I arrived in London in September 1999, I was 21 and had been raised in France.
At the time the Gherkin (aka 30 St Mary Axe) hadn’t even been built yet. London landscape photography locations were quite different, they’ve evolved.
The Shard was all but an inconceivable dream, Battersea Power Station was still in semi-ruins hosting the occasional illegal techno party and the site of the future London Olympics was only derelict warehouses… strangely also hosts to many illegal raves.
Now why should I know anything about that I wonder…
I love London specifically in terms of the satisfaction it gives me just looking at it. I saw it change a lot in 20 years, I’m not the first and won’t be the last, this capital is stopping for no one.
Landscape photographers are some of the most dedicated photographers on this planet. I was one full time, not quite as much anymore maybe but I still respect their craft like no other.
When I began my photographic journey, which would become a documentation of every aspect of London’s people and buildings stretching over a decade, I first discovered urban landscape photography and I used at the time a Canon camera.
I would later on move to Olympus who I was an official ambassador for a few years and then Sony full frame with their A7 series. I am not affiliated to Sony in any way and after 5 years I am undecided if their system is one I’ll stick with forever. Time will tell.
I learnt a lot during these early formative years.
First I learnt that to get the shot, you have to get up early and in this often cold and rainy country it also means wearing the right clothing and shoes as landscape photography is very demanding.
I also discovered the camera settings and how to get the most out of it, abandoning auto settings forever.
I discovered what ISO meant in real-world photography, its advantages and limitations, when and where a tripod is useful, how to use screw-on filters for better landscapes,…
I began to understand light a little better which is key since a photographer essentially captures light or the lack of it whichever way you look at it.
I’m a firm believer that we learn through our mistakes and I’ll admit without shame that at times I may have over-processed my urban landscape shots and I recognise that, I embrace my past with no shame.
In a way it was this realisation which helped me in my later work by reminding me the need to be a lot more conservative and apply a less-is-more attitude.
If you look at my street photography, which I took-on in later years and still practice actively, this is virtually free of post-processing, at least it is never heavy-handed, rather more like minor adjustments.
Ok, so back to the purpose of this article:
London Landscape Photography Locations
Here are some of my tops picks for beginners and perhaps more advanced landscape photographer, but it just really depends on how familiar you are with London.
I assume if you searched for this article on Google, then you may need tips!?
As I mentioned, London is ever-changing so don’t just take my word for it and keep exploring as I do and you will find locations perhaps less obvious where gems await.
1. Along River Thames:
I will begin by saying that if you want to shoot great landscapes in London then you should head to the river.
Sure you will get shots which some consider cliches perhaps… That’s only due to the fact they are the most captured.
I don’t personally think anyone should shoot urban landscape without first trying their hand at the famous views and get good at it.
Nothing wrong with it and then develop your own style, find your own secret locations.
But why is River Thames a good place for photos? London is getting busier and busier, more and more crowded with people, buildings and all this doesn’t help free that space between what you shoot and your camera.
Instead, if you aim for one side of the river, you can shoot the other with a generous amount of space available to you.
A few examples of mine (resolution reduced for faster loading times):
This shot is a famous view, but it makes me happy to take these photos and to me frankly it’s what it is all about. Fun.
Whereas the shot above of Battersea Power Station is a little less common. I like how River Thames has turned to milky goodness.
Battersea Power Station is one of these I’m glad I photographed years ago as it is now transformed or very nearly there anyway. What a landmark! I just love it.
And here I took a double exposure in-camera, that’s from my time using the E-M5 series from when I was an Ambassador for Olympus.
Whenever you think photos have been done already, think again, there’s always a new way to capture ANYTHING you think of.
2. Hackney / Shoreditch / Brick Lane:
East London, specifically Shoreditch, Bricklane and Hackney as a whole are fabulous for sourcing great London landscape photography locations. I’ve spent so much time wandering the area in the past decade shooting London.
What I enjoy is the ephemeral aspect of street art and graffiti which makes for very interesting backgrounds. Because these pieces of art are ephemeral, they do not last, one can capture more unique urban landscapes, ones that are a little harder for others to replicate.
I also simply like a more gritty and less “tidy” look which is easily achieved in East London.
Here are some examples:
Yes… I am and have always been a big fan of selective colour photography, the Marmite of photography!
3. The City Of London / Square Mile:
This is, apart from Canary Wharf, London’s business district.
If like me you are a fan of glass, metal and modern architecture, at times contrasted by more traditional buildings, head to The City without further delay.
It all started with the Gherkin for me. I fell in love with it and it makes me wonder at times if I missed my vocation… I’d quite fancy myself being an architect. Too late perhaps and photography is pretty sweet.
The shot above is a long exposure of St Paul’s Cathedral with a bus captured zooming by leaving only light trails.
4. Southwark / Borough / Bermondsey - South of the River
This area of London is full of great landscape photography opportunities. The Shard building being the most obvious, but you also have Tower Bridge, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge looking toward St Paul’s… Many possibilities.
Here are a few examples I hope will inspire you to head there:
St Paul’s Cathedral again, this time shot from the Tate Modern end of Millennium Bridge on a foggy morning. The purple tint was achieved in camera using built-in filters on Olympus MFT (micro four thirds) cameras. The small light trail on the left was a doggie with a red LED collar trying to ruin my shot!
And finally a minimal shot of the Tate Modern and The Shard building. This is from an entire minimal architecture series I created a few years back and in which the sky was modified to an aqua colour. Always a popular one!
I hope these London landscape photography locations will inspire you to grab your camera and capture the beauty of London and its buildings.
I also hope that looking at my photos you will be inspired to try unconventional approaches, maybe a different kind of look… Some dinosaurs of photography hate change in any form or “rule-breaking”, I welcome it and so should you.
Please drop a comment below, share and like this article to support my work.
If you are more interested in people than buildings, why not browse my London Street Photography?
Thanks everyone for reading and until next time!