On this London night walk, I photographed wet streets, umbrellas and reflections, then tried slower shutter speeds around Bank.
On one of my most recent trips to London I hit the streets with my Fujifilm X-S10 and the XC35mm F2 lens. Rain was coming down hard, and the wet streets were reflecting the lights around them. There’s only one thing that conditions like this can mean, and that’s Umbrellas, Umbrellas, Umbrellas. As far as the eye can see. People hurried from shelter to shelter, dodging the downpour but also took the opportunity to share an intimate moment with a loved one or a friend.
There was one particular shot I was really excited about… this couple walking up some stairs next to me. I quickly shifted left, dropped low, and tried to line up a clean reflection. I was maybe one step too low, and the top stair cuts through the reflection a bit, but honestly? Still a solid shot. It’s one of those things you notice while editing, but in the moment, you just have to go for it.
Reflections around St Paul’s Cathedral
The wet pavement around St Paul’s gave me plenty of reflections to work with.
St. Paul’s Cathedral. It's one of those classic London spots that just hits different in the rain. There’s a shallow pool nearby where I love trying to catch reflections especially the kind where raindrops are actually bouncing off the surface. I spent a few minutes here working on that, and it was such a vibe. And to catch some shots here I made a quick switch to my 18-55mm Fuji kit lens as I wanted something a little wider to allow me to get the pool and St. Pauls Cathedral in frame but also allowing me to catch the raindrops breaking the waters surface.
One of my favourite tricks when it’s wet like this is to get really low basically eye-level with the puddles. That lower angle helps bring the reflections into the frame. Reflections from headlights, traffic lights, neon signs they all start popping. The rain really does turn the city into a giant mirror. Suddenly, London looks brighter and more colourful, with plenty of texture.
Umbrellas and neon reflections
As the walk continued everyone was rushing around, trying to avoid the downpour, and umbrellas were everywhere. I love the look of rain sitting on the fabric it just adds a nice little detail that brings the shot to life. I grabbed a few frames of families and tourists, trying to catch those tiny moments of interaction with the city.
As the light faded, the reflections got stronger. Everything started to glow especially the neon lights bouncing off the rain-slick streets. At one point, I caught two people walking between some columns lit by soft glowing lights. Total lucky moment, but it turned into one of my favourite shots from the night. The framing, the colour, the reflection it all just worked.
Motion blur around Bank
By the time I made it to Bank, I had a new idea in mind: longer shutter speeds to capture some motion blur. I wanted to show that sense of people rushing, bikes weaving through puddles, and just the overall energy of the rainy city. There’s a particular photo where a bike cut through some neon reflections that just felt like it told the whole story of the night in one frame.
Quick side note: I never carry a tripod when I’m shooting around London. Instead, I use whatever’s around benches, bollards and walls to help steady the camera. Worked great tonight while dragging the shutter to get some nice motion in the frame.
The whole area around Bank was basically a living scene, people running from the rain, traffic lights constantly shifting colour, cars streaming past and leaving behind trails of light. I probably stayed there longer than I needed to, but the results made it worth it.
Not every photo was perfect. I tried to snap one with my phone and totally missed focus. Happens. Honestly, not every shot has to be a winner. Sometimes you’re just there for the experience.
For more on how I finish my photographs, read my Luminar Neo workflow for Lightroom Classic.