Vacation Photographer in London: What to Expect?

You’ve now booked the flights. You are coming to London! Hoorah! Maybe it’s a quick trip for a long weekend, or maybe it’s a two week adventure with a few days in Europe too. Now, it’s time to build your itinerary.

One thing you might want to consider is how you are actually going to save those memories? Proper photos of the whole family together, or the two of you, or just solo, taken somewhere that looks unmistakably like London either because it has the Big Ben in it, or the subtle double yellow line on the side of the road or a white terraced house. Taken by someone who isn’t also trying to be in the photos!

Here's how it works and the practical stuff (cost, timing, what happens if it rains) that often comes up.

Who are some of my customers

It's a wide range of people, here's a flavour of who tends to book.

Families on a multi-stop trip. London is rarely the only place on the itinerary. I shoot a lot of families who land in London, spend a few days, then head out for day trips to Oxford, the Cotswolds or Stonehenge, sometimes meeting up with relatives who live in the UK, before flying home from London at the end. Others take the Eurostar to Paris for a day or two and on to a second country from there. One family I shot recently did London, a day trip to Paris, then a week-long cruise out of Southampton to Spain and Portugal and back to London to fly out. Wherever the trip takes them, London tends to be the start, the end, or both, and that's usually where the session fits. Sometimes it's also the meeting point itself, parents and grandparents and kids flying in from completely different countries just to be in the same place at the same time. Once everyone scatters back home, that window closes.

Couples exploring. First trip together, a honeymoon stop, sometimes an engagement that's about to happen mid-trip (more on that below). I shot a couples vacation session in Notting Hill recently that's a good example of how relaxed this can feel, even on a first trip together.

The long weekend. A couple flying over from Chicago for three days, Friday to Sunday, before heading straight back to work. Shorter trips don't mean there's no time for this, if anything it's the easiest to slot in, since it's just one session rather than working around a longer itinerary.

Solo travellers. People exploring London on their own who still want something more than a tourist snap to remember it by. I've done a lot of portrait work over the years, not specifically for travellers, just one-to-one portraits of people outdoors, and I love that part of the job: finding a good pocket of light, having a conversation while we shoot and getting something that feels like that person. If you're travelling alone or squeezing it into your business trip, and want something that captures you rather than just where you've been, this is very much something I do.

What a typical session looks like

Sessions usually run one to four hours. A single location with one outfit fits comfortably into an hour. If you want the full experience, multiple locations, an outfit change or two, a variety of backdrops, book half a day. I'll plan a route covering at least three different spots, so you come away with a genuinely varied set: a few looks and a few neighbourhoods. It's a fun way to spend half a day together on the trip rather than just stopping for a quick photo.

Locations

I tailor this to what you actually want in the background, but these are the three spots I come back to most:

- Big Ben and Westminster for the unmistakably "London" shot, the one that tells everyone exactly where you were. If you want to plan your own Big Ben shots around the session too, I've written a separate guide to the best photo spots around Big Ben.

- Hyde Park, either by Kensington Palace, Italian Gardens or a walk along the Serpentine. I love shooting here, any time of the year.

- Soho and Covent Garden, I love these two locations urban in Central London. In the morning, before the crowds arrive these streets are quiet and atmospheric, distinctly London and full of colour and fun backgrounds.

If you only have one day in the city and want to combine sightseeing with the shoot, we plan the route so the photos happen along the way rather than as a separate stop.

Timing

Early morning gives the best light and the least crowds, it’s preferred, but it's not the only option. If your schedule is packed and you are jet lagged, we work around what's realistic for you. I’ve shot in all sorts of conditions, in the middle of a sunny day, peak tourist locations etc. - my Big Ben post covers what the lighting is like at different times of day in case you are interested in the detail.

What you get

A fully edited gallery delivered digitally, ready to download, print, or share - within a week. If you need the photos quicker, please let me know and I’ll always try my best to get them to you when you need them. Sessions start from £240 for one hour.

I'm generous with how many photos I deliver. I edit everything that came out well and give you as many as I can, so you get to make your own call on which ones you love rather than having that decided for you. People look different in different shots, and you should get to pick the ones that feel like you.

Booking from abroad: the practical bits

Book before you arrive if you can, especially for summer and around UK school holidays, when the good light slots and popular locations fill up early. Even just a message before you fly to hold a rough date makes the actual booking far smoother once you land, you can secure your date with a deposit. It's great to get the session done near the start of your trip, before the days blur together and you can't remember which outfit you wore where. Just don't expect to feel your most photogenic on day one if you've flown in overnight.

What if it rains? London weather is unpredictable, it can forecast sunny but then decide to rain out of nowhere. Overcast light is good for the skin, the light is diffused and makes for great portraits. If it does rain, usually it only rains for 10 mins at a time and I would still go with the shoot. If it looks particularly bad, I’d be happy to look to accommodate and find another time that might work better - I'd just need to know two days ahead.

Is it awkward, having a stranger photograph you? I’ve never actually asked anyone that, but I wonder if people think it. Honestly, the first five minutes you might have suddenly remembered that you hands are just hanging there and you don’t really know what to do with that. But don’t worry about that, I work with you on how you naturally stand and interact, and create a mix of natural and relaxed photos with a little bit of posing and direction where needed. If you'd rather know who you're dealing with before you commit to standing in a London park with me, my About Me page has a bit more detail.

And yes, I do proposals. If you're planning one in London, get in touch as early as you can. They need a bit more coordination, since it all has to happen without tipping off the other person, but they're one of my favourite things to shoot. I did a post on proposals in London parks.

Ready to book your London vacation photography session? Get in touch with your travel dates and what you have in mind, and I'll help you find a slot that fits your itinerary.