Where to Find the Best Photo Spots in London
The best photo spots in London aren't always where the crowds are pointing their cameras. Some of the most striking shots come from knowing which angle to approach a landmark from, which quiet street to turn into, and what time of day the light actually works in your favour.
The best way to find the best photo spots in London is by using a digital map. The StoryHunt app is a great example, as you simply open the interactive map, set your starting point, and it shows you the best spots nearby as you walk, so you spend less time searching and more time shooting.
The best photo spots in London
London rewards photographers who are willing to walk rather than just stop at the obvious viewpoints. These four areas each offer a distinct visual character and are worth planning a route around.
- Westminster Bridge. Westminster Bridge is one of the most popular spots in London for photography, with the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben directly ahead and the London Eye visible across the river. The best angle for Big Ben is from the southern end of the bridge looking northeast, ideally in the early morning before the tour groups arrive. The red phone booths on Victoria Embankment nearby add a classic London element to any frame.
- Millennium Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral. The Millennium Bridge runs between Tate Modern and St Paul's Cathedral and offers magnificent shots of both from the middle of the bridge. Looking north gives you St Paul's dome framed by the bridge cables. Looking south gives you Tate Modern and the Southwark skyline. It's one of London's most reliably photogenic spots at any time of day.
- More London Riverside and Tower Bridge. The walkway along the South Bank near More London Riverside gives you the quintessential Tower Bridge shot, with the option to frame it against the modern City skyline to the north. Walking east across Tower Bridge itself and shooting back toward the City at sunset is one of the best long-exposure opportunities in London.
- Notting Hill pastel houses. Notting Hill's pastel-coloured townhouses are among the most photographed streets in London, and the best shots are found by wandering the side streets off Portobello Road rather than the market itself. Lancaster Road, Colville Terrace, and Westbourne Park Road all have the colourful facades most people are looking for.
Practical tips for photographing in London
- Go early. Morning light and empty streets make an enormous difference at every location on this list, and the South Bank before 8am is a completely different experience from the midday crowds.
- Walk between spots rather than taking the tube. The streets between Westminster Bridge, Millennium Bridge, and Tower Bridge are photogenic in their own right, and you'll find shots you weren't expecting.
- Revisit at golden hour. Tower Bridge photographed at sunset with long exposure light trails from passing traffic is one of London's best night shots and worth timing a second visit around.
- Use the StoryHunt map to find hidden spots. The interactive map reveals photo locations just off the obvious routes, like Neal's Yard in Covent Garden and the view of the Shard from St Katharine's Pier, that most visitors never find.
Let StoryHunt show you what to photograph
Rather than working from a static list, the StoryHunt app adapts to where you are.
The interactive map shows you the best photo spots in your immediate area, lets you build a walking route based on the time you have, and adds context about each location as you arrive.
It works the same way across London's neighbourhoods and in cities worldwide, so the same tool that finds you the best shot in Notting Hill works just as well in Rome, Copenhagen, or New York.
