London Landmark Photo Shoot with Teenagers
Post last updated: August 2026.
Helen Bartlett is an award winning, London-based family photographer with over 20 years’ experience and a Canon Ambassador since 2017, specialising in natural, black and white family photography across London and the UK. This post shares a sneak preview from a landmark photo shoot in Westminster, the Southbank, and the City of London with a family visiting from Tampa, Florida, taking in Big Ben, the Southbank’s Undercroft skatepark, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace in a single morning.
A family visiting London from Tampa, Florida spent a morning being photographed at Big Ben, the Southbank’s Undercroft skatepark, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace, combining sightseeing with a relaxed family photo shoot.
London Landmark Photo Shoot – Session at a Glance
Westminster, the Southbank, St Paul’s, and Buckingham Palace, London
Walking family photo shoot across London’s most famous landmarks
Two parents and two young adult children, visiting from Tampa, Florida
Big Ben, the Southbank’s Undercroft skatepark, Millennium Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace
Natural, black and white, documentary, with creative silhouette and motion-blur techniques
Helen Bartlett, Canon Ambassador, 20+ years’ experience
Meeting Andi’s family in London
It’s always a thrill to be booked by another photographer, and so I was delighted when the incredibly talented Andi Diamond got in touch from Tampa, Florida, to book a session for her family while she was visiting London earlier this summer. Andi Diamond is a branding, lifestyle, family and boudoir photographer in Tampa USA.
I always love photographing other photographers: making a new friend in this industry I love so much, and being able to chat about light and angles as we take our photographs. It’s fascinating to hear about the industry across the ocean, and how much is different and how much stays the same in our geographical markets.
It’s also just a delight to meet such a lovely family as Andi’s: to chat to the children, to hear about college placements in England, about competitive gymnastics, to discover what was on the agenda for a short trip to the UK, and to spend some time sharing my wonderful home city with visitors, acting as a tour guide alongside our photography. What a lovely day, and I’m thrilled to share a few of my favourite photographs this morning.
Today I’m sharing a sneak preview so you can see the fun of touring London’s landmarks with a family visiting from the USA.
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
We started our morning at Westminster. There’s something amazing about exiting the Tube station and seeing the Houses of Parliament looming in front of you. They fill the space completely as you walk up from the Underground, in a way that is almost overwhelming, and then you are out on the street, looking up at these glorious buildings illuminated by the morning sun, towering over us in all their glory. It’s a sight to behold, and a great place to start a photo shoot.
We began with some photographs in Parliament Square, taking in this marvellous sight, which was strongly backlit, giving us fantastic shadows in our pictures. Because of the bright backlighting, it also made a good opportunity for a dramatic silhouette complete with a sunburst, to give a graphic interpretation of the place.
The London Eye and the Southbank
From Westminster we walked across the bridge to take in the London Eye, built to celebrate the Millennium in 2000 and another of London’s famous landmarks. It’s fun to think that modern constructions can become part of the national and international consciousness so quickly. To me it still feels such a new thing. I can remember it going up, and all the discussion around it, but it’s very much part of the skyline now, and I love it. It’s nice having such iconic spots so close together, and being up and about early meant we could see them without the crowds.
The Southbank Undercroft skatepark
When exploring London, it’s nice to mix the spots that are famous the world over with some of the spots that are famous to Londoners, and the Southbank’s Undercroft skatepark is one of those. Skateboarders first adopted this stretch of concrete beneath the Southbank Centre in the early 1970s, and after a hard-fought community campaign, it was formally protected in 2014. Later in the day it’s always filled with people perfecting their skills and performing tricks. Bright and early on a Friday morning it’s empty, and the shapes, light, textures, and patterns make it a wonderful spot for some black and white portraits.
Embracing the textures and light, we walked along the Southbank, finding some other corners in and around the brutalist architectural masterpiece that is the Southbank complex of the Royal Festival Hall, National Theatre, BFI, and the Hayward Gallery.
Millennium Bridge
We continued our exploration, walking along the Southbank and stopping where light, angle, and opportunity gave us pause for interesting images. I’m always on the lookout for interesting light, great shapes, leading lines, and other graphic interplay which can elevate a picture to a new place. Along the way we could walk and talk, which keeps things relaxed. I was fascinated to hear how student life is for a visiting student: Andi’s son was staying in London for a couple of months, and his experiences sounded brilliant, weekends exploring Europe, fascinating internships, enjoying our great British pubs. What a wonderful opportunity for a young person.
We stopped at the Millennium Bridge for some photos with St Paul’s in the background, and for once it wasn’t too busy, even though we had hit mid-morning by this point. We had a few moments where we had the view to ourselves, and that was quickly put to use for a family shot that I love.
St Paul’s Cathedral
From the Millennium Bridge it was over to St Paul’s proper. St Paul’s is one of my favourite places in London. It’s such an incredible building: designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1710, it’s absolutely iconic. We climbed the steps for some photos with the incredible columns, which stretched my wide-angle 24mm lens to the limit, and some fun portraits by the great doors. The scale is out of this world, and the light was fantastic.
Buckingham Palace
By this point time was ticking on, and we all needed a quick break for a coffee. A drink and a pastry later, we decided on one last stop. Although we knew it would mean crowds and hard midday light, we jumped on the Tube to Buckingham Palace. After all, no trip around London’s landmarks would be complete without seeing the home of His Majesty the King.
It was as busy as expected, but it’s still always a magnificent sight and a place I love to visit. I decided to make a feature of the crowds, so for my shot of the family in front of this iconic building, I combined two frames: a slow shutter speed shot where the movement of the crowd blurs beautifully, and a second, sharper shot to make sure every face is in focus. This is a technique I’ve refined over many years of photographing families in busy tourist spots, and it works brilliantly here, giving a feeling of the movement of the crowd while keeping the focus on the family and cutting out the distraction of other tourists.
London Landmark Photo Shoot: FAQs
A typical session takes in a handful of iconic spots in one morning, perhaps Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Southbank, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace, mixed with candid walking shots and creative techniques like silhouettes or motion blur. I plan the route in advance so we can move between locations easily on foot or by Tube.
Yes, absolutely. I love hearing what’s already on a family’s agenda and building the photo shoot around it. Whether you have a few landmarks you’d love to see or a full day of sightseeing planned, I can suggest a route that fits naturally alongside your plans.
As early as possible. Starting at Westminster around 7am or 8am in the morning means we get soft light and far fewer crowds at the big sights, though by midday spots like Buckingham Palace are naturally busier, which I can turn into a creative advantage with techniques like a motion-blur composite.
I do, and I love it when I’m booked by other photographers. It’s always a treat to compare notes with someone who understands light and composition, and to be trusted with photographing their own family is a real privilege.
Crowds are simply part of photographing central London, especially somewhere like Buckingham Palace. I always have techniques ready to work with them rather than against them, from choosing an early time slot to using creative approaches like slow shutter speed blending to keep the focus on your family.
Book Your Family Photo Shoot with London Landmarks
We had a wonderful morning together, and I’m so pleased that Andi chose me to photograph her family on their visit to England. It was such a pleasure to meet everyone and to chat to them on our fun family photo shoot. I can’t wait to share the full gallery with the family in due course, but in the meantime, I hope you have all enjoyed this sneak preview of some of my favourite shots from the morning.
If you have liked what you have seen and would like to book your own family photo shoot in London, whether taking in the famous sights or at your home or a local park, then do get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.
This kind of session will particularly suit families visiting London from abroad who want to combine sightseeing with relaxed, natural photographs, as well as fellow photographers and industry friends passing through the city. I photograph families across London, the UK, and Europe, and as a multi award winning photographer and a Canon Ambassador with over 20 years’ experience, I would love to hear from you.
