Re: [Leica] Going to London

[John Brownlow <deadman@jukebox.demon.co.uk>]

on 6/2/00 7:46 am, Tom Coleman at tdcoleman@home.com wrote:

> Was wondering whether anyone out there in Leica land knows of some
> choice spots to do people photography in London?  My wife and I are
> going there in several weeks on business and pleasure.

Oxford Street is always teeming. I have photographed there intensively over
the last 6 months (see the 'human traffic' section on my site) with hardly
anyone taking any notice. Don't, however, try to photograph the street
people or traders on the sidewalk - this is asking for trouble.

Kings Road over the weekend is also good, in a totally different way.

Leicester Square on a Saturday night, from 11pm onwards, is truly bizarre
and almost frighteningly crowded. Pretty safe to photograph unless there's
been an international football match in which case you may encounter running
battles in the streets.

Camden Town on the weekend is quite extraordinary too (250,000 people
crushed into less than a square mile), as is the Brick Lane market in East
London which runs on Sundays (get there early). However, since a lot of
stolen goods are sold in this last venue, you need to be wary about
photographing, though I've done it without trouble. Just give people a
chance to say no or hide their faces, and don't be sneaky.

Also check out Speaker's Corner on a Sunday, or Buck Palace for the changing
of the guards, when everyone turns out.

One final tip -- take the open top bus tour. It sounds like a rip-off, but
is actually quite eye-opening. And although it's not exactly street
photography, I hear the views from the new Ferris wheel (the 'London Eye')
are breathtaking.

- -- 
John Brownlow

       photos:    http://www.pinkheadedbug.com
        music:    http://www.jukebox.demon.co.uk