Docklands in the Spring sunshine

Plan your trip

I had arranged a trip to London with my friend Ian for a spot of photography around the Canary Wharf area. If it is something that you are thinking of doing but are concerned about being hassled by security personnel then I strongly recommend the following:

• Do some research. I recommend photographic do's and don'ts in Canary Wharf
• Adhere to the rules and regulations
• If you get stopped by security (we did four times!) be honest. Just explain that it is for personal and not commercial use (unless it is and you have a permit). If they ask to see some of your images, be happy to show them some on your rear LCD screen. If you are courteous to them they will reciprocate.
• Don't abuse the privilege; you can get some great shots without overstepping the mark!

Just one of many opportunities to work with the glass and metal buildings

Light and lots of it!

We were fortunate to go on Weds. 6th March, you remember that really warm sunny day. And whilst sunny days are not always conducive to great photography, Canary Wharfe is a place where it can really help. Be prepared to use a polarising filter when necessary to reduce glare and maintain detail in the reflections on the buildings though.

I did very little wide-angle work as this was difficult due to having to cope with regions of wide contrast. Most of my shots were taken with my 24-105 and 70-200 lenses. I was looking to capture the form, structure and brilliance of the modern architecture, both in record and more abstract ways.

A set of striking gold pillars decorate the roundabout at the East road entrance

The orange umbrellas under the curve building were reflecting on its undersides

The good weather brought the bankers out in their droves

I played around with shadows and tones

Always looking for interesting patterns and recession.

Here, the underground sign punctuates the image

There are lots of interesting curves too.

Shooting people is easy with a telephoto zoom lens.

This chap is clearly in need of a sponsorship deal!

 

 

 

The HSBC building dominates the skyline and gets in a lot of reflections too

Just a few more images to go now . . .

 

As well as the tips above you will need to keep a close eye on your exposures as all that light can trick your light meter. Use your histogram all the time to check this out and remember to adjust your polariser when switching your camera from horizontal to vertical shooting.