Bermondsey Couples Photoshoot | Borough Market at Dawn

Andrea Whelan is a London family photographer based in Greenwich, South East London. She photographs families, newborns, maternity, and visiting families across London and beyond.

Black and white Bermondsey couples photoshoot, couple swinging hands down an empty street

Bermondsey Couples Photoshoot: Coffee, Pubs and Borough Market

This Bermondsey couples photoshoot is part two of a very early morning in London. We had just left Shad Thames and Tower Bridge behind. Next came the streets where this couple spent their weekends.

Couple walking hand in hand past a red and ochre painted shopfront in Bermondsey
Couple walking towards the camera down a quiet street in Borough

Back to the old weekend haunts


When they lived here, he flew in every weekend to see her. So weekends meant coffee, long walks and a favourite pub or two. They’ve since moved back to America. Still, they wanted these streets on their wall at home.

That’s my favourite kind of brief. Instead of chasing landmarks, we follow memories. Then the photos end up feeling like theirs, not like a postcard.

Close portrait of a smiling couple sitting together outside a coffee shop


Bermondsey Street in the early light


We walked in from the river while the city was still yawning. Old warehouses line these streets, and at that hour you hear your own footsteps. One early frame is in black and white, the two of them swinging hands down an empty road.

Then we found a shopfront painted deep red and bright ochre. Colour like that does half my job for me. They walked past it, stood against it and finally stole a kiss, her foot popping up on cue. I didn’t ask for that, by the way.

Couple close together in a slice of sunlight against deep shadow

Coffee first, obviously

No Bermondsey morning is complete without coffee. We ducked into a bar strung with fairy lights, then grabbed takeaway cups outside a café. Sitting at a little table, they chatted like I wasn’t there. That’s when the best pictures happen.

After that, we wandered past a corner deli with flowers stacked by the door. He wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned right back into him. Moments like that can’t be planned, only noticed.

Couple standing together beneath the Bermondsey Street sign in early sun
Couple kissing in front of the green frontage of The Market Porter pub

Pubs, red doors and Bermondsey Street signs

Further along Bermondsey Street, we stopped at The Garrison, all green tiles and hanging baskets. Next came the red doors of Casse-Croute, right under the street sign. Those shots matter because they hold real places from real weekends.

Couple standing close inside a warm bar strung with fairy lights
Close portrait of a smiling couple sitting together outside a coffee shop

Borough Market before the crowds

Borough Market at dawn is a different world. Most stalls were still shuttered, and the fairy lights glowed under that glass roof. We walked straight down the middle, which is impossible by lunchtime.

A change of outfit and a wander round Borough

Halfway through, she changed into a green gingham dress. It gave us a second look without losing any time. Around the corner, we passed a cheese shop window and the soft pink front of Kolae.

Next, they shared a bench outside a coffee shop, sitting close in the morning sun. We also used an old green door, a kerbside under a faded coffee sign and some lovely deep shadow. Of course, the pubs got a look in too. The Wheatsheaf, the Southwark Tavern and the Market Porter were all part of their weekends.

Planning a Bermondsey couples photoshoot

If you’re visiting London and missing old haunts, tell me where they are. Your favourite café counts, and so does the pub you always ended up in. Start early, wear comfortable shoes and bring an outfit change if you’d like variety.

Have a look at my London vacation photography sessions to see how a visit works. Or simply send me a message and tell me about your London.

Part one of this story was in Shad Thames, part three of this story heads across the river to Westminster.

Man hugging his partner from behind beside flowers outside a deli

  • Couple smiling outside The Garrison Public House with hanging flowers
  • Close portrait of a smiling couple sitting together outside a coffee shop
  • Couple leaning in for a kiss at an outdoor café table on Bermondsey Street
  • Couple kissing against a red painted shopfront, her foot popping up
  • Close portrait of a smiling couple sitting together outside a coffee shop
  • Couple walking towards the camera down a quiet street in Borough
  • Couple in gingham dress and jumper walking past a cheese shop window in Borough
  • Couple walking past the pink frontage of Kolae in Borough
  • Couple walking under the glass roof of Borough Market with stalls still shuttered
  • Couple standing hand in hand in front of an ochre shop window with plants
  • Couple walking past the Southwark Tavern with flowers above the door
  • Man hugging his partner from behind beside flowers outside a deli
  • Couple close together in a slice of sunlight against deep shadow
  • Close portrait of a smiling couple sitting together outside a coffee shop
  • Couple sitting on a wooden bench outside The Gentlemen Baristas
  • Couple kissing at the red doors of Casse-Croute under the Bermondsey Street sign
  • Black and white Bermondsey couples photoshoot, couple swinging hands down an empty street
  • Couple standing apart beneath the Borough Market sign beside a flower stall
  • Couple crossing a quiet Borough street with a railway bridge behind
  • Couple cuddling on a bench outside a coffee shop near London Bridge
  • Couple reaching for each other outside The Garrison pub on Bermondsey Street
  • Couple standing hand in hand in front of an ochre shop window with plants
  • Couple standing close inside a warm bar strung with fairy lights
  • Couple kissing in front of the green frontage of The Market Porter pub
  • Couple walking past a corner deli on Bermondsey Street in morning light
  • Couple walking hand in hand past a red and ochre painted shopfront in Bermondsey
  • Couple walking towards the camera down a quiet street in Borough
  • Close up of a couple holding hands against a green gingham dress
  • Woman stepping out of the Chapter 72 café doorway on Bermondsey Street
  • Couple standing together beneath the Bermondsey Street sign in early sun
  • Couple sitting on a step in front of an old green door in Borough
  • Couple standing outside The Wheatsheaf pub in Borough in morning light

FAQ

Got Questions?

Early mornings work beautifully here. The streets are quiet, and the light is soft and low. By late morning, cafés and pavements get much busier.

Most traders open mid morning, so early on the stalls are often shuttered. That makes the walkways quiet and easy to photograph. Check the market’s own website for current opening times.

Yes, please do. Personal places make the photos mean more. Just tell me where they are, and I’ll plan a route that links them up.

They’re all within a comfortable walk of each other. Shad Thames to Bermondsey Street takes roughly ten minutes. From there, Borough Market is a similar stroll.

Absolutely. We usually plan a quick swap at a café or a quiet stop. A second outfit adds variety without eating into your time.

Pick colours that sit nicely against brick and painted shopfronts. Black, cream, olive and soft checks all work well. Avoid big logos, and choose shoes you can walk in.

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