Photographing Central London
April 2, 2007 7:32 AM   Subscribe

How can I get the most photo goodness out of my London vacation?

Details - My wife and I will be in London May 7th through May 13th. We have a hotel near Hyde Park and plan to be doing lots of walkies. We don't think we'll be getting out of the central London area much, but we aren't adverse to it. I'll be bringing a Canon 20D, lots of lenses, and a good tripod. I know my way around travel photography quite well. This will be our first trip to London, but I already have a pretty good handle on the "tourist in London" thing. Just want to get the photo situation dialed in.

Since we'll only be there a few days I'd like some suggestions on making the best of my photo time. Standing in line for hours or being thwarted by crowds is bad. I want to come back with as many "keepers" as possible. I have a couple guide books, and I've browsed a couple photo sites, but other than that just winging it so far. We can spend several hours a day taking photos, and I plan on being out around sunrise/sunset as much as possible.

Any photography-specific tips, suggestions, or advisories?
posted by Skyriss to Travel & Transportation around London, England (11 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
Greenwich. The South bank. I said this last time this question was asked, and I'll say it again. If you're not keen on crowds, then don't do Greenwich on a sunday, but otherwise both of these are a winner. The Greenwich trip has to start at Bank on the DLR so you get the docklands scenery too, and has to take in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_foot_tunnel">greenwich foot tunnel, so make sure you get off at Island Gardens then walk across.

For more surreal photo stuff, get the train to Crystal Palace Park (20 minutes from victoria to crystal palace on the suburban overground train) Google image results for concrete dinosaurs and ruins.
posted by handee at 7:40 AM on April 2, 2007


Oops. Broken link to the GFT: greenwich foot tunnel
posted by handee at 7:41 AM on April 2, 2007


A few places you could try that are good for photography:

Highgate Cemetery
Hampstead Garden Suburb
Kew Gardens
posted by veedubya at 8:06 AM on April 2, 2007


Are you on Flickr? The London Flickr Meetups group is very active, they might even do you an impromptu meetup, and will be able to answer this question in some detail. (disclosure, I'm an admin there).
posted by Happy Dave at 8:33 AM on April 2, 2007


I honestly think that if your legs are up to it you will find more interesting quirky stuff just by walking around the less touristy streets all day. Maybe when moving between major photo opportunities you should aim to navigate there by smaller streets (not back alleys, just not the main traffic routes either).

If you want to take a picture of 'Big Ben', don't stand on Westminster Bridge like everyone else: go to the nearest corner of St James's Park and look back from there. I promise you it makes a much better picture.

...and you won't be blocking my way like every other tourist in London...
posted by Phanx at 8:40 AM on April 2, 2007


I don't know your interests, but it is fine to take photographs in the British Museum. However, it can be dim in there.
posted by amtho at 8:50 AM on April 2, 2007


If you want to take photos of the City (that is, the financial district, where the Gherkin is) go on the weekend. It's deserted then.

Seconding walking everywhere - central London really is a lot smaller than it seems and you can get around fairly quickly if you avoid the tourist traps. Buy a mini A-Z.
posted by terrynutkins at 9:14 AM on April 2, 2007


I second the advice on taking photos in the City, as well as getting an A-Z. It's indispensable.

Other interesting photo spots: any of the bridges -- try all sorts of angles while on them or from South Bank. Bloomsbury for quiet streets and tasteful Georgian architecture.
posted by midatlanticwanderer at 9:26 AM on April 2, 2007


Time Out did a feature last week on photographing London from the air. Although not all of the locations are open to the public, a trip on the London Eye at the very least would be interesting (might need a polariser for the reflection off the pod, though?)

Rather than battle the Greenwich crowds on a Sunday, how about a wander round the City of London (the financial district), which is practically deserted at the weekends.

Covent Garden is great for people watching if that's your kind of thing. Or, better still, check out one of the more traditional markets - ones in the East End like Petticoat Lane or Columbia Road will provide plenty of local colour.

Also, you might like to try a walk along the South Bank, which, as well as having lots of cool stuff, affords great views of the river and the north bank.

Hope you have a great time!
posted by dogsbody at 9:29 AM on April 2, 2007


The London Eye's a pretty snazzy picture op, but is highly dependant on the weather and size of the crowd.
posted by slimepuppy at 9:42 AM on April 2, 2007


Go to the Flickr Map, zoom in on the area you'll be visiting, and click around until you see photos you like, and check the map to see where they were taken. Also check some Flickr groups for London, especially if they have a lot of local members. Click on place name tags to see clusters of photos ranked by the most interesting.
posted by matildaben at 10:19 AM on April 2, 2007


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