Tower Bridge is one of the most famous structures in the United Kingdom and has been a defining landmark in the city of London since its completion in 1894. In this Photographing London series, we will cover the best locations to get stunning images of the iconic Tower Bridge.
Location Map
In case you are not familiar with the locations we are going to go through, we have created a map with each one pinpointed for you. Even if you are familiar with London, this will hopefully help you plan your visit to Tower Bridge.
Google Map (opens in a new browser window)
Best Times To Photograph Tower Bridge
Photographing Tower Bridge is at its best during the golden hour, blue hour, and night. However, if you can’t make it at these times don’t be put off. You can get great photographs at any time of day. If you have the time, it is also worth sticking around for when the bridge is open. The Tower Bridge website has a page dedicated to the bridge lift times here.
Best Places to Photograph Tower Bridge
The Timepiece Sundial (St Katharine Docks)
The first location on the list is also my personal top location. The Timepiece Sundial is a sculpture in the St Katharine Docks area. The steel sundial looks like a giant washer, upon which the hours are marked with raised dots. It makes a stunning foreground object with the Tower Bridge in the middle ground. Compositionally it makes for a visually appealing shot at whatever time of day you choose to visit.
One of the other great things about this location is that this angle onto the Tower Bridge masks some of the larger more modern buildings that lie just beyond. You, therefore, end up with a shot that is a little more architecturally in keeping.
Right in front of the sundial, you can also get a clear view of the bridge as the main subject. Shot here in the early evening, the lighting on the bridge makes an interesting composition with the bridge almost silhouetted against the skyline. Plus as a bonus, timed for when the bridge was open.
Butler’s Wharf
Our next stop is opposite St. Katherine Docks on the South East side of the River Thames. There is a waterside footpath along Butlers Wharf with some great views of the Tower Bridge as the main photography subject. If you happen to have the British weather on your side when you visit, it is also one of the best spots to grab a sunset shot, as well as some lovely early morning shots with the light starting to reflect off the structure.
Tower Wharf
Staying in the vicinity of Tower Bridge, our next stop-off is Tower Wharf back on the Northside of the Thames. This is a great spot for sunrises if you are up early enough to catch one. You can either grab a shot with the bridge as the focal point or step back. little and grabbing a shot with the walkway in the foreground.
In either case, this is probably the best location if you are looking for all the buildings to look visually in-keeping, as very few of the more modern London buildings are visible from this position looking at the bridge.
London Bridge
Stepping further away from the bridge now, specifically from London Bridge, you can get some great views of Tower Bridge either with a zoom lens to frame the symmetry of the bridge or with a wider angle shot taking in the banks of the River Thames and the surrounding area.
Tower Bridge
So far, we have skirted our way around Tower Bridge, but you can also get some pretty unique viewpoints photographing Tower Bridge from the bridge itself. Long exposures and night shots work particularly well as you can catch the light streams from vehicles. But, day shots are equally as good for focussing on the architectural details.
