Photography Sightseeing Tours in London

As one of the world’s most photographed and photogenic cities, London, in addition to its many famous visual delights, offers amateur photographers of all levels something else. Keen photographers, however experienced or inexperienced, can choose from the many available photographic sightseeing tours run by local experts. Joining one of these friendly and informal tours can be a very worthwhile thing to do. Not only will they get you to those famous locations without getting you lost, but will also give advice on how best to photograph any subject that catches your eye.

If you’re in, or are going to, London, and have any interest in improving your photography skills and taking real photos of the city that you can be proud of, there are plenty of tours to choose from, including:

London Photo Tours and Workshops

With a name like that, there’s no mistaking what this company offers. In fact, they offer a very diverse listing of tours, such as:

1. South Bank Photography Tour.
The South Bank is a cultural hot spot of London, It’s an ideal location for photographers, not only for its proximity to some interesting buildings, but also for its great views of the River Thames, all the way eastwards to St Paul’s Cathedral. This tour focuses (no pun intended) on technical matters such as exposure settings, panning and composition. The locale offers a wide variety of subject matter, from striking architecture to colourful street entertainers, to the fascinatingly varied river traffic making its way up and down the Thames. (londonphototours.co.uk)

2. Women-only Photography Tour
This is a more select photography sightseeing tour open to a maximum of four women at a time. Run by a female professional photographer, the locations are varied, and the tour takes in quite a few of the best known ones, including: Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus and other interesting places in central London.

There are other tours also available from this company, including exclusive tours for those who prefer private tuition and guidance.

Photo Walks of London

Tours offered by this company cover many famous sights of London, including the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and many more. All the usual techniques, tricks and tips of good photography are covered in detail. As well as giving technical advice on all matters photographic, the tutors pride themselves on giving visitors useful advice on having a good time in London. Anything you need to know about restaurants, bars, clubs, theatres, shops, hotels, etc., just ask the experts. (photowalksoflondon.com)

Camera Trails

This company offers some unique and interesting photo tours. As with the others, you can be sure of expert knowledge both in photography, as well as in local knowledge of the various places they take you to. Among the short courses that are offered by this company, their Urban East and Night Lights tours (or ‘trails’ as they prefer to call them) are different and popular. (cameratrails.com)

1. Urban East tour
London’s famous East End is steeped in history, and this tour teaches you to capture something of the unique atmosphere that the rest of the world associates with Charles Dickens, Jack the Ripper and many more colourful East End characters. The course needs to be booked in advance, and it sets off from Liverpool Street Station at around 11AM on scheduled days. The whole tour takes around five hours including refreshment breaks.

2. Night light Tour
Night photography involves different techniques. The brightly lit shopping and entertainments centres are where this tour heads for. Capturing the dazzling neon displays of the West End needs a bit of know-how, if you also want to capture the vibrant atmosphere of the area. The tutors are on hand to give advice, tuition and ensure the end results aren’t disappointing.

Those are just a few of the photographic tours available in London aimed at helping amateurs to improve their photographic skills and to capture images that are a cut above typical snapshots. If you and your camera are going to be in the vicinity of the many world famous sights of London, a photography sightseeing tour run by local experts is well worth considering.

Related information:

Historic Tours of London

Image: © Jurga Sefton