I am still amazed that airplanes can get off the ground and it’s possible to get on a plane and wake up somewhere else. That somewhere else can be near or far. Recently, the combination of a formal invitation to an event and cheap airline deals resulted in my wife and I making a last minute decision to go to London.
With little time to plan, we went light. I could have easily overpacked my camera gear, and trust me I was tempted. Instead, I decided go light with only a single 28mm lens. This would force me to see things in a specific way and take my mind of switching gear and overthinking. As I opened up my window shade to view the the sun coming up over the horizon, I knew I had made the right decision.
As I was there on personal matters as a foreigner in a foreign land, my shots are pretty darn touristy. London is an amazing city and I was there to enjoy this special time with my wife and my images are aimed at capturing our experience, showcase this beautiful city and hopefully show some connection to the things we saw and did.
For this set of images, I have added captions to describe the locations and the events. Hope this helps. Shoot me a comment or email at G N A T at L I V E dot C O M if you have any questions about our trip or would like more info.
Enjoy.
The view of Saint Paul’s Cathedral from the Millenium Bridge near the Tate Modern
The incredible view from the top of the dome at Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Worth the money, especially at sunset. Also, you can’t take photos inside, but you can from up top! Might be my favorite tourist attraction of this trip.
Random person at the Tate Modern. Just loved the color and contrast here. Nothing more.
The London Eye at Sunset – Taken from the lower dome observation deck at Saint Pauls
Another from Saint Paul’s Cathedral. In addition to the history, I was blown away by the modern architecture of London.
Another from Saint Paul’s lower observation deck. Are you getting that I, and we, really loved Saint Paul’s? It was worth the price of entry for sure.
Lovely weather. We spent every moment outside and walked endlessly. It was like an extension of fall.
A highlight for me was watching the Chelsea vs Manchester City soccer game in a British Pub. I had to indulge myself in the full experience with Fish & Chips and a beer or two. Incredible afternoon.
With short days, the sun wasn’t in the sky that long, but it was slow to drop below the horizon giving us lots of long shadows and incredible golden light.
We walked by The Tower of London several times a day and it was a common back drop for my imagery. Just so many layers and opportunities for great images. I shot it every single day at least once. My wife has toured this place twice already, so we did not go through on this trip. Another time for me. But I sure got some images I liked!
I walked every morning on the Thames River walk, which is about 40 miles of marked pathway. On this particular morning, I was treated this great sunrise. This one is from just near the Royal Navy Pier and the Tower Bridge. Beautiful.
Another of the Tower of London. This was another one of the morning walks with dark clouds filling the sky. Thankfully no rain for us! Just about a half day of gray.
No trip to London is complete without both a ride on and a picture of a red, double decker buses. I got both!
We could not believe the history at the British Museum. I also could not believe the how much smart phone cameras have taken over the world! Honestly, the images from phones are getting incredibly good!
Another from the British Museum and the grand entry! This is the one time I really wanted a super wide angle on the trip, but I took several shots from different angles with the 28 and this was my favorite.
London transportation is impressive and fairly easy, making for the possibly to do a lot with not a lot of money or time. Anyone that has ever ridden the metro/tube, I’m certain you can hear the voice right now warning you to “Mind the Gap”
A little late night street shooting fun selfie!
My wife looking out the window of our hotel room and taking in our view. Honestly, we got lucky with this one and still can’t believe we had this view. Without a doubt, this view made our trip even more special.
Another shot from our room during the golden hours of the afternoon.
So later this week, I will post up some images from the event we attended, the Brooks England 150th Anniversary. Stay tuned!
