Street Manual

A field guide for street photographers.

by Luke Carey

London Locations45 minutes

Reflection Garden, St Paul's

Reflection Garden, 25 Cannon Street, London EC4

A small pocket park at 25 Cannon Street, a minute from the cathedral, built around an oval reflecting pool that holds a clean upside-down copy of St Paul's dome. It turns one of the most photographed buildings in London into something you have not seen a thousand times.

Best time: still, bright mornings for a sharp reflection before the wind ripples it. Blue hour, when the dome is lit and the sky still has colour.

Look for: shoot low with the phone or camera right at the water's edge so the reflection fills the frame. Wait for a figure on the far side to break the symmetry, or a pigeon to land and scatter the surface.

Camera Settings

Any. Tap to expose for the dome, not the sky. A puddle-level angle beats standing height.

The Assignment

Make one frame of the reflection alone, then one that uses a person to break the mirror. Keep the better idea.

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