I organised this photography meetup for both DSLR User magazine readers in London and invited others from Flickr as well. To make sure that we did not have any problems with over zealous security guards, I requested permission from the authorities who manage properties on the planned itinerary.

We originally planned to get a group booking for out own capsule on the London Eye but we did not get enough people to reach the final booking amount. Nevertheless, some of us bought fast track tickets in order to capture one of London’s beautiful sunsets from the high vantage point the London Eye can offer.

The rest of the group spent the time getting to know each other. At around 9.30PM we started walking on the Southbank towards Blackfriars Bridge. It may seem a short walk but with everyone taking photographs, we arrived on time for our 10.30PM pub stop. In all there were 26 photographers with different levels of experience. Over some drinks, we exchanged tips and took photos. We then went towards the Millenium Bridge, some of us went through the barriers to the riverbed (it was low tide). We went across the bridge towards St Pauls and Paternoster Square. I had not asked permission from the managers of Paternoster Square since I thought we would just pass through quickly. Unfortunately some 12 photographers took so long in the square that the security guards had enough and went to confront the group. So while walking with half of the group towards Bank,I was called to come back because they are stuck with the security. Fortunately that was sorted on the phone, I learnt my lesson and I hope the 12 photographers have as well. We had our food stop unfortunately for some outside because the bar is too small and already full. Around 20 photographers rested on the steps of the building beside Liverpool Street Station, they were not bothered by the security when they were eating but they were told to go afterwards when they started fiddling with their cameras and tripods. The walk towards the Gherkin and Lloyds building was uneventful and we were undisturbed while we took photographs.

The final stop was Tower Bridge which was clear of pedestrians. Most of the group got there and took photos of the sunrise (4AM). Then, we continued on to the town hall area which is managed by More London. I applied and was granted permission to photograph in the area. We were left alone to do our photography as long as we did not endanger the public. Sunrise was great from our location and some of us who stayed longer, we had a lovely surprise – the opening of the bridge to let a cruise liner in.

For a successful event, it is best to ask permissions from the different estate managers and authorities specially when there is a big number of participants involved. For this All Night Shoot, I contacted a couple of boroughs (Southwark Film office and Lambeth), the City of London Film office and More London. Since the photographs were not for commercial use, we were waived the license fee.

To view everyone’s photographs on Flickr

View some photos I took from the event

All rights reserved © 2008 Ghene Snowdon – www.gsnowdon.com
Please respect my copyright and do not use the photos without my permission