My Favourite London Photography Locations (And What Nobody Tells You About Them)
By Andrea Whelan – London Vacation Photographer
People ask me all the time: “Where should we shoot?” And honestly, it’s one of my favourite questions, because the answer is never just a single place on a map. The best location is the one that suits you, your family, your energy, your story. London is extraordinary precisely because it gives you so much to work with. In fifteen minutes you can go from a grand Victorian park gate to a cobbled mews lined with wisteria. You can be under Big Ben at sunrise and eating lunch in Mayfair by noon.
After years of shooting across this city, these are the locations I genuinely recommend, the ones I know inside out, the ones I keep coming back to, and the ones I steer certain clients toward (and gently away from, depending on what they’re after).
1. Regent’s Park – York Gate Entrance
Best for: Families, couples, maternity, personal branding – genuinely versatile location.
Regent’s Park’s best-kept secret and one of my absolute favourites. Most people head straight to the main Outer Circle entrances, but York Gate – tucked along Marylebone Road gives you something a bit different: a beautiful, formal Georgian gateway, with stunning architecture close by, leading into one of London’s most photogenic parks.
Once inside, you have options: the formal rose gardens (spectacular in June) and June alone. We don’t want to shoot here in Winter. Instead we’ll head to St Johns Lodge Garden. I prefer to catch beautiful morning light along the tree-lined avenues, with plenty of logs for kids to climb! It never feels as hectic as Hyde Park. The light in the late afternoon here is incredibly soft and golden.
Practical notes: It’s a 10-minute walk from Baker Street tube and another 10 minute walk to Marylebone which I’ll mention later. For families with young children, the park has plenty of space to let kids run, which in my experience, always makes for better photographs. We’ll arrive early morning or late afternoon for the best light
What makes it photographically special: The combination of architectural detail in that area and lush greenery means I can shoot a range of looks within a tight area without moving far. It suits both relaxed, playful family sessions and more polished, editorial style images.
Westminster – Big Ben and the London Eye
Best for: Families, couples, anyone wanting unmistakably London shots
I’ll be honest: Westminster is not somewhere I’d take clients who want something quiet and intimate. I’m happy to shoot there at any time but need you to know it’s busy, it’s tourist-heavy, and you spend a fair amount of time waiting for crowds to clear to get a good shot. But, and this is important, there is nowhere else on earth that gives you that feeling. The Thames at dusk. The London Eye reflected in puddles. There’s a real cinematic feel on the south side, in the right conditions. These are images that genuinely take your breath away, and my clients from overseas in particular light up when they see them. If you’re willing to get up for a sunrise shoot then you will be rewarded!
Early morning, I’m talking 7am at least, is transformative here. The light is exquisite and the crowds haven’t arrived yet.
The red telephone boxes are iconic and I do use them, but I’m selective, they need to feel playful and intentional, not like a tourist tick-box. When done well (especially with children), they’re magic. We don’t do queuing either, I know plenty of secret locations to get those iconic shots don’t worry!
My top tip for families with toddlers is to head to Victoria Tower Gardens South. It’s quieter than the bridge itself, you get stunning views of the Parliament buildings and the river, and there’s beautiful greenery to break up the stone backdrop. St James Park is close by too so lots of options for kids to let loose.
Buckingham Palace is close by but honestly, unless we’re getting there super early I wouldn’t suggest it. The vibe is essentially just crowds of people standing around and not great for my style of photography.
Practical notes: Westminster station gives you a proper show when you walk out the right entrance, Big Ben is towering over you and it’s mighty impressive! Time of day really matters here; midday in summer is genuinely difficult with crowds and harsh overhead light.
What makes it photographically special: Pure, iconic London drama. The scale, the architecture, the light bouncing off the Thames, the moodiness when a shower hits…
My honest take: I love it, I’ve photographed hundreds of families here so know the locations and the light like the back of my. hand. I do think people should look beyond having this as their only location. It’s London but there’s so much more to the city!
Tower Bridge & Borough Market Area
Best for: Families, couples
Walking from London Bridge Station, Tower Bridge usually surprises people. They expect tourist chaos and they get… this extraordinary Victorian Gothic structure that photographs like nothing else in the city. I know exactly where to position us to get the most from it, the angles, the light, the frames within frames that the architecture offers. This is very much a location where knowing the area makes all the difference. In Victorian times, Shad Thames, which is close by, included the largest industrial warehouse complex in London.
The Borough Market area is one of those places I bring clients who want something with a little more life and colour to it, the textures, the cobbled lanes, the Victorian ironwork overhead. Again, timing and knowing the right spots around the market is everything. Go at the wrong time and you’re fighting crowds like you’ve never seen before; get it right and the images look effortlessly alive.
Practical notes: There’s a 15 minute walk between Tower Bridge and Borough Market area but we’ll shoot along the way
What makes it photographically special: The combination of historical architecture (Tower Bridge and Shad Thames) and the textured, vibrant environment of the market area in such close proximity. You can get epic wide shots and intimate urban portraits within fifteen minutes of each other, when you know where to look.
4. Mayfair – Claridge’s, The Connaught, Royal Arcade & Beyond
Best for: Personal branding, couples, families who love that polished London aesthetic, luxury brand shoots
Mayfair is where I feel most in my element. There is nowhere else in London, possibly the world, that packs this much beauty, elegance, and photographic possibility into such a small area. I’m talking about: the epitome of Britishness, Claridges, with its stunning facade and holiday decorations, characterful architecture and establishments that ooze luxury, my favourite is the warm amber glow of The Audley’s exterior and the discreet grandeur of The Connaught with it’s surprise art installation. New Bond Street is perfection, and just for shopping, I adore how the light lands here reflected off the Georgian buildings.
I know this neighbourhood the way I know my own kitchen. I know which corner catches the best afternoon light, which doorways make the most extraordinary frames, which quiet streets look magical after rain. That local knowledge makes a huge difference.
Practical notes: Green Park or Bond Street tube is your station if not travelling by cab. Mayfair is best shot in morning of late afternoon when the light dips between the buildings and goes golden. Let’s avoid the New Bond Street shopping rush on Saturdays.
Insider knowledge: I’m all for popping into a cafe a or a pub for a quick refreshment, if we time it right we can get some gorgeous indoor shots too, if they staff are ok with it, they usually are!
What makes it photographically special: The density of beauty. Every corner offers something. The architecture, the planting, the shop fronts, it’s layered, it’s rich, and it photographs like no other neighbourhood in the city.
5. Greater London Parks – Richmond, Greenwich & Hackney Wick Woodland
Best for: Families, maternity, anyone wanting green, open, natural shots away from the city noise
Not all parks are created equal. Hyde Park is beautiful but overrun. Battersea has its moments. But for me, the three parks that consistently deliver are Richmond, Greenwich, and the wilder woodland areas around Hackney Wick
Richmond Park is breathtaking – genuinely one of the most beautiful places in London to photograph. The deer roam freely, the ancient oaks are extraordinary, and it has a wild feel in parts, I love that. It’s spacious enough that even on busy weekends you can find a quiet corner. It suits everyone: families who want something lush and natural, maternity clients who want something dreamlike, couples who want romance without the crowds.
Greenwich Park offers something slightly different – the famous view of the city skyline from the top (truly stunning for family portraits), and a combination of manicured and wild space that’s very versatile. There’s also a real sense of history here that I love.
Epping Forest is the wildcard, and clients who trust me to take them there are always converted. Tall grasses, dappled woodland light, almost no tourists – it has a completely different feeling from the royal parks. Painterly, romantic, and genuinely surprising for people who think they know London’s green spaces.
Practical notes: Richmond Park has good transport links from the main London stations and parking off the Richmond Gate and Roehampton Gate entrances. Greenwich Park is accessible by train (Greenwich or Maze Hill stations) and for Epping Forest, there’s plenty of parking.
What makes these photographically special: The chance to get completely different images, loose, natural, full of movement, from the more architectural London shots. Seasonally they’re extraordinary: blossom season in spring, golden leaves in October, frost in winter
6. Kensington & Chelsea
Best for: Families, maternity, personal branding, anyone who loves that quietly elegant London residential aesthetic
I’ve grouped these two together, but they both serve their own delicious aesthetic!
I particularly love shooting the residential streets around the King’s Road, near The Saatchi Gallery and west. In Kensington I tend to have my favourite spots that take in quiet, stunning residential streets and mews that lead us to Kensington Palace Gardens.
What makes Kensington and Chelsea photographically special: The palette, the elegance and sheer variety of streets that are available to us. The architecture, soft colours, the planting, the light reflecting off white facades — it’s inherently pretty, and it doesn’t take much to make images look genuinely beautiful here.
Practical notes: These are mostly residential areas – we approach it with respect for the people who live there.
The surprise factor: People assume the best streets here will be overrun with photographers and influencers. And sometimes it is. But I know when to go, which angles avoid the crowds, and how to make it feel like we have it to ourselves. That’s the benefit of having photographed somewhere hundreds of times.
A Few Last Thoughts
If you’re trying to choose, here’s my honest shorthand:
For the most iconic London images: Westminster or Tower Bridge. Expect some logistics, but the results are undeniable
For something natural and less central: Richmond Park is relaxed and the images are quietly stunning.
For something with an editorial feel: Mayfair or Marylebone
For families with very young children: Regents Park or Kensington Gardens. Room to roam, low logistics, beautiful light.
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