London Photo Walk, Black and White, Part 1
The day after Christmas - Boxing Day - was the perfect opportunity for a street photography day with my 50mm Lens
I’ve not ever been to London on Christmas but since my family gathered earlier in the month for our Christmas together, and because my friend’s flat was available for me to sublet about mid-December, I made the trek over the pond for the holiday.
Christmas Day in London is really interesting because it is the one day out of the entire year (my cab driver told me) that London public transport - including the Tube and the double-decker buses - does not run. (Is double-decker hyphenated or one word or just two separate words? I’m receiving conflicting reports and would love your input.) Apparently these big red behemoths rest at home with their Christmas gifts and hot cocoa, and leave the city fending for itself for a whole day. It is otherworldly, London without its buses.
But, the day after Christmas is another story. There is hustle and bustle on top of hustle and bustle. It’s double-decker hustle and bustle especially in the shopping areas like Oxford Street and the major tourist areas of Westminster near Buckingham Palace and Westminster Bridge.
Care to take a walk with me? It was the day after Christmas 2023 and I travelled on foot from Regent’s Park down to Oxford Street through the Royal Parks of Hyde Park, Green Park, and St. James’s Park; past Buckingham Palace, and on to Westminster (Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Bridge) and then to the Southbank.
It was a long walk and the perfect day to practice some street photography. I had only my 50mm f1.4 lens with me because it is the lightest lens I own - perfect for travel - and its a lens greatly suited for creativity in photography. And, it’s not very expensive, either.
It’s a challenging lens: “You wanna make a great photo with me? Oh, yeah? Just try it!”
With a 50mm lens, you don’t have the luxury of twisting the lens to bring your subject closer or push it further away. No, you’re the one that has to move if you want your composition just right.
The 50mm is a delightfully bullheaded taskmaster: it makes you dance, instead of the other way around.
So, the day after Christmas, I walked. And danced.
(In this letter, you’ll find photos from Regent’s Park up to Oxford Street, London. You can follow along on the map at the end of this post and I’ll update the route on each of the next posts in the series, likely three or four altogether.)
In color (sorry, that’s got to be a bit of a shock), of the part of the route I took corresponding to the photos above, shown by the blue line:
All photos (except for map) ©Me!
© Renate Flynn
You have a great eye for beauty! Love your pictures!
Dear LightShare Author Extraordinaire, I am grateful 🙏 that you have not let your dreams die. Shout out to Jay! The B&W photography adds delightful flavor to your photo walk. I look forward to the next part. Cheers!