London by Huseyin Faik

London, an amazing inspiring city of historic buildings, great colours and superb architecture. A dream destination for snap-happy tourists, but how to get a shot that justifies the beauty of what you have just seen? What is it about a scene that makes hundreds of people stop and pull out their smart phone every day? Why will a tourist position their family in the foreground of a great background? Why does a harassed office worker put down the briefcase for a second and peer off a bridge and take a deep breath?

Time to get some shots that can do justice to the beauty of the city and to try to capture the essence of what makes someone stop to take the shot in the first place. Each image was created with the intention to clearly identify what was so captivating about the scene as to draw the attention of the passer-by.

Looking at Big Ben at sunset, staring at the calm scene the tall structure dominates and appears to freeze the river in the foreground. 5 Minute exposure with 10 stops.
Big Ben at sunset, 5-minute long exposure - London by Huseyin FaikSave

The relative size of The Shard in the distance seemed to naturally require some colourful leading lines to emphasise, ‘Hey! I am the star of this show!’.
The Shard at night with colourful leading lines - London by Huseyin FaikSave

The view from Tower Bridge speaks to the onlookers through movement. 6 stops to capture the slow-moving clouds and the trail of a distant riverboat.
Long-exposure view from Tower Bridge with a riverboat trail - London by Huseyin FaikSave

A great vantage point of The London Eye and Parliament. People shielding their eyes and squinting the contrast leaves nothing but silhouettes to the human eye. A square crop aids the composition here.
Silhouette of the London Eye and Parliament - London by Huseyin FaikSave

Weary men on the steps of a church regretting their actions from earlier in the evening, that last bus has gone and the ghosts of evenings past amble towards them. 2 second exposure tells the story of the whole evening for these two guys.
'The Ghosts of St Martin-in-the-Fields', 2-second exposure - London by Huseyin FaikSave

Total calm, aside from a slowly creeping wheel and the swaying bridge beneath our feet, that is the hypnotic appeal of this scene. A 3 minute exposure, just the trick.The London Eye and Parliament at night, 3-minute exposure - London by Huseyin FaikSave

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