Beginner London.

Roy1212

Roy1212

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Roy Newport
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Hi all,
I 've never had the chance to photograph in London but next weekend I can get there on Sunday at first light and have 4 hours play time,what would you do in that 4 hours?Best location or a must photograph when in London,many thanks Roy.
 
Hi Roy it depends what type of photography you want to do but one suggestion could be to start off at the Tower of London and walk west following the Thames Path until you get to Westminster. On the way you will see a lot of famous London landmarks such as City Hall, London Bridge, The Shard, St Paul's (might need a slight detour), London Eye, Westminster, etc. Also you might be able to take some telephoto shots of Canary Wharf when you start out.

London is quite big and the walk from Tower of London to Westminster would take about 1 hour if you didn't stop for any photography. Another suggestion would be to jump on the riverboat service in Canary Wharf and follow the Thames westwards.
 
You didn't say which part of London, and it's about 40 miles across, but if it's central London, I second what Maarten said. That part of the Thames Path is called The Queen's Walk and it's a great place for photography as it passes a lot of interesting architecture, people, and river scenes, as well as places like City Hall, HMS Belfast, Hays Galleria, the Golden Hinde, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern, the Oxo Tower, Gabriel's Wharf, the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, and the London Eye. If you can afford a ticket for the Eye, it's well worth it if it's not foggy as the view in all directions is fantastic.

It doesn't matter which direction you go in, though if it were an afternoon/evening walk I'd recommend ending up at the Festival Hall area as it's usually lit up nicely. There are also more cafes, restaurants, and pubs at that end.
 
If you like architectural photography, Canary Wharf. If you like lots of people and atmosphere, Camden Lock. For general London shots follow the above advice.
 
As others have said it depends on what you want to do.

If you're getting there for dawn then I would suggest doing the Houses of Parliament as the morning sun will illuminate the facade of the building. From there the Southbank there are a number of things to do.

Things to be aware of in London.

1) Shooting in railway station needs permission if you want to use a tripod. It can be done but be prepared to be told to go away. St Pancras though is somewhere I've never had a problem and it's a good place for architecture inside and out.
2) Same goes for the underground.
3) From Westminster Bridge to the London Eye is private property. If you use a tripod they will find you very quickly. Just use a small table top one and you'll be fine.
4) Same advice goes for in front of City Hall.
5) Be wary of photographing around Canary Wharf. Nice architecture but you will be asked to move on if you start getting a tripod out. Their security looks like police officers due to their uniform. They are not but it is private property.

As others have said, it depends on what you want to do.
 
Another thing you might want to consider is hiring one of the Santander bikes that you will see dotted all over the place. This would enable you to get around quickly between say Westminster and Buckingham Palace and I think if you only use it for 30 mins at a time it is actually free.
 
maarten.dhaese said:
Another thing you might want to consider is hiring one of the Santander bikes that you will see dotted all over the place. This would enable you to get around quickly between say Westminster and Buckingham Palace and I think if you only use it for 30 mins at a time it is actually free.
Click to expand...
If you're not familiar with London, I would NOT recommend cycling in London. It might be a quick way to get around, but it's incredibly dangerous, especially if you have a reasonable size camera bag on you.

I would second what's been said above. For a first time visit, the Thames Path is a great starting point. If you're there at sunrise you get a good view from either the north side next to the Tower of London or south side next to City Hall. If you're doing that north bank route, don't forget to stop off at Somerset House.
If you want to photograph people, the South Bank is good, the skaters at the South Bank Centre are good for action shots too.

Regarding Westminster, I'm not sure I'd bother because at lot of it is covered in scaffolding.
 
Thank you,Am I right in thinking there is no congestion charges on a Sunday,really looking forward to it.
 
maarten.dhaese said:
Hi Roy it depends what type of photography you want to do but one suggestion could be to start off at the Tower of London and walk west following the Thames Path until you get to Westminster. On the way you will see a lot of famous London landmarks such as City Hall, London Bridge, The Shard, St Paul's (might need a slight detour), London Eye, Westminster, etc. Also you might be able to take some telephoto shots of Canary Wharf when you start out.

London is quite big and the walk from Tower of London to Westminster would take about 1 hour if you didn't stop for any photography. Another suggestion would be to jump on the riverboat service in Canary Wharf and follow the Thames westwards.
Click to expand...
I second that, although I would suggest considering getting a one way trip from Westminister to Greenwich and come back by the tube (depending on where you start of course).
I would only go one way as the sights are repeated both ways and you are limited for time.
If you like birds Kensington Gardens is great for Little Owls and Parakeets (sorry I don't know what your interests are or if you live in a good place for these birds)
 
Many thanks for your replies,parked near Whitehall,walked to Lambeth bridge back along the other side,moved the car then walked Trafalgar Square,Horse guard Parade,where they were making a film,lots of photos in beginning dream world just wish I had more time.
 
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