Residents’ Journal
HOW TO Capture the essence of London o Local photographer Ricky Leaver talks the
Residents’ Journal through his five steps to taking beautiful pictures of the capital
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Low tide on the Thames at Wandsworth
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Rainy Soho cobbles
Umbrella man on Covent Garden Piazza
THE EXPERT
1. Keep it simple
Ricky Leaver originally worked in publishing before founding the Londonstills picture library in 2001, selling his images of contemporary London for commercial and editorial use. In 2007 he expanded the site to form Londonstills Photo Art, making a small selection of his photography available as signed, limitededition prints. His photography is a mix of timeless black and white, and bright bold abstracts with a particular emphasis on accentuating clear shapes and silhouettes. Ricky lives in Putney and is currently chairman of Putney Artists. All his images are taken with a Canon EOS 5D (Mark I).
Simple, clear pictures of London are often the strongest images. Avoid clutter, it only distracts. Less is definitely more.
2. Explore and experiment London is such a diverse place that you can take any picture you can think of. Get out there, explore this great city and find a different angle. Don’t be afraid to experiment – you’ll often be amazed at the results.
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