Walking the Thames Path with a Nikon F100 and Fuji Provia 100

Walking along the Thames Path gives the best views of the O2 Arena. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

London is not a city for drivers, it’s one best enjoyed on foot to avoid endless traffic lights, mile long traffic jams and the dreaded ULEZ. You can saunter around at your pleasure taking in all the small details that are otherwise easy to miss in this big city. What makes London is of course the mighty River Thames, the second longest in the country, and since 1996 there’s been a 185-mile trail called the Thames Path that takes you all the way from the source in the Cotswolds to Woolwich in the big city.

The Path is lined almost entirely with residential property, some that even extend out over it. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Some properties in London have access to private parks but this was the first time I’d seen a private pier like this on the Thames. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

If I walked the entire length, it would certainly take up more than one blog, but here I will be talking about a small section I walked at the end of the path around the Canary Wharf area with my Nikon F100 and a roll of Fuji Provia 100. With it being a decent day with plenty of light there was no struggle in using an ISO 100 roll of film, especially with a fast 35mm lens.

Looking towards Providence Tower, where you can get an idea of the real hodge podge of residential buildings that line this part of the Thames. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

I actually started the walk in Greenwich so I could go under the Thames with the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, well worth doing if you haven’t done it before, even if it is just for the novelty experience. From there I followed the bends of the river eastward until reaching the Royal Wharf Pier and rode the Thames Clipper back into the centre of London.

I tried to walk though this attractive looking residential area, only to find out it was in fact a dead end. 1/400s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

This part of the Thames Path is not always straightforward. The first section immediately over the river from Greenwich does indeed follow the river, with a surprising array of flats hugging the river edge. Built over a series of decades there’s no particular architectural style here, other than ‘modern’. Seeing as we’re so close to Canary Wharf you can still expect to pay high prices, especially if you have a bedroom view of the river. Even more so if your residence grants you access to a private pier which I spotted along the way. Certainly a good spot for a cup of tea with the Sunday newspaper. This side of the river gives the best view of the O2 Arena without any obstructions and you are far enough back to take it all in. I have fond memories of visiting it twice back in 2000 when it was the Millennium Dome – a slightly mad white elephant project spearheaded by the then newly elected Labour government as part of the nation’s millennium celebrations.

The Lower Lea Crossing has both a footpath and a road for vehicles. The footpath is also used by cyclists, although some people seem to have decided here would be a good spot to leave their rental bikes. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The London Cable Car, this part gives exceptional views of London’s latest construction site. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

Further progress is made via a series of bridges that lead you away from the main water’s edge where you also have to navigate some rather large roads. As you continue over Lower Lea Crossing (as it crosses over the much smaller River Lea), you will spot the London cable car or as it’s otherwise known - the Dangleway. Opened in 2012 in time for the Olympic Games, it takes you to and from the O2 Arena on the other side of the river. I’ve yet to do it but it’s something on my list.

I framed this image of a new block of flats in a way to remove any sense of the building’s total height. 1/60s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

As I arrived at the end of the walk, I was fortunate to witness part of a gorgeous sunset beaming down glowing orange light and causing the clouds in the sky to turn pink. Slide film is not one for dynamic range, but it does give a more vivid and true to life colour rendering, and the blown-out highlights work well in giving a sense of how bright the light was. Heading back down the river by boat, it highlights just how many modes of transport there are in this part of the city, including more unusual ones. All that can only be enjoyed on foot.

A glorious sunset beating down on the Thames. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

The final stop of the day at Royal Wharf Pier, where I rode the Thames Clipper back into the city centre. 1/400s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.

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