photo #10

This photo was taken from the 10th floor viewing platform at the Tate Modern, London. Every Friday and Saturday night the museum is open late, meaning you can capture this great view of St Paul’s Cathedral at sunset or under the city lights pretty much all year round.

London has had a surge of high-rise buildings being erected over in the city in recent years and although it probably is necessary progress for the capital and are themselves great to photograph, they now dominate the skyline meaning some of the classic London structures such as St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London have never looked so small up against them. It’s for this reason I like this photo so much as without the modern, taller buildings in the shot, the cathedral is able to dominate the skyline like it has done for the last 300 or so years.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 33mm | 0.8-12 seconds (bracketed) | f/6.4 | ISO200

It’s not easy to capture a longer exposure up at the viewing level as like most other locations like this in London, there is a strict “no tripod” rule which in all fairness makes sense here as space is limited and everyone wants to get to the best spots and take in the view.

I was however able to use my perfectly compact Manfrotto PIXI tripod which is a fantastic little tripod, strong enough to support my XT2. To get this image pin sharp with up to 12 seconds of exposure time I had to balance my mini tripod carefully on the railings at a point where it turned 90 degrees so all three legs had somewhere to rest. In fact, that was the easy bit, the harder job was keeping hold of the camera so it didn’t fall and at the same time as holding it, not introduce any camera shake while the image was taken.

All in all, this final image is made up of 5 separate exposures from -2 (0.8 seconds) to +2 (12 seconds) as it was the only way I could ensure the details in both the shadows around the darker parts of the buildings and highlights caused by the city lights were retained. I merged the exposures in LightRoom and set about the post processing of the image.

I love to look at old paintings of how London used to look with St Paul’s Cathedral dominating the skyline and this photo reminds me somewhat of those images and a time before the rest of London grew taller.

I hope you enjoyed the photo. As ever, leave a comment with any feedback or questions.

Talk to you next week.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

St Katharine Docks | Weekly Photo #9

As I sat at my desk in West London looking out of the window, it wasn’t looking very hopeful for a successful photography session in London. I’d already checked my weather apps and although it initially looked promising, by late afternoon the sky was still flat and rain was in the air.

I left work for the day and as I wandered towards the station, I was in two minds. Should I go take photos, or, with the weather so bad, should I just head home? With little chance of getting good light or a cracking sunset I almost threw in the towel but then a thought struck me. Am I giving up to easily? I stopped in my tracks and stood there whilst I decided what to do. With the conditions as they were, best case I could grab a cracking black and white long exposure, worst case I could scout and explore for next time, when conditions were improved.

I jumped on the underground which took me into central London. I decided to head towards Tower Bridge which is a great spot, providing many photo opportunities facing different directions which certainly helps when you are using the moving clouds or directional light to aid your composition. Having checked the direction the clouds were moving, I decided to set my camera up at St Katherine Docks looking west towards Tower Bridge and the Shard.

To capture the shot below, I used a Formatt-Hitech 10-stop ND filter which gave me an exposure time of 28 seconds catching just enough of the movement in the clouds and smoothed out the Thames helping to simplify the composition and allow the architecture to stand out even more. If you want to learn how to take great long exposure images, you can read my 10-step process by signing up to my newsletter here.

Top tip!! While out and about taking black and white photos, use a black and white film simulation such as Fujifilm’s Acros so you can actually see what your images will look like as you take them. It’s a great approach to get the best results when purposely shooting black and white.

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF10-24mm | 17mm | 28 seconds | f/9 | ISO160

It would have been easy for me to just head home and not take a single image but I’m really glad I didn’t. Many photographers reach a certain point where they don’t feel pressured to capture a photo every time they head out. I realised some time ago that once I enjoy the experience as well as the results, I don’t need to capture a “keeper” during every trip so the pressure reduces, patience increases and the results improve. It’s worth thinking about.

Until next time.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

Wollestraat | Weekly Photo #8

I don’t think I have ever shared this image on social media but it is one of my favourite photos from a trip to Bruges in Summer 2018. The main reason I’m sharing this photo now is that in a few days, I will be going back to Belgium, this time to spend some time in Ghent and I’m really looking forward to wandering the streets, photographing the city and of course grab the odd beer or two. Although, still to confirm, there is a chance we will be stopping off on the way back to spend a day in Bruges which will be great way to end the trip.

I wrote an “On Location” post covering my previous trip to Bruges in 2018 which you can find here.

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF18-55mm | 46mm | 1/40th second | f/7.1 | ISO200

Like most European cities, Bruges is choc-a-block during the day, especially in the summer months but I like to remove distractions and declutter my cityscape and architecture compositions as much as I can and the only way to do this is to venture out in the early hours whilst the city is still sleeping. I’ll do this at least once on most of my trips as it’s the best time to wander the city as, apart from the odd early-bird, I tend to have the place all to myself to photograph the streets and architecture.

I really like the way the road takes the eye through this photo from front to back, framed by the charming buildings that flank the street on each side. I wanted to keep the ISO low and the aperture no wider than f/7.1 to keep as much of the scene as sharp as possible and noise free so with the resulting shutter speed being 1/40th second, I needed to use a tripod. With the streets so quiet, I wasn’t getting in anyone’s way and I could take my time composing the shot.

I plan to take my Fujifilm X-T30 to Ghent next week and I will write an “On Location” article about my visit which I will post on my blog soon after my return in August

Talk to you soon.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

On Location Photographing Brighton Beach

I have been a frequent visitor to Brighton for years. Although I don’t live too close by, I have lived within an hour’s drive of this “city by the sea” for all of my life. Brighton has a cool, positive vibe to it, especially during the summer months when the city is buzzing with locals and tourists enjoying themselves at the seaside. I have a lot of fond memories of the many times I have visited Brighton. I had my stag do in here, it was the first place I drove too after passing my driving test and I now regularly visit with my family to paddle in the sea and eat fish and chips on the beach creating new memories for us all to look back on.

All that being said, for some reason, I rarely visit with the purpose to just take photos. I suspect, living closer to London, the draw to head north from where I live has always been stronger but this year I am determined to head south more often.

I’ve already visited Brighton half a dozen times this year and two of these were specifically to take photos. The first was an early morning in April. I went with the intention of capturing an epic sunrise shot of the West Pier. A classic subject, which I have my own vision as to how I want to capture which depends a lot on the elements all coming together and on this particular morning, I knew as soon as I arrived that this day was not the day I would get that shot.

So, with the intended image no longer an option, I decided to put the tripod away and just wander along the seafront searching out a few compositions as I went.

Armed with my Fuji XT2, I walked between the two piers, using the warm early morning sunlight to help create different compositions of beachfront. Below are 9 of the photos I took on this particular morning, all with the Fujifilm XT2 and XF18-55mm lens except the close up shot of the West Pier which was taken with the XF55-200mm. Select each photo to see the camera settings I used.

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Fast forward to July and with a few hours to spare, I drove back south to Brighton to grab a few more photos down at the seafront, but this time during the sunset hours.

Ever since it was erected in 2016, I hadn’t yet captured any photos of Brighton’s most recent addition to its coastal skyline, the British Airways I360. It’s a unique structure, contrasting against the traditional, ornate Brighton architecture and I for one, really like it. It looks kind of retro-futuristic and what I mean by that is it looks to me like something people in the 1950s would have predicted we would have built today along with the flying cars and gravity suites that is.

For this outing, I once again had my Fujifilm XT2 with my 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses. I knew that to capture the I360 the way I wanted I would need the extra reach of the 200mm and helped by the optical image stabilisation, I was able to handhold the first shot below and keep it nice and sharp while zoomed right in.

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF55-200mm | 200mm | 1/1,700th second | f/4.8 | ISO200

I have always admired Brighton’s beachfront bandstand. Originally opened in 1884 and restored to its former glory in 2009, I love the ornate Victorian architecture. I have tried to capture this central composition for some time now but every other time I visited, it was either closed or conditions were not good enough to show it off properly. With the sun low and casting a beautiful warm glow across the structure, I grabbed the wide angle XF10-24mm lens and captured the photo below. What was important here was to ensure I had the camera absolutely central and level to make sure the final shot looked symmetrical.

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/110th second | f/11 | ISO200

I used the 55-200mm lens to get up close to the I360 in the photo below as I wanted to capture those fantastic reflections in the underside of the pod.

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF55-200mm | 200mm | 1/340th second | f/6.4 | ISO200

I mentioned earlier in this blog that I have a particular photo I want to capture of Brighton’s West Pier and even before I set out, I knew conditions wouldn’t be right for that particular shot but I had another one in mind to capture a long exposure photo of the Palace Pier as the sun was setting. With so much going on architecturally I knew that by capturing the pier as a long exposure photo, all of the details in the sky and water will be rendered smooth and the entire composition would be simplified and less distracting. I used a 10-stop Formatt-Hitech neutral density filter to capture this 3 minute exposure below and if you want to read more about how I take long exposure photos, take a look at this post: How I Take Long Exposure Pictures.

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF18-55mm | 28mm | 181 seconds | f/9 | ISO200

I finished the evening on the Palace Pier to capture the view down the coast towards the I360. With the last of the sun’s light illuminating these fantastic clouds through a thin gap near the horizon, I wanted to use them as the backdrop to both some closeups and wider landscape shots of the view in front of me. The red glow beneath the I360 pod works fantastically with the magenta glow towards the bottom of the frame.

This was a tricky image to capture while keeping as much noise out of the photo as I could by using a low ISO. I was in an exposed spot on the pier and the wind was strong and by using a longer focal length, this combination was just enough to introduce a bit of camera shake. I opened up the aperture to let a little more light in, reducing the exposure time just enough for me to capture the two closeup compositions below.

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF55-200mm | 141mm | 1/9th second | f/4.4 | ISO200

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF55-200mm | 200mm | 1/2 second | f/8 | ISO200

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 10 seconds | f/10 | ISO200

Printing Your Photos

Both the image above of Brighton’s beach as the light was fading and the long exposure of Palace Pier are probably my favourite images of the evening. When I take images I really like, I like to make a print as it brings the photos to life.

Viewing photos on screen is fine but it doesn’t come close to seeing your work printed.

If you are interested in my printing process, take a look at this post here where I walk through printing an image I took of The Shard, London.

With the city lights shining bright and the vibrant blue tones, I decided to use a metallic gloss paper to print this image and I’m glad I did. It gave the final photo a fresh, vibrant finish which suites the subject incredibly well.

So, when you capture an image you really like, do consider printing the image yourself or via a trusted lab. You will not regret it!

As ever, please leave comments below if you have any thoughts or questions relating to this post.

Until next time.

Brutalist Theatre | Weekly Photo #7

This is the architecturally striking National Theatre, located on London’s South Bank. When first parts of the structure were completed in the 1960s it was voted the ugliest building in Britain by Daily Mail readers of the day. Although opinions will be still be split, it is now described as post-modernism architecture and a Grade II listed landmark.

I took this photo while out and about on a wet, rainy walk about town with my Fuji XT2 which you can read more about here: Capturing London on a Cloudy Day and not long after the rain cleared, I found myself wandering along the Thames and crossing Waterloo Bridge. I have shot the National Theatre before but usually from ground level but this composition from the bridge caught my eye as I wandered past.

It was the strong lines that got my attention. I particularly like the way they zigzag from right to left, front to back, but also act to lead the eye into the main structure and its impressive shapes and angles. It was all coming together nicely, but the space on the bottom left was bothering me. The image needed something (or someone) to add a little balance and a focal point.

The seating area is framed nicely by the theatre’s strong lines, so I stood there, poised, camera at the ready, while I waiting for the right person to walk into the frame. It had to be a single figure walking across the space to work in this shot and after just a few minutes, this lady strolls into the frame and with that bright red coat contrasting against the muted, grey colours in the buildings and sky, I knew I had my focal point. If the lady was waiting towards the building, thus, into the scene, it would have been perfect, but let’s face it, there is no such thing as a perfect photo.

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/350th second | f/3.6 | ISO200

One last point to note. I deliberately left the bird that is flying through the frame in the shot. I could have easily removed this in post processing but after some deliberation, I decided it was to stay. Maybe its adding a little disorder to a photo that has straight, rigid lines and otherwise a lot of order. Maybe its just to make the viewer wonder what it is and why it was left in the image. Photos are there to make you think and sometimes, my own photos make me wonder and ask questions.

Until next time.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

City Lights | Weekly Photo #6

I remember talking about this particular photo some time back on one of my newsletters (sign up here) because the day I took this image, I wasn’t out on a photography trip, but that doesn’t mean photo opportunities can’t be taken advantage of.

Back in March, I was at work related event on the nautically opulent Sunborn Yacht Hotel moored in the Royal Victoria Dock in East London. My colleague and I had just been to a trade show nearby and arrived at the yacht a little early, just before sunset so we grabbed a drink and headed out on deck and relaxed for a few minutes. As We sat there admiring the view playing out in front of us, I started to get the photography itch. With the sun’s orange glow just above the horizon and the city lights dazzling I had to photograph this view.

A few months ago, I wrote a “What’s in my Camera Bag” post and in this article and I talked about my different gear configurations, one being my ultra-lightweight set-up. This set up comes everywhere with me. Although since writing the post and taking this photo, I have swapped out the Fuji X-T10 for the newer X-T30, the basic kit remains the same. One of the reasons I love this camera model so much is how small and convenient it is. It takes a fantastic photo but takes up little room in my rucksack.

Where was I? Right, so, with camera in my bag next to me, it took me no time at all to grab the camera, mount it on the Manfrotto PIXI tripod and compose the shot. The entire shoot was over in about 3-4 minutes but once I knew I had captured the shot below and I had checked it was well composed, correctly exposed and sharp, my photographic itch was scratched and I could get on with my evening knowing I had the photo in the bag ready to process later.

What do I like about the image? Although it’s a rather complex composition, I love the way the photo has multiple layers. In the foreground, we have the wonderful reflections. In the mid-ground, you can see the O2 area and cable carts on the left-hand side. Then, balancing the image on the right-hand side, in the background, the high-rise buildings over at Canary Wharf. On top of this, there is some beautiful pastel colours framing the image.

Fujifilm X-T10 | XF35mmF2 | 35mm | 1/7th second | f/2 | ISO200

It’s times like these that make it worthwhile having the camera with me at all times and by putting together an ultra-lightweight kit, I know, that wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, if an opportunity to grab a shot presents itself, I’ll be ready!

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

The West Pier | Weekly Photo #5

I don’t take a lot of black and white photos. If I take a photo and cast the colour away at the editing stage, I feel I’m taking something away from the image I originally took. It makes no sense to me that I would find a composition in colour, feel it worthy enough to hit the shutter, only to remove a major part of the image later on. In my brain at least, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

That being said, some photos, from the get-go are best taken with a black and white conversion in mind. This is usually when the colours in the image are muted or distracting such as the photo of Brighton’s West Pier below.

This Grade II listed pier, located in Brighton, UK has had a pretty rough time. Closed due to safety concerns, funding secured for restoration only to be destroyed in an arson attack leading to the restoration project being cancelled. It’s a shame that such a significant piece of architecture ended in this way but thankfully, with the ruins now taking on a new life as a kind of urban sculpture, they are now a popular attraction on the South Coast of England being cared for by the West Pier Trust.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 12mm | 199 seconds | f/7.1 | ISO200

When I rocked up to capture this image a few months ago, I immediately knew it had to be a minimalistic black and white shot. The clouds lacked definition, the water was murky and the pier’s usually red, rusty colour was brown and boring. On this day, a minimal, black and white long exposure image was the best option for me.

On to my Fujifilm XT2 went the wide-angle 10-24mm lens. I positioned the tripod dead centre and mounted my filters. All of this is pretty standard for a long exposure image but one other thing I did was change my settings and enabled the Across black and white film simulation. As I mentioned before, when I see in colour and like the photo, I want to preserve this as much as possible but now, with the film simulation enabled I could literally see what the final image would look like, without any colour, as I took the shot.

Although I love the Fujifilm simulations, the final image above was converted to black and white from the colour RAW file back in Adobe Lightroom as I wanted to tweak the image to my liking. Apart from the conversion to black and white, I darkened the sky and emphasised the pier’s silhouette and reflection in the middle of the frame. Lastly, I added a vignette around the image to draw the viewers eye into the middle of the frame to rest on the pier.

Next time you are out taking photos and feel they might look better as a black and white conversion, try changing the settings while on location to enable a black and white filter so you can see how your final shot will look. This will usually only convert the JPG photos so if you shoot RAW+JPG then you will still have the colour version to decide on the final look later on, if you so choose.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

Climbing The Stairs | Weekly Photo #4

I chose this photo for a couple of reasons. Firstly, and simply put, I really like it! More on that further below but the second reason I chose this photo as it represents a significant change in my photography style. You see, up until recently, I would go to any length to avoid people in my photos. I considered myself a cityscape/architectural photographer and I didn’t need people in my photos. In those photos, people added disorder and unpredictability to a composition I wanted to keep simple and focused on the cityscape I am capturing.

More recently however, I have started to appreciate what a human figure can bring to the final photo. It can add a sense of scale, enhance the story or illustrate a special moment, frozen in a frame for all time. I still don’t necessarily like to include people in my wider cityscape photos for the reasons mentioned above but for more, close up street-type images I’m beginning to see the benefit of including them.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/480th second | f/4 | ISO200

The photo was taken with my Fujifilm XT2 and wide angle 10-24mm lens. I think the composition only works at 10mm as the wider focal length allowed me to include these fantastic lead in lines and foreground interest created by the stairs, brickwork and railings. I also like the way the areas in shadow create a frame around the chap walking up the stairs, again, adding to a stronger composition.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

On Location Photographing Paris

“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.”

— Thomas Jefferson

I can’t believe how long it has taken me to write a small post about the 24 hours I spent in Paris with the family last year. We tagged a night in the city on to the end of our stay near Paris as my Wife and I wanted to take our two daughters into the city we both love and show them a few of the sights.

At the beginning of our trip, we actually stopped off for a weekend stay in Bruges, Belgium. You can read all about that visit here: On Location Photographing Bruges.

So, with this being a family holiday, photography was not the priority. We were out during the day and eating and drinking in the evening during the best light. At the time of our visit, Europe was in a bit of a heatwave and temperatures were hitting high 30’s (pushing 100 degrees in old money) so there would be no moody, atmospheric skies on this trip, It was mostly white fluffy clouds and blue skies. I took plenty of photos documenting the family trip but even with these bright, sunny, daytime conditions, I also managed to mix in a little bit of my own travel photography as I went along.

For this trip, my camera of choice was the Fujifilm XT2 and I took just two lenses. The XF18-55mm for the standard zoom and XF55-200mm for the extra reach. Both offer a great balance between excellent quality and minimal weight and great for walking around capturing the city.

Once back home, I used some of my existing presets in Adobe’s Lightroom to kick off the editing and provide a base edit. From there I tweaked and adjusted to find the look I wanted. For this set, I was looking for a slightly desaturated look to help tone down the blue sky, sunny day, holiday snap look.

Photographing Notre-Dame de Paris

Early on we took the view that with 24 hours in the city, our options to cover all of the sites was limited. With the hot weather, we didn’t want to be rushing around so we decided to focus on 3 locations. Notre-Dame de Paris, Musée du Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. 3 classic tourist hotspots.

Having checked in and dropped off our bags, we took a brief trip on the Metro to Notre-Dame.

I couldn’t write this post without referencing the horrendous fire that took place at this historic cathedral. At the time of our visit, the fire was many months away and I could never have imagined this beautiful structure going through such an ordeal and still be in a position to be restored. Luckily that is the case and with so many around the world donating to the cause, restoration works are already underway. It will be a few years before we get to see Notre-Dame back to its best so I take some comfort that I was able to capture these images during my visit.

Around 10 years ago, back in 2009, I took a photo from the back of Notre-Dame looking down the river. This was my favourite composition of the cathedral so as we wandered around the area I decided to pop back to the same spot and capture a fresh copy. One day, after the restoration is complete, I will visit specifically to take a sunrise/sunset shot of this composition. Yes, it has been photographed countless times during the golden hour but none of them taken by me, with my style.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/1,900 second | f/3.2 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/2,900 second | f/4 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/600 second | f/4 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/350 second | f/4 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/2,400 second | f/3.2 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/1,250 second | f/4 | ISO200

Photographing the Eiffel Tower

As we had so little time in the city, we couldn’t spend too much time at each location but we decided that if we were to fully explore one of our three places, it would have to be the Eiffel Tower. When presented a choice to our daughters, going up the Eiffel Tower was the unanimous decision. So, during the late afternoon, into the evening, we had a great time around the area.

We travelled to the second level of the tower and wandered around taking in the views. This is where having my 55-200mm lens came in handy. I was able to capture both the wider Parisian cityscape and also get in close and pick out some of the details around the city.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 27mm | 1/1,5000 second | f/3.6 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/1000 second | f/6.4 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 200mm | 1/1,100 second | f/7.1 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/1,700 second | f/4.5 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/125 second | f/13 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 122mm | 1/1,700 second | f/4.2 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/4,400 second | f/4.5 | ISO200

Photographing the musée du Louvre

Before it was time to go and get the car and head home, we were able to spend a few hours around the Musée du Louvre. Even though we didn’t have time to explore inside the museum this time, we had a great time wandering the grounds and hanging about near the fountains getting wet from the spray which on such a hot day, was very welcome indeed.

Photographically, this area provides lots of opportunities to try different techniques such as juxta-positioning contrasting architecture to create interesting compositions or exploring the various walkways and using the deep shadows and bright openings to frame a subject as I did below with the lady walking past the end of the tunnel.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 34mm | 1/680 second | f/5.6 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 34mm | 1/1,000 second | f/5.6 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1/950 second | f/5.6 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 164mm | 1/2,500 second | f/5 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 200mm | 1/1,500 second | f/5.6 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 200mm | 1/1,250 second | f/4.8 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1/1,400 second | f/4 | ISO200

We had such a fantastic 24 hours in Paris. The weather was great, the kids had a blast and I was able to capture a few snaps along the way.

It’s off to Ghent, Belgium next but I am sure we will be booking a longer stay in Paris together soon enough and you never know, I might even get that golden hour shot of Notre-Dame I want so badly.

The Shard at Sunset | Weekly Photo #3

I have taken lots of photos of this view over the years. With the Shard towering above the surrounding buildings since 2013, I would consider this a modern, but now, iconic view of the city. That being said, up until now, I have struggled to capture this view in an image I really, truly like. I have taken many good photos, but yet to capture what I consider a great photo. There is always something lacking, be it the light, the weather or something else. On top of this, I struggle with the balance of the photo. The city skyline tends to make the composition heavier on the left-hand side, dropping off on the right and due to the shape of the building, unless the Shard sits in the centre of the photo, I struggle to get the vertical lines of the Shard to look, well, vertical.

Not to be deterred, and as I like to photograph this area so much, I once again set out to try and capture this scene. Having checked the usual apps for cloud cover, direction and sunset time, it was looking promising. My only concern was the wind speed. The clouds were moving slowly which meant I may not see those lead-in-lines the clouds can create in a long exposure image.

As the sun headed down, towards the horizon, I found the composition I wanted while standing on Tower Bridge. I was as far back as I could be, tucked in the corner next to the brick arches shielded from the wind and out of the way of the many tourists.

The Shard was nicely centred, the lines nice and straight and the cloud cover, being heavier near the horizon on the right added weight and balance to the overall image. With it all coming together, Was I I going to get the shot?

Up goes the tripod, on goes the Fujifilm XT2 camera with my ever reliable XF18-55mm lens. A quick note on the lens. It may considered a kit lens by some but any Fujifilm shooter with this lens will tell you it’s probably the best “kit lens” on the market. it’s certainly my favourite of all my Fujifilm glass. Where was I? That’s right, I set my focal length, locked in the manual focus, filter on and cable release connected.

Dodging the river traffic, the sky lit up and I began shooting long exposure photos. As the light dropped, my exposures stretched to about 90 seconds which was about perfect to get that super smooth water I wanted. As expected, there wasn’t a lot of movement in the lower clouds but as I mentioned above, for this shot, that’s probably ok as it balanced the composition somewhat.

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF18-55mm | 20mm | 131 seconds | f/10 | ISO500

Thoughts on the Photo?

So, what do I like? Well, I do like the way the light reflects in the Shard and City Hall buildings adding depth and atmosphere to the image. I also like the way the reflection/shadow of the Shard in the silky smooth water anchors the buildings somewhat.

As I have written many times, I do like the simpler, less cluttered compositions of London created by long exposure photos and I do wonder if the cloud direction and movement could have turned this shot into something even better. I guess we will never know.

Do I think this is a great shot? I do really like it and its probably my favourite taken of this view of the Shard to date but will I come back and try to take a better one? You bet! That’s the bitter/sweet thing about photography, on both accounts, you can never really say you are finished.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

On The Canals | Weekly Photo #2

This week’s photo was taken while on a family trip along the Grand Union Canal which runs between Birmingham and London. We spent three incredibly relaxing days navigating our narrow boat along the waterways and although this was not a photography trip, I couldn’t resist peeling off for a few minutes here and there and capturing a few shots of the canal.

Fujifilm X-T30 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/250th second | f/5 | ISO500

As this wasn’t a photography trip and space is a little tight on these narrow boats I took just a single camera and lens combo with me. I took the Fujifilm X-T30 and the incredibly versatile XF18-55mm lens. I even considered just taking the 35mmF2 prime lens but not having hired a narrow boat before, I wasn’t sure if the single focal length would be a little too limiting. I made the right choice.

The great thing about having the newer X-T30 is the extra resolution. On top of using all of the 55mm focal length I had available, it still needed a bit of cropping too but the final image is still 18MP and plenty large enough to print.

If you are looking for a relaxing trip and fancy exploring the British countryside, then do consider a canal holiday. It was fantastic.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

On Location Photographing the Golden Hour in London

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”

— George Eastman

This well-known quote increasingly resonates with me and I will be the first to admit, that I have a long way to go before I have mastered the art of seeing light…but I’m getting there. Not so long ago, it would have been rare to catch me without a tripod as I took photos in London. My eye was fixed on the city’s skyline or architecture which to a large degree still is but I when capturing a cityscape, the wide vistas rely heavily on an interesting sky with great light and with all of the planning in the world, once set up ready to take the shot, I have to wait for the light to find me. Sometimes it all comes together but more often than not, I am left without an image.

Back in 2018, I started a project called London Chrome. This project continues today and was started to help me develop my photographic craft by wandering the streets, unchained from a tripod helping me to develop my eye for shapes, composition and light with a degree of success.

These days, as I wander the city, camera in hand looking for compositions, I am now using light as a part of the composition much more effectively, embracing dark shadows while attempting to balance the composition with both the subject and light.

A few weeks ago, during a bright sunny morning, I took a walk along the River in London with my Fujifilm XT2 and XF18-55mm lens starting at the London Eye, crossing the river at the Tate Modern and finishing at St Paul’s Cathedral. Along the way I tried to take advantage of the strong sunlight and deep shadows while capturing a mix of street and architecture photos. In terms of mastering the light, I think I still have a long way to go but I’m comfortable with that. Mastering photography is a journey, probably a life long one and once that reality hits, the pressure to capture a winner every time is lifted. I’m really enjoying this phase of my photographic journey, embracing new challenges and seeing where it takes me.

If you ever feel wanting for some creative inspiration, maybe down in a photographic rut, then I urge you to change things up, take on a challenge or start a new personal project and just see what happens. Exploring the unknown can be quite liberating.

I will leave you with a few of my photos from my photo-walk along the River Thames.

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/110th second | f/8 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/150th second | f/9 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/220th second | f/9 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/400th second | f/9 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/350th second | f/7.1 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/1250th second | f/8 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/1800th second | f/4 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 55mm | 1/340th second | f/4 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 10mm | 1/125th second | f/8 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 14mm | 1/250th second | f/8 | ISO200

Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 14mm | 1/420th second | f/8 | ISO200

Sunrise in London | Weekly Photo #1

Introducing My Weekly Photo Series

This is my first post in a new weekly photo series. It came about as I had been contemplating for some time about how I want to share my photos, both on my website and social media going forward. These days, probably since Instagram gained popularity, photography seems to be all about quantity, with quality often taking a back seat. I know this is the reality of now but I don’t want my photography to be dictated by how many images I can post in a day. I want to use these platforms to share my best photos, discuss the techniques I used, share information and engage with like minded people. I’m not saying that I don’t care if my photos gain recognition. Of course I do. Most artists, whatever their field, love to see their work being viewed by others, but I want the photography and story telling to be my priority.

I still plan to share a couple of longer articles each month but with a weekly photo series, I can focus on 52 of my favourite photos each year. Kind of like a 52-week challenge but with a mix of new and favourite pictures from my archive with a paragraph or two to accompany the image.

With the introduction done, let’s get to my first photo in the series.

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Sunrise in London

Fujifilm X-T10 | XF35mmF2 | 35mm | 1/20,000 second | f/2 | ISO200

These are the photos that make getting up early and travelling, bleary eyed into London worth it. This is one of my favourite photos I took in 2018 of, in my opinion one of the best views in London so what better photo to start my new Weekly Photo series with.

This was the very first photo I took while out on a photo walk in London last September. Every time I leave from the train station and cross London Bridge from the south, I love the way this famous scene, which I have captured many times slowly appears to my right.

This isn’t a very original composition, so why do I like this photo so much? Well, apart from it being an iconic view of London, readers of my blog will know how I love to capture a bit of tranquillity in London’s cityscape and I certainly get that feeling in this photo. The cooler, hazy light is contrasted nicely with the strong highlights from the rising sun hitting the scene side-on which also provides a sense of depth in the image.

I captured this photo with my now, retired Fujifilm X-T10 and XF35mmF2 lens. Although I have since upgraded the X-T10 to the X-T30, this combination features in my ultra light-weight kit as mentioned in this “What’s in my camera bag 2019”.

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This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.

My Top 5 Long Exposure Locations in London

I’m a big fan of long exposure photography. I love the way long exposure photography blends all of the elements, such as light and colour together in a single image. Colours tend to be softer, distractions removed and overall, I have a cleaner, less cluttered composition. This is especially true when applying the technique to my London cityscape photography. If capturing wide vistas of London’s skyline from the River Thames, it can end up a rather cluttered image. The fast-flowing river, the many, many people that walk along the banks and some of the less attractive or ill-fitting architecture can all add a sense of chaos and noise to the final image. By rendering the river silky smooth, removing all of the people and softening the sky, I find long exposure photography adds balance and focus to the final image.

“What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time.”

— John Berger

I previously wrote a more detailed article about why I take Long Exposures and what it brings to both the colour and composition of my images. You can find the post here: SLOWING TIME: WHY THE LONG EXPOSURE?

In this post, I’m going to show you 5 of my top spots along the River Thames that are ideal locations to capture long exposure photos of London’s iconic views. I will attempt to cover some of the more practical information such as how to get there and when to visit. It’s probably worth noting at this point that the list below is far from exhaustive. There are many other great locations along the river or elsewhere in the city to take long exposure photos but as mentioned, these are some of my top locations which I want to share with you.

In this post, I won’t talk too much about the technique or equipment I use but if you are interested in this, take a look at a previous article I wrote which covers my 10 step approach to taking long exposure photos: HOW I TAKE LONG EXPOSURE PICTURES.

One last thing to add before we jump in to the 5 locations is that all 5 are tripod friendly. Tripods are a key component when taking long exposure photos as the camera has to be absolutely still and like most cities, there are many privately owned areas with strict rules around tripod use but for all of these locations, you should have no problem with tripod police spoiling your fun.

The London Eye from The Golden Jubilee Bridge

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 24mm | 121 seconds | f/10 | ISO200

Travelling West to East along the River Thames, we will start at the London Eye. The London Eye itself is probably the best landmark in London to capture with Long Exposure photography as the spinning wheel adds a great sense of motion and interest in the sky, especially when the sky is clear as in the photo here. There are a handful of great locations to capture the London eye such as from Westminster Bridge in the distance, directly from the front or behind the wheel but for long exposure compositions, this is my favourite.

Top tip: Opening times for the London Eye vary throughout the year so if you want to get the movement like that shown in the photo below you should ensure you plan the shoot while the London Eye is open.

Getting Here:

The nearest tube station is Embankment which is along the Circle and District lines. When existing the station, head towards the riverside and under Hungerford Bridge and up the stairs onto the southern Golden Jubilee Bridge.

Click here to open location on Google Maps

When To Visit:

The London Eye itself faces west so straight at the setting sun. This means during the golden hour and sunset, you can get some great light. You can still get some great shots of the London Eye at sunrise but I find it best to avoid the months Between September and March as the sun rises behind the London Eye which can cause issues getting a correctly exposed image. Oh, and you have to get up super early!

Westminster from Waterloo Bridge

Fujifilm X-T10 | XF18-55mm | 23mm | 58 seconds | f/11 | ISO200

Over the years, I have walked across Waterloo Bridge many times and love this view towards the west, but before I started taking long exposure photos, I never really captured a photo of it I particularly like. How does it go again? “A good view does not necessarily make a good photo?”

Usually, there’s a lot going on in this composition. With the rough waters, London Eye, people walking across the Golden Jubilee Bridge and along the Southbank, it’s hard to pick out the main focus points in the composition. By capturing the scene as a long exposure, some of these elements are removed from the composition leaving the rest of the image some room to breathe.

Getting Here:

There is a choice of tube stations for this location. Waterloo which is on the Jubilee Line or you have both Embankment or Temple to choose from on the Circle and District Lines.

Click here to open location on Google Maps

When To Visit:

To capture a good sunrise, the winter months are a great time to do so as the sun will light the scene from the left but I find the summer months the best time for capturing the evening light as the sun sets to the right of the scene, later in the evening meaning less river traffic to avoid in your photo and importantly, less people crossing the bridge as the path is a bit tight for space, leaving little room to set up the tripod safely.

If you’re interested as to how I edited the photo above, I wrote a post about the steps I took which you can find here: EDITING SUNSET AT THE SOUTH BANK

St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF18-55mm | 25mm | 161 seconds | f/11 | ISO200

Continuing east along the river, the composition here is an incredibly popular one for good reason. The Millennium Bridge creates fantastic lead-in lines towards the world-famous St Paul’s Cathedral. The Millennium Bridge can be very busy at times and taking this photo with a standard exposure will capture all of those people compromising the strong, simple lines as you can see here but by using the long exposure technique, all of those people are rendered invisible in the final image simplifying the overall image.

Here you can see exactly the same photo taken with a 1/40s exposure showing people crossing the Millennium Bridge.

Getting Here:

This location is really easy to find. When I took this photo, I was situated right outside the front doors of the Tate Modern Museum on the south bank of the River Thames. Getting here is also super easy as there are many local stations such as London Bridge for National Rail, Jubilee and Northern Lines which are all located south of the river or on the north side you have Mansion House for the Circle or District Lines. You also have St Paul’s on the Circle Line. Head towards Tate Modern and you will find the spot right by the river.

Click here to open location on Google Maps

When To Visit:

Catching a good sunset or sunrise requires a bit of a late night or early morning as the summer months are best. During May to July, the sun rises in the north-east and sets in the north west. Facing north to take the photo, the sun is close by when the best light hits the cathedral. If you want to visit the area and have it all to yourself, then a summer sunrise, although incredibly early is the best option.

City Hall and the Shard from Tower Bridge

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 150 seconds | f/8 | ISO200

Looking west from Tower Bridge provides some great views of The Shard along with the striking architecture of More London and City Hall. Although they belong to different estates, the modern architecture of More London and The Shard complement each other nicely.

This view is another example of how using long exposure removes some of the distractions in an ordinarily busy scene to add calm and focus on the main subject. With the smooth water and softer clouds, the hard-chiselled lines such as those belonging to the Shard are enhanced leaving no doubt as to the main focal point in the composition.

Getting Here:

By far the easiest way to get to Tower Bridge is to take the short walk from either London Bridge (Jubilee Line, Northern Line or National Rail) or Tower Hill (Circle and District Lines). During the day and late into the evening, Tower bridge can be incredibly busy with tourists and commuters so, although tripods are allowed, there is a high risk of it being knocked or bumped. My advice is to keep the tripod retracted and take advantage of the deep walls around the towers to rest the tripod away from the foot traffic. Just be careful the camera is not knocked into the river!

Click here to open location on Google Maps

When To Visit:

As with Waterloo Bridge, if you want to capture a cracking sunset with a little less people around, I think the summer months are best. The sun sets just off to the right lights up the architecture beautifully and the later sunset means a little less foot traffic. As for sunrise, the winter months provide the best chance of great light in the clouds above the buildings as in December and January, the sun rises just off to the right of the scene.

Tower Bridge from the Girl and the Dolphin Fountain

Fujifilm X-T2 | XF10-24mm | 16mm | 150 seconds | f/11 | ISO200

The last stop on this trip down the Thames is Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge is arguably one of the most instantly recognisable structures in the world. The twin towers are a fantastic subject for a long exposure photo and I think this location, with the fountain adding foreground interest, provides one of the best compositions of this iconic bridge.

Getting Here:

As with the location above, the easiest way to get to Tower Bridge is to arrive from either London Bridge (Jubilee Line, Northern Line or National Rail) or the now closer Tower Hill Station (Circle and District Lines). Once at Tower Bridge, the fountain is on the north side of the river right by to the stairs that lead to the bridge’s road level. You can’t miss it.

Click here to open location on Google Maps

When To Visit:

You may have gathered from what you have read so far, I find the best light for a long exposure at sunrise or sunset and I find this location great for a sunset photo during the summer months. I’m not keen of having the sun set directly in the scene when taking long exposure photos as it creates too much contrast and can render the subject a silhouette. Having the light come in from the side or front of the subject creates a more balanced exposure and when an epic sunset takes place just outside the frame the best of the light is captured without fighting the dynamic range.

You may require a little patience when capturing this shot as this is the only location listed where people can literally walk in front of your camera. This is a popular spot for tourists capturing a look at Tower Bridge, usually standing for long enough to be rendered visible in your image, regardless of how long the exposure time is. If you want to avoid waiting for a suitable gap or even happy to risk not getting a clean shot at all, then a winter sunrise, all being well with the weather can provide a great shot with a lot less people around.

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To capture a great long exposure sunset/sunrise photo of London, you are at the mercy of the weather to get that great light but one other important element that needs to be considered is the clouds. With a long exposure photo, the density and direction the clouds are moving can make or break the final photo. In terms of composition, if the clouds are moving directly away or towards the camera, they can create fantastic lead in lines. Even if the light doesn’t turn out great, if the clouds play their part, you can still walk away with a great long exposure image.

So, there you have it, 5 of my favourite spots to take long exposure photos along the River Thames in London. As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, there are many more spots around the city that are also great to capture but I personally feel that by incorporating the river adds great balance against the movement captured in the sky.

Feel free to leave a comment with your own suggestions for long exposure locations in London and further afield.

Until next time.