TOURIST TRAPPINGS

A recent weekend in the capital gave me the chance to play tourist amongst the many sights of London. Rather than use the mirrorless camera and be hampered by using a large camera in crowded spaces, I favoured the iPhone and made use of the catalogue of photography apps to take advantage of the speed and convenience of handheld shooting.
The phone came into its own for street photography and was especially useful shooting on the fly during busier periods, or in large crowds.
The proliferation of interesting architecture and colourful scenery, meant that I could indulge my love of filters and colour grading, as well as high contrast black and white.

Whereas I was a little nervous at first about shooting street, or carrying a camera, it soon became very apparent that photography was an everyday occurrence, especially near anything remotely famous or photogenic, so I soon settled in and took more time over my shots. It was clear that other enthusiasts were hard at work documenting reality, with some serious camera kit on show, too.
London is a historian and photographers dream, as the city is literally lousy with monuments and historical sites. Driving along Cannon Street in a taxi, I spotted the ancient 'London Stone' in its recess in the wall, a piece of history which predates the city itself.
All around, the decades and centuries of development and construction were overlaid onto each other, with the ultra modern steel and glass of the present, juxtaposed by the medieval and ancient.

Despite the congestion, noise and pollution inherent in a big city, wildlife flourished and capitalised on the constant human traffic and its leftovers.

The colours of the city lent themselves well to apps such as Hipstamatic and Fimo, which use software based approximations of various film types, such as Aerochrome, Ektachrome and Velvia.

As we were based near the river and not far from the site of the Great Fire, there was no shortage of photo opps and the busy Borough Market, tucked away next to London Bridge, provided plenty of inspiration, along with the remnants of past societies and inhabitants.










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