Eyes Over London Photo Tips

Primrose Hill: The location is beautiful: paths blanketed with drooping tree branches, lush green grass across wavy fields, and a view of central London better than any top floor offers. Bring your telephoto or zoom lens in order to capture the distant skyline or even the near-by city zoo. Both sunrise and sunset reveal London’s finest colours, though the setting sun will cast a warm glow over the top of Primerose in perfect direction towards central London.

St. Paul’s Cathedral: St. Paul’s is encircled by a myriad of tall buildings, hiding it from the sun’s natural cast. This can make exposing against the bright sky difficult for some photographers trying to capture the entire essence of the cathedral and its architecturally posh surroundings. Ludgate Hill is the saving grace for a perfect image. St. Paul’s face is aligned westward, and Ludgate Hill provides a perfect runway for the sun’s setting light, flushing the scene for a perfect image. Swing by the cathedral later in the afternoon or early in the evening for a spectacular outside view. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Cathedral’s interior, but put the camera away when you enter: no photos are allowed.

Tower Bridge: Tower Bridge is a great location to practice night photography. The bridge is beautifully lit – lights are cast up the stone towers and across the retention rods – time that with the darkening dusk sky and you’ll discover an image lush with light sources. Be sure to bring your tri-pod or place your point-and-shoot digital on a still surface such as the stone walls near the river next to the Tower of London (a great location to view the bridge from).

London Eye: You’ll likely find yourself enjoying photographs within the London Eye’s pods rather than taking pictures of the large wheel, but none-the-less there are a few tips. The glass within the pods are curved, which distort and blur the clear view you’ll expect in an image. Make sure you step away from the glass at least a foot and find a clear side with as little curve as possible.

If you want an image of the entire wheel, try crossing the River Thames and shooting from the river’s sidewalk or the Victoria Embankment Gardens. If your camera has good enough zoom, then find your way to the Temple tube station and take a look from the pier, across Waterloo Bridge as London’s famous red double-decker busses cross.

– Ben Chernivsky