It’s no secret that I love cities at dusk—I always find the moment magical. Then, nighttime often offers the chance to see the other side of a place, and nightlights can be magical, no matter the season.
After a full day of exploring London, we were usually pretty tired, and the long ride back to the hotel on the slow Circle Line wasn’t much of an incentive to hang out very late—which you have to do in the summer, since sunset is typically around 8:30 p.m.
Yet, we took the time to check out a few main places after dark, including the Jubilee Gardens with the picturesque London Eye and views of the River Thames, Carnaby Street, Piccadilly Circus and the Palace of Westminster. I didn’t have a tripod (I rarely travel with one, too bulky and cumbersome) but I found a way to keep the camera steady to use a slow shutter speed. And the pictures turned out okay!
I knew you were keeping the jewels for a later time. Love your night photos Zhu!
Thank you! These are always fun to take.
I think any city with traffic and street lights already makes a great place to shoot at night. However, to London you can add skyscrapers, the London Eye, small alleys (you know I love them…). Sometimes it seems to me that lights have been put up strategically in this city, to enhance the experience of its visitors, really!!
I know exactly what you mean, and I completely agree! You should start a “night shot” series on your blog, actually. 😉
Night shots, that’s another aspect of photography that I want to be better at. I have this idea however, that I need to first buy a tripod in order to get a steady shot, as these shots typically involve longer exposures. That should be my next project.
You can really live without a tripod, I take most of my night shots without one actually. But you do need to be able to control the exposure on your camera.
Try shooting right after sunset, when the sky is turning into a deep blue. The results are often amazing!