London Lights

Location - Westminster . London . UK

I have had a love hate relationship with London over the last twelve plus years. During these years, I have been there as a resident, tourist, business visitor and various combinations of these. I am pulled by the magnetism of big cities - New York, London, Mumbai, Chicago, Berlin - their constant hum of life, their ability to embrace a patchwork of global citizens and above all be a place to dream. Places that allow you to dream big, dream colorful, dream impossible. Each city is unique for their allures and heartbreaks.
That brings me to an area of photography that I am completely fascinated with - the ability to capture light in motion. So during my last business visit to London (which are usually very hectic), I decided to take one weekend day off to re-create a picture that I had seen somewhere. That of a London bus moving across the Westminster Bridge with the Big Ben in backdrop. I spent most of the day at the Greenwich Museum (one of my most favorite places in London) and reached the Waterloo station with enough daylight. Took some photos from the London Eye side of river of the Westminster Palace which were all grey and dull (I know some other photogs who nail it). Then walked to the other side of the river across the bridge and started to shoot the London Eye while it slowly got dark. Walked back to the bridge when it was sufficiently dark, set my tripod dangerously close to the street and started to shoot. There were far fewer busses than I was expecting (or I was being impatient). After a few adjustments I got my shutter speed to the right levels (around 6 secs.) to get the trail of the bus lights. A few of the final shots after going through Lightroom made me happy and left me yearning for more. This will be something high on my list the next time I visit London.
A side note on shooting with tripods in touristy areas - you are generally mistaken for a pro (unless of course you are a pro). A whole bunch of tourists asked me to take their photos with their point-and-shoots which is not that easy when it is really dark and some asked for my card!!! I had to politely decline both. So if you plan on doing this, be ready to get some attention.