Good places to go in London for cityscape engagement shoot? (also how best to get there)

[Nexus]

It is this bridge, and believe me it is NEVER like that. People kindly (and surprisingly) stopped as soon as the bride took off my coat and saw the white dress and was lucky no one was coming in the other direction. That bridge is not only a tourist magnet of a bridge, it is also the main walk way to access the Tate Modern which is just on the other side. Unless you don't remember it, it is a bridge designed by Sir Norman Foster, it is basically a rope bridge in design (see the metal cables going alongside either side?) and when it was first built it swayed and wobble like any rope bridge does (think Indiana Jones) because that is the nature of a rope bridge but people were scared so they stiffened it up, it made the news. Its not the same since, I liked it when it wobbled a bit !

I tried taking some pics on the bridge last August at about 10-11pm and even then it was impossible to get a decent exposure because its just so busy.

I've seen someone shooting engagement photos in the spot by the London Eye where the tree avenue intersects with the wheel in the background, but it was late enough at night after it had closed to not have tons of tourists about anymore.

 

[Raymond Lin]

^^^
Yeh it will be close to golden hour when we set off. Which leaves us around 1.5 hours of shooting.

You need to budget traveling time between location within London, to get from Paddington to say Big Ben would be 20-30min.

Pretty much the landmarks are scattered around, and to get to lots of location will require lots of tube journeys. With only 90 mins I doubt you can visit more than 2 locations.

 

[D.P.]

edit: just realised the OP is doing a shoot for an engagement.

tricky to do in central London.

You can do it but very late at night or in the morning where there is less crouds

another edit: Dont forget the sun comes out very early nowadays. as early as half 5 and if you take your shot at that millenoum bridge at half 5 in the morning on a saturday/sunday, hardly anyone will be their and as you all know, golden hour is the best light

I would go song with this if the couple are willing to also get up early. Sunrise n many locations will be devoid fprople and offer fantastic lighting. You won't have timeout visit more than 1or 2 locations so really plan where is good (and make sure you know the location is a good at sunrise.

 

[D.P.]

True, its very expensive.

I went up on a rainy day in April, it was the first slot and I had one floor all to myself. So its very school holiday/tourist season/weather dependent.

These are the reflections you can expect.

CPL would remove most of the reflections, but will cost a couple of stops.

 

[Raymond Lin]

The problem of shooting in the Shard is :

1 - you are in it
2 - it is busy
3 - as much as I hate to say it, the London skyline is rubbish. Being a land locked city there really isn't a view that is famous for therefore no famous skyline photo that stands out and I would say in day light the view whilst high up, it is a bit rubbish.
4 - like most skyline, I prefer it when it is dark, the buildings are more distinctive but then, when dark you are going to need fast aperture and if you are going to use a CPL, when focused on the client, everything else will be out of focus anyway
5 - with everything behind "down", how is one going to get those land marks in frame without you having to hover 3 feet in the air?
6 - reflection, as before if you do what DP says and use a CPL then loses a few stop then you will need to bump up the aperture, you may be able to use a tripod but it would be one tool I would avoid carrying around on a engagement shoot as you are never in one place for long.
7 - it is expensive
8 - there is nothing iconic inside it, as before, you are in it, so everything else will be out of focus unless you actually take photos of the streets below to compliment the photo
9 - time, takes too long
10 - there are many better tourist places if you were going to do something like that.

 

[Nexus]

I'd also say its not a great place for a shoot and further to that, there are a couple of other points. One is that they have restrictions on kit, so if you are shooting them about and are carrying a tripod and well stocked bag you may not be allowed.

Biggest of all though is that on a paid shoot its breaching their terms and conditions on photography permissible.

Visitors are welcome to bring hand-held cameras and video equipment to create images and footage for their own personal, non-commercial use. We regret that tripods and monopods are not permitted onsite. Any media or commercial photography and filming must be approved in advance by The View from The Shard’s press office.

 

[gjc10212]

Raymonds shot could work well at night., tripod & 1 sec exposure ask clients to be as still as possible and capture the movement of the tourists walking past....

 

[david25]

OK, let's go outdoors for free

Or indoors

This one impossible in summer

And this one probably breaks the rules on commercial pics again.

 

[An Exception]

 

[Raymond Lin]

That was shot in London ?

 

[sHo0sH]

That guy is definitely punching above his weight.

 

[King Damager]

I really want to know where that bridge is! Seems like a bridge over one if the overground lines maybe?

The 2nd is a bit far away, although I guess bigger size may work better there. The third one is absolutely cracking, and by far the most innovative in my mind. It is also the one I'd be putting on a wall straight away if I were the couple in question..

Intrigued by location as to tree, and country house (presumably?)

Finally, sorry, but what is going on with the DoF in 6? For me right now, it looks a bit like one of those photos friends upload where they've tried to do Bokeh in Instagram with a complete lack of understanding of how it works... I suspect it was done in post? If so, I'm not sure it works personally.

kd

 

[Dj_Jestar]

That's the Hungerford Bridge that connects Waterloo/Embankment. It's actually three bridges - a railway bridge and two pedestrian bridges, one either side.

I forget the name of the park that tree with the supports is in. It's famous because it (the tree) is older than London or something iirc.

Wallop, found the tree: http://goo.gl/maps/DvE2c

Still can't remember name of park. It's probably Horseguard's Park or something. As you can see, it's next to the Hungerford bridge.

 

[mrk]

I have to say the fake TS effect really doesn't work I'm afraid. It was shot using the 24-70 2.8 which is capable of wonderful bokeh (I've used it on a friend's non E D800) even at a wide fl so I'm not sure why you added fake ones!

 

[Nexus]

The bridge ones are a little difficult I think for a pre-wedding shoot for a couple. They are just too far away, I had to squint to even work out if it was them. I see what you are trying to do, but I don't think I'd present those to a couple.

 

[Raymond Lin]

KD, he is trying to fake a tilt shift look by blurring the top and bottom. It's a very marmite look but it is quite popular if you read a lot of wedding blogs. It can work in the right photo.

As for the photos, they are very samey in all : - stand stiff, smile. I don't see much direction from you apart from that. It can work for a couple of photos but I see those a lot from you in all your shoots. There is always that space between them in all of them, I see what you are trying to do, I see those photos a lot and they are very in right now and I do like it and use it but you need to mix it up, perhaps with some props from the day that you come across.

They are nice pictures but they don't tell me you took them in London though, I am not familiar with those bridges or that tree, it may be famous for being old, I just never seen its association of it with London itself. If the client just want engagement shoot and they live in London then that's fine, if however you want a set of photos that reflect the fact that it was taken in London and a set that can adds something more to your portfolio (adding the location element) then this falls short as there is nothing here to me that tell me you are in London.

Besides the landmarks that people have mentioned.

There are:
Red buses.
Black cabs.
Famous Street names signs.

Could have gone inside the British Museum and took a photo under that roof, with a wide angle it would be quite cool.

Could do a silhouette on Westminster bridge just as a red double deck bus passes by.

If you go to NYC where would you shoot?

Brooklyn Bridge, Empire state, Wall Street, China Town, Tiffany's, Flatron Building, Statue of Liberty?

You could but think outside the box, on top of those think smaller but in detail, the little things. Think of tall buildings like how they form a corridor, those fire escapes on side of buildings, yellow cabs, steam coming up from the drains, subway entrance points, those steps on the front of houses.

Just picture your client sitting outside a cafe drinking coffee in Soho. Shoot across the street at 1/50 ish just as a yellow cab passes by so you catch the rear end of the cab in a blur. The yellow will tell you that they are in NYC. The focus on them looking at each other sitting outside, perhaps he reaches across the table holding her hand, perhaps she use her finger and smear a blob of whipped cream on his nose, there may be a waitress serving another customer on the next table. (process this photo with the T/S effect that you like so much if you like and narrow it to the centre to cut out the clutter top and bottom.)

The photo will say engagement, it will say love, it will say NYC.

 

[Nexus]

I was also going to suggest that there is something of a lack of intimacy.

I respect that you have done so creatively for most of the shots, and it does look fun. But I think you really do need to have some of them really close together in the mix as well. I would imagine some couples probably might also find it tough on camera, so probably would require a bit of direction to do so.

If you take the outside objective, aside from the last picture you have shown us, there isn't too much that tells me that this is a couple about to get married. They could just be best mates, or new business partners.

 

[jonneymendoza]

THe photos posted dont show that it was taken in london. it looks as if it was taken in a park anywhere. i thought the main idea for the shoot was to shoot in london and show that it was indeed shot there otherwise why would you drive all the way to london just to shoot under a tree?

 

[Raymond Lin]

The "problem" and I put problem in quotes, is that because clients and people in general do not appreciate or notice their surroundings, it is the photographer's job in a way to educate/persuade them to take advantage and do things that they wouldn't think of in order to get the shot.

A client who lives in London, who see those scenery everyday often do not appreciate their views or the iconic symbols of what they are seeing. It is like in a wedding, a good photo/backdrop may be to get a client out onto the grass but little things like slight damp in the soil means their heel sink into the grass a bit, that is often is enough to stop them not wanting to walk on the field itself. Or it is winter time and they don't want to stay out an extra 5 mins for some photographs and would prefer to go inside to mingle. There are many occasions where clients don't think about the consequences, they just want results. As a photographer you know the sacrifices you need to take to get the shot, the hours you wait for the right sun set, the early morning alarm to get the right sun rise, the trek to you need to walk, the heavy gear you need to carry. The client do not know that and most of the time they want to avoid it.

Like last shoot I did, it was for just family portraits and general day to day stuff.

I would have loved to get them walking in the park on the golden hour, but that is never going to happen as the kids are 1 and 3 years old and they go to sleep at 7pm. The little one has a morning nap so the best them for them is in late morning and mid afternoon. I was asked to get there for 10:30 and we go out to the park and then lunch, which was middday. We all know midday (days like lately with direct sunlight) is terrible. The general public do not appreciate the difficulty that brings, they think sunlight = great ! At one point they wanted a shot of them sitting on the back of the house together facing down the garden, except the sun was at their faces and they were squinting, but I had to pointed out to them that they are...they don't even notice it.

When in the park I had to direct them to under the trees, I had to work angles so the sight is not at their faces.

So you have to educate them and/or come to a compromise to get a photo that they are happy with yet a photo that stirs your inner creativity.

So for a Londoner to get an engagement shoot in London, they are likely not even consider any of the landmarks, it won't pop up on their radar because they see it everyday. They may not even want it. They just want nice pictures, in fact, they might just want greenery pictures, something that doesn't say London, but countryside! If that is their brief then that is fine.

Therefore it depends very much on what they are looking for. If however they want a hint of London in it, then there are better places than that tree or that bridge.