Pictures

1.

Dusk is a magical time at the top of The Shard. We recommend arriving an hour before sunset and hanging around until it's completely dark. (Taken on a Canon 5D MkIII with a 16mm lens at f/8, 1/6 sec, ISO 1600) All photos © Warren Chrismas

2.

Technically it's not great, but this photo of St Paul’s Cathedral was featured in the Landscape Photographer of the Year book in 2012. (Canon 7D, 55mm, f/2.8, 1/6 sec, ISO 640)

3.

Several interesting skyscrapers can be seen to the north, including the Walkie Talkie and The Gherkin. They look spectacular at night. (Canon 7D, 24mm, f/2.8, 8sec, ISO 100)

4.

To the south is Strata SE1 (AKA ‘ the Razor’), the distinctive residential skyscraper with three wind turbines at the top. (Canon 5D Mk III, 22mm, f/16, 1/30sec, ISO 200)

5.

Believe it or not, this shot was taken with a smartphone - albeit a very advanced one with a 41-megapixel sensor. (Nokia Lumia 1020, 25mm equiv, f/2.2, 1/800sec, ISO 100)

6.

Converting to greyscale has given this an aged, sketch-like look. Shame about the cranes in the top-left corner. (Canon 7D, 100mm, f/5.6, 1/100sec, ISO 100)

7.

The Shard gives a fantastic view of the Thames snaking through London, although on this occasion haze blocked the view beyond Canary Wharf. (Canon 7D, 30mm, f/8, 1/400sec, ISO 100)

8.

Look up whilst standing in the corners of level 72 and you can see the very top of The Shard. It's not so nice when it's raining. (Canon 5D Mk III, 16mm, f/10, 1/80sec, ISO 200)

9.

You can add some colour to London in post-production, as in this zoomed-in view of Battersea (from 2013). But, no, it's not very realistic. (Canon 7D, 100mm, f/9, 1/13sec, ISO 200)

10.

The view across west London is fantastic, but in our experience sunsets are often ruined by low cloud cover. (Canon 5D Mk III, 35mm, f/20, 1/40sec, ISO 200)

11.

An ultra-wide photo (shot at 16mm) showing London Bridge and Tower Bridge. We avoided reflections by using a Lenskirt XL. (Canon 5D Mk III, 16mm, f/4, 1/10sec, ISO 5000)

12.

The view below can be interesting too. This shot, from February 2016, shows the works at London Bridge train station. (Panasonic GX7, 20mm, f/1.7, 1/13sec, ISO 800)

13.

White clouds on blue can look pretty, but beware of strong shadows cast in the daytime - including the shadow from The Shard itself. (Panasonic GX7, 14mm, f/20, 13sec, ISO 125)

14.

A zoom lens can offer direct views into other tall buildings previously only available to helicopter pilots and passengers. (Canon 5D Mk III, 200mm, f/4, 1/13sec, ISO 3200)

15.

On a clear day you can see miles - into Essex to the east (shown here) and to Wembley Stadium and beyond to the west. (Canon 7D, 100mm, f/14, 1/15sec, ISO 100)

16.

Taking a long exposure (with the camera on the floor) adds a shiny effect to the Thames and really helps bring out the lights. (Canon 7D, 30mm, f/16, 30 sec, ISO 100)

17.

Using Photoshop’s ‘tilt shift’ or blur effects in post-production can help add interest to photographs. (Canon 5D Mk III, 50mm, f/1.4, 1/5sec, ISO 1000)

18.

Proving that not all photos from The Shard are the same, here's a shot taken with a Lensbaby Edge 80. The yellow circle in the top-left is St Paul's - honest! (Canon 5D Mk III, 80mm, unknown, 1/4sec, ISO 400)