In common with many, one of my favourite parts of London for a quick wander is the South Bank, especially the section between Waterloo and Tower Bridge. The regeneration of this area has been spectacular over the c30 years that I’ve lived in London, and it’s become a vibrant and busy hub where the locals meet, leaving nearby Covent Garden for the tourists.
Views from the National Theatre towards Charing Cross
One of the problems for photography, however, is that it’s all been done before – there are only so many photographs that you want to take of the view of St Paul’s from the Tate Modern end of the Millenium Bridge, and the same is true of many of the other well-known landmarks.
“Festival of Neighbourhood” mural on the side of the South Bank Centre. Rather apt image given some of the depressing happenings in the world currently
One option is to concentrate much more on street photography and candid shots of people. Another is to look harder and see if there’s a way of photographing the familiar sites but with a twist. So that’s what I tried to do yesterday evening, and I’m happy with a few of the results. This was also a ‘one camera one lens’ session, using the Fuji 27mm pancake lens on my X Pro-1. The more I use my Fuji’s the more impressed I am with the image quality, and the X Pro is a great deal of fun as long as you’re not in a hurry – it’s one of those cameras that encourages you to slow down. Which is probably a good thing.
Another mural on the side of the South Bank Centre. The guy below was having a very lengthy animated phone conversationOne of those images you get when you turn your back to the classic scene. Most people look towards St Paul’s Cathedral from here, using the bridge as a very handy leading line towards the cathedral. I’ve tried that shot to death so here’s my attempt at something different – the Tate Modern viewed through the structure of the Millenium BridgeAn example of what happens when you just get a few steps off the beaten path… one of London’s many green spaces but blink and you’d miss itAlways worth looking down little alleywaysBlackfriars Bridge, and its station covered with solar panels. Must be useful on a day like this!Gabriel’s Wharf – another shot taken in the ‘wrong’ direction. If I’d turned the other way I’d have had a classic view of the City and the Oxo Tower…..…. so I tried to get a slightly different image of that view, by getting down to the beach and then wandering under the pier to see how it would work as a frame. I think this is one of my stronger images from the afternoon…and here’s the other one. Classic view of the City and the Oxo Tower, with a twist. After this picture I decided my job was done for the day – time to go home
Hertfordshire-based, I work for the National Health Service but try and fit in some photography on a regular basis. Not so much during the recent lockdown era, but here's hoping things can only get better in 2021....
The Photographer's Block 