As well as photographing lots of families on vacation in London I also photograph many couples in this amazing city. Some of the couples live in London themselves and want some natural images of them exploring the sights. Others have recently got engaged and are having a pre-wedding session before I photograph their wedding. And other couples are visiting London on holiday, maybe for the first time. They decide to book a London Vacation Photography session to record their travels here. This way they can go home with a fabulous set of professional photographs, which will always remind them of their wonderful vacation.
I feel very fortunate to have lived in London my whole life, moving around many different areas over the years. Because of this I know the city so well and am happy to recommend which locations would work best for your photography session.
Vacation Photography along the Southbank
Many of the vacation shoots take place near the River Thames, along the Southbank. This has to be one of my favourite areas for photography. As well as being home to lots of the famous London landmarks, it is also a constantly changing landscape. This means that no two photography sessions are ever the same. There are always new quirky backgrounds to be found on every shoot.
Photos on Westminster Bridge and at the Skateboard Park
Some of my favourite backdrops along the River Thames include Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament. This can make a really good starting point for the photo session. From here we can walk along the River and take in the London Eye and the Skateboard Park. If you don’t know already know the Skateboard Park, you must go! It’s such fun to watch the skateboarders do their tricks and it also has the most fantastic colourful graffiti that looks great in the images.
Nothing beats Borough Market for couples photographs and food!
A little further along the River we can use the wonderful St Paul’s Cathedral as a backdrop to some of the photos. Just across the water from this is the historic Oxo Tower and a little further along is Tower Bridge. In my view this has to be the most stunning bridge in London. It’s also just a short walk from Borough Market, one of Britain’s most renowned food markets. Not only does the market make for interesting photos but it’s a great place to grab a bite to eat! From here it’s not far to go to London Bridge and the mighty Shard, which looks pretty spectacular in location photographs.
Vacation Photos in one of London’s Parks
If you prefer something a bit greener there are so many parks to choose from in London. Or we could do half the photo session somewhere urban, half in a park – it’s your choice! Just several of London’s parks to choose from are Hyde Park, with the Royal Albert Hall next to it. There’s also Regents Park or the lesser known Holland Park, with it’s charming Japanese Kyoto Garden. If you travel further east you can visit Greenwich Park, with the stunning Old Royal Naval College and historic Royal Observatory, as well as spectacular views over London. And from here we could jump in a cab and stroll along the River opposite Canary Wharf.
Another park with fantastic views is Alexandra Park, which is in north London near Muswell Hill. This beautiful park is home to Alexandra Palace, which always has lots of interesting events going on. However, if you prefer to stay more central we can go to Battersea Park, near fashionable Chelsea. This lovely park has a picturesque bandstand, beautiful fountains and is near the iconic Battersea Power Station. It is also next to the very pretty Albert Bridge, which looks great in images.
Natural, fun images – no saying Cheese!
And wherever you choose to have your London Vacation session don’t worry that I’ll ask you to stand in front of all these amazing backdrops and make you say “cheese” for the camera! It will all be completely relaxed and you can just enjoy the scenery. A lot of the time you probably won’t even notice I’m there! This way we’ll produce a wonderful set of professional photographs which will look really natural – just of you having fun in London.