A structural Survey of London

Following his Camera Clinic tutorial on shooting architecture, Will Cheung takes Niall Hampton on a photo walk around the capital's Docklands

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Our February issue’s Camera Clinic was a vital grounding in photographing architecture and cityscapes. This month we’re following it up by getting hands-on with its author Will Cheung for some tried and tested tips. A well-known figure in British photography, Cheung is a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and a former editor of photography magazines Practical Photography and Photography Monthly. Today’s One to One will also interest any readers visiting The Photography & Video Show in its new London location in March, who might be looking to make a weekend of their visit to the capital; ExCeL, the show’s venue, is conveniently located in a part of London which offers plenty for cityscape photographers to enjoy. So who better than Cheung to share some of his architectural photo tips along one of the main transport arteries serving ExCeL, by taking Digital Camera for a wander around London’s Docklands and the eastern fringe of the City of London? In addition to his proficiency with a camera, Cheung has held many workshops in this area and knows some of the best vantage points for capturing the wonders of London’s ever-changing skyline.

Meeting at Liverpool Street station to weather-check our itinerary, we opt to start at Canary Wharf – tall buildings aplenty – before moving on to The O2 (formerly known as the Millennium Dome), crossing the River Thames on the IFS Cloud cable car to the Royal Docks, close to ExCeL, then making our way back to Tower Gateway on the Docklands Light Railway. Conditions aren’t ideal – it’s misty, cold and drizzling – so we decide to work around the uninspiring sky by extending the shoot into twilight and the rush hour. Chatting on the Elizabeth Line en route to Canary Wharf, I ask Cheung what kind of photographer he considers himself to be.