​Will Gray explains what makes his London photo workshops special...

London is full of striking contrasts. Take the Tower of London and The Shard for example. Over 900 years separate these iconic buildings – one hunkered down on the north bank of the Thames, its construction initiated by William the Conqueror in the 1070s; the other a 21st-century, cloud-piercing edifice of 11,000 glass panels just across the river. It’s easy to simply snap away at these landmarks, but with a day or two to immerse yourself in this great city, you have an opportunity to explore the juxtaposition between old and new, capturing images that go beyond the ordinary.

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London is huge and bewildering, which is why I’ve focussed on a relatively small section of the city centre. Essentially, we will be roaming the north and south banks of the Thames between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge. But within that wedge of London, we will not only find a modern skyscraper and medieval fortress, but also a Baroque cathedral, Brutalist theatre, contemporary street art and the capital’s oldest fruit and vegetable market. 

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Viewpoint, I tend to find, is the single most important factor in unleashing your creativity when photographing London. It’s all about getting low to exaggerate perspective or catch a reflection in a pavement puddle; using shiny metal parapets of bridges or the glass-lined chasms of shopping malls to frame, reflect and contrast classic buildings, and looking for stairs, railings or even an exposed slipway at low tide to lead your eye towards the historic wonders of London.