Street photography in London with @rontimehin
What I love about London is it’s diversity. There are so many visually different places in London so it's hard for me to pick one favourite spot. Canary Wharf, Bank, More London, Liverpool Street and Broadgate for the architecture. Places such a Shoreditch and Brixton are great for finding interesting characters to shoot street photography with.
A lot of London is private property, so shooting it can be very difficult. In the streets it’s not to hard but when shooting in enclosed spaces or buildings, security will almost always be on your case. If I am shooting these kinds of settings, I will normally travel light and only take my camera out of my bag once I have reach the location. Make sure to scout the location first, get your shots and then keep it moving.
If you are looking for vantage points such as rooftops, there are ways of getting up some but I wouldn't get into that. I recommend going to rooftop bars or seeking permission from the owners. You’ll be surprised how often they are willing to help if done properly.
"Travel is a big factor in my life. So I try to get away at least once a month. I feel this helps with not only my development creatively, but also as person."
Explore
Don’t just go straight to the touristy landmarks and the beater paths. Take the backstreets and look for interesting angles and vantage points.
Wake up early
With just under 9 million people in London, it’s often tricky to capture the city without an abundance of people in your images. I like to shoot very early in the morning to capture my images of iconic places.
Chase the light
Light is incredibly important to all aspects of photography, as this still applies to street and cityscape photography. Look for ways in which light interacts with your surroundings in order to create more interesting images.
Use movement
Movement is a great way to add energy into your images. Keep an eye out for subjects to interact and think creatively about how you can then capture it. For example, are there puddle on the floor? Use a high shutter speed to capture a splash. Busy roads at night? Use slow shutter photography to capture light trails.
"As a street photographer your life can vary drastically, and that’s exactly why I love the work I do."
- Ron Timehin. @rontimehin