Photographs from London

I spent a week exploring the city and doing street photography in London in late February and early March. While I was excited to get to the city again, arriving at the end of February, I was concerned about what kind of weather I’d be experiencing there. Checking a week before departing, the forecast was quite optimistic, with a mix of sun and cloud for the week and an average of about 6°C, but a week-out forecast is not the most accurate, and I was aware that this could and probably would change.

I arrived late Sunday evening, but with a four-hour time difference, I wasn’t that tired, even after a six-hour flight. Getting into the city was easy as I took the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to South Kensington as my Airbnb was in Chelsea, a 10-minute walk from the station. After a quick snack and checking my gear to ensure things were charged and ready, I concluded the day and got ready for my first day in London.

Piccadilly Circus

Day 1

On my first day in London, I underestimated how much walking I would do. I did not take the tube that first full day until that evening as I wanted to walk around and get a feel for the place and look for opportunities to take photos. London is relatively easy to get around, but the distances between things can be deceiving. My walk took me from Chelsea down to as far as the Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge, with a lot of stops and random streets in between. In total, I managed 39,000 steps according to my iPhone, which is apparently about 30kms.

The weather on the first day was cloudy, but there were some sun breaks, although those breaks were brief. I found it challenging to get into the photography mentality on the first day, and I believe the combination of exploring and the light not being great were factors. In fact, besides some iPhone photos of car spotting, I didn’t get my camera out until I got into the Tate Modern, where I did take a few photos that ended up being nothing special. Still, I did revisit on day three and took more time exploring the gallery, getting some keepers along the way.

I started feeling it later that night when I spent some time around Piccadilly Circle and Soho. I spent a few hours walking up and down the streets, checking out the neon signs and storefronts and photographing using the CineBloom filter on the 18-55mm. Concluding Soho, I took the tube back to the Airbnb for the night.

Day 2

I’ll start by stating that day two was a write-off. As I mentioned on day one, I underestimated how much I would walk, so my feet and legs were sore the following day. I needed to minimize the walking as much as possible, so I jumped on the tube down to Tower Hill in anticipation of walking over Tower Bridge and spending some time there. Those plans changed, and when exiting the tube station, I went to the Gherkin and the surrounding area and up to Broadgate Tower. I didn’t get a thing here for photos, and after about two hours, I took the tube back and stayed in the AirBnB writing some of this. That was enough walking for the day; I had three more days to take advantage.

Prince Edward Theatre

Day 3

Day three was cloudy. I had not seen much sunshine since I arrived. With the cloudy weather, I had to figure out how I would shoot. I decided to use the Ilford HP5 Plus 400 simulation and shoot mainly in black and white, although I was taking RAW and JPEG, which gave me the option for photo treatment later. My plan for day three was to limit my walking as I still could feel the effects of the 39,000 steps on day one. Anyway, I took the tube to Tower Hill station and walked across Tower Bridge and into Potters Fields Park. I spent about an hour or so in Potters Fields Park, and after a break for an espresso, I started walking west to Boroughs Market and over to Tate Modern. I spent time walking around and getting some photos. Also, it was warm in there, and I needed a break.

I continued west through South Bank down to the London Eye and across Westminster Bridge. Not surprisingly, that area was packed, and after crossing the bridge, I walked to the Embankment station and took the tube back to the Airbnb.

At that point, I imported my photos into Lightroom and backed them up to the external HD. Later that night, after dark, I headed out to Soho, and it was packed. It is not easy to stay out of the way in Soho; the sidewalks are narrow, and there are people practically on every corner outside drinking from the nearby pub.

Day 4

I started day four early in the afternoon, and with sun and clear skies, I was excited to get out. I took the tube down to Blackfriars and walked up to One New Change, an indoor/outdoor shopping centre. They have a roof terrace, which is easy and free to get to. The terrace is quite nice, although not a big area. I concluded that, unfortunately, I was up there at the wrong time of the day as few people were walking around. This spot would be great for a sunrise or sunset, depending on where the sun is.

After that, I walked the waterfront and across the Millennium Bridge several times. With a better weather day, I was happier with my photography results. I continued to walk down to Embankment and Trafalgar Square, then into Chinatown and Soho. I then headed back and concluded the night.

Side Note: The National Gallery is currently having some exterior renovations performed, and as a result, most of the exterior is covered with cladding and visually unappealing.

La Bodega Negra Restaurant

Day 5

The last day! Cloudy with a chance of showers (although no showers occurred). This day was low-key as I needed to leave for the airport the following morning around 5:00 am. On this last day, I went to King’s Cross station and walked around there for a bit, trying to capture photos. I didn’t get anything there that I was happy with, so after that, I jumped on the tube and went to Knightsbridge, hoping to see some exotic cars that the area is known for having. It was a cool day, and there was some construction on Sloane Street, so I didn’t see much as anticipated, as there was no space for parking on the street, probably eliminating a lot of “car spotting.”

On the topic of cars, London has a lot of nice car spotting opportunities. I stumbled upon dozens of really nice cars during my time there, especially in Chelsea. In terms of firsts for me, I spotted a Ford GT (the latest model) roped off in front of a hotel, a Ferrari 296GTB driving down A3211, and a 488 Pista in a parking lot. I also saw a few Aston Martin DBXs and a DBX 707 street parked in Chelsea. Some cars became common with so many nice vehicles, including Bentleys (Flying Spur, Continental and Bentayga) and Porsche Taycans.

Conclusion

London was a great experience, and I’m happy I had a few days to explore and capture photos. I felt a bit uninspired when I got there as nothing stood out as a good photo opportunity, but as I got more familiar with the city, I had my camera out more often. During my time there, the weather was fine, and although I would have enjoyed the sunshine every day, London is not known for its consistent, great weather. But it didn’t rain for the entire week, which I am thankful for.

I can see myself doing this again with the option of a direct flight from Halifax. But with affordable flights from London to other European destinations, I would consider breaking up the trip and doing a few days in a warmer place, like a return to Porto or a first visit to Madrid, for example.