Sky Garden Observation Deck view of The Shard & River Thames

The image was taken on the terrace of the Sky Garden in the Walkie Talkie building with a south-facing view of the River Thames and The Shard. Tickets to the Sky Garden are free, but you must book in advance in order to gain entry. Check out the website for more information on booking: https://skygarden.london/booking. When you get to the front of the building, walk through the main entrance where you'll be greeted by staff and asked to go through a quick airport-style security check in. Then, you'll be escorted into one of two elevators that will take you to the terrace floor. Coming out of the lift, you'll find the terrace directly in front of you through the revolving doors where I stood, facing south. By London Underground: - Closest Station: Monument Station (via Circle or District line) - Head east on Eastcheap/A1213 toward Gracechurch St - Turn left onto Philpot Ln and the destination will be on your right Address: Sky Garden 20 Fenchurch St, London EC3M 8AF, UK

All months are suitable to photograph The Shard and River Thames from the Sky Garden Observation Deck Terrace. I recommend visiting in the summer when it's warmer!

The best light will occur when the terrace first opens (10AM on the weekdays) as the sun rises over the city. In the winter months when sunrise is later (around 8AM), you'll get the sun at its lowest and crisp light to the left face of The Shard.

Please be aware that tripods are NOT allowed to be used on the terrace, and refrain from pushing your camera up to the glass.

I used a wide-angle lens here (20mm), but I also recommend playing around with a zoom lens to try out some different compositions. Even if you use a zoom lens, try and keep a lot of free space around The Shard in the building.

For a clean photo, center the tower in the middle of the shot and run the horizon in the middle.

Visit The Saint Dunstan in the East Church Garden. It's a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and it's an excellent location for nature shots.

If it's the weekend, I recommend visiting 120 Fenchurch Street which is another great, free public terrace with no pre-booking required.