London, England Photography

Photographing London

London is Britain's capital and its most-photographed city, where the Gothic tower of Big Ben, the London Eye's slow turn over the Thames, and the ceremonial guards of Horse Guards and Trafalgar Square sit within walking distance of one another along the river.

Where to shoot

Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) — the Houses of Parliament's clock tower, best framed from Westminster Bridge with a red bus in shot
London Eye — a slow-turning observation wheel on the South Bank with wide views back across the Thames to Westminster
Horse Guards — mounted King's Life Guard troopers stand sentry at the gatehouse, with a daily Changing of the Guard around 11am
Trafalgar Square — Nelson's Column, fountains, and the National Gallery steps, London's default gathering spot since the 1840s
Elizabeth Tower — the clock tower, restored in 2022 with its dials returned to Prussian blue.
Westminster Abbey — the coronation church since 1066, and Poets' Corner inside it.
Westminster Bridge — the classic frontal view, with red buses crossing for scale.
The South Bank walk — the riverside path east toward Tate Modern and St Paul's.
The National Gallery — free entry, Van Eyck to Van Gogh, on the north side of the square.
Nelson's Column and Landseer's lions — the 1867 bronzes at the foot of the column.
Liberty — the 1924 Tudor Revival store built from the timbers of two Royal Navy ships.
Soho and Chinatown — the densest eating and drinking in central London, minutes from the square.
St Paul's dome climb — 528 steps in three stages, and the best high view in the centre.
The Whispering Gallery — 257 steps up, where a whisper carries around the dome's inner wall.
Millennium Bridge — the designed sightline back to the cathedral, and the walk to Tate Modern.
Tate Modern — free entry, in the shell of the old Bankside power station.
Borough Market — the serious food market, and a Saturday scrum worth arriving early for.
Cecil Court — one unchanged Victorian lane of antiquarian and secondhand booksellers.
Portobello Road — the antiques market, which really only runs properly on Saturdays.
Bloomsbury's garden squares — free, quiet, and at their best under autumn plane trees.

When to go

Late spring to early autumn (May–September) for the longest daylight and driest weather, though November's low winter light suits the stone architecture well.