Location suggestions for portrait photography sessions in London

London is such a diverse city to live in and we have a huge variety of backdrops for photoshoots from beautiful parks, cute shopping streets, classical architecture to gritty backstreets. I know that for a lot of you it might be your first time visiting London so I thought I’d put together a brief guide of my favourite photo spots in London for a portrait session!

Please note that some areas may need a photography permit (more information included at the end of this article).

St. James’s Park, Green Park & Piccadilly

Located in the very heart of London, this provides a beautiful blend of classical architecture and nature. I usually start by meeting you at Piccadilly Tube station and take a walk to St. James Park taking photos along the way.

These two parks are probably my favourite in London; centrally located and easily accessible, both parks combined offer some beautiful greenery with plenty of different scenes and architecture. I can easily spend a couple of hours shooting here although it can be combined with some city scenes like Westminster, Regents Street and Piccadilly.

Couples Portrait Session in St. James Park

Couples Engagement Session in central London

Engagement photoshoot at St. James Park, London

Engagement photoshoot in St. James Park, London

Engagement photoshoot in Green Park, London

Bank

The area around the Bank of England is a fantastic spot for couples portraits since it is full of beautiful classical architecture. It’s also just an 8 minute walk to St Dunstans in the East for a more alternative backdrop.

St Dunstans in the East

St. Dunstans in the East is a very unique photo location within central London. It’s an old Church that was hit by the bombing in World War 2 but was converted to a lovely park garden. There is plenty of greenery and the church itself gives an almost gothic / alternative background for photos.

You can see an example shoot at St Dunstans by clicking here!

St Dunstans Engagement Photoshoot in London

Regents Park

Another beautiful London Park full of nature and some charming little streets surrounding the park itself.

Couples Portrait session in Regent's Park, London

Tower Bridge and St. Katherine’s Docks

The Tower Hill area is undoubtedly one of the most popular spots for families and couples visiting London on vacation. Not only is there the grand backdrop of Tower Bridge itself but you also have St. Katherine’s docks which provides a nice quiet area including an iconic red phone box (next to a red post box too)! St. Katherine’s Docks is great for both couples and families but I definitely recommend this for Family sessions since we can avoid the crowds and there is space for the kids to run around.

Greenwich

“Located within a beautiful Royal Park with sweeping views of London and the Thames, Royal Museums Greenwich is home to four must-see attractions - the Royal Observatory, the iconic sailing ship Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum.” Greenwich offers some wonderful classical backdrops for your photoshoot as well as some stunning nature and viewpoints over the city of London. You can read more about Greenwich Park by clicking here. Greenwich is absolutely perfect for an engagement photoshoot.

Notting Hill

Notting Hill is perfect for a laid back couples portrait session if you’re looking for a quirky and cute backstreet feel to your photos. There’s even some graffiti around if you’re looking for a few gritty urban scenes. There are plenty of hidden backstreets known as ‘mews’ which are wonderful to take a walk down. Notting Hill is full of colour and I absolutely love taking photos here!

One thing to keep in mind however is that this is a genuine London neighbourhood and people do live here so we need to be respectful of their homes and space when doing a portrait session here.

Surprise Proposal photoshoot in Notting Hill, London

Hyde Park

One of the most central parks in London, Hyde Park provides a nice mix of natural backdrops and classical architecture to choose from. The Rose Gardens is a beautiful place to start with its colourful flowers and cute benches. We could then head to the Serpentine lake for a nice open and romantic background for your photos. You can read more about Hyde Park by clicking here. Hyde park is quite spacious and not overly busy so it’s quite good for some romantic portraits without too much of an audience!

St Paul’s Cathedral

One of London’s most iconic landmarks is perfect for a photo session. I love the classical architecture and just check out the beautiful floor tiles on the image below! It also has some beautiful gardens surrounding the Cathedral which we can use for a few nature type shots. It’s also a short walk away from the Millennium Bridge and South Bank which also offer great photo opportunities.

In fact, aside from St. James Park area, this is one of my go to photo locations since it connects well with Bank, St. Dunstans, Leadenhall Market and Tower Bridge.

St. Pauls Cathedral couples portrait session

Other Locations

Honestly, there are just so many places to choose from in London that are perfect for family portraits, couples portraits, engagement sessions, pre-weddings and surprise proposals. The above are just a few of my favourites and are very popular with people visiting London. Other locations you might want to consider could be -

Backstreets in Waterloo
Pergola Gardens in Hampstead Heath
Covent Garden
Westminster and the London Eye
Shoreditch / Brick Lane
Kew Gardens

Please be aware that some locations do require a photography permit which comes at an extra cost and needs time to process. You can find more information about permits by clicking the link below.

London Royal Parks Photography Permits

I hope that helps you with a few ideas for your upcoming photo session in London. I can’t wait to meet you and capture some beautiful memories for you!

Sam Spicer is a London Portrait Photographer specialising in Family Portraits, Pre Weddings, Engagements, Couples Portraits and Surprise Proposals.

If you’re interested in hiring me for a photoshoot then please get in touch via the link below

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London Location Guide