London Docklands is a financial centre situated in the east of London. It used to be the largest port in the world, but now, it is filled with modern skyscrapers, with Canary Wharf being the most prominent one. The view of the Thames River from Greenwich offers a direct view of the Canary Wharf.
During our walk along the Thames riverbank, we stumbled upon the opportunity to shoot this HDR panorama. It was something that I always wanted to try but never got around to it. With some time and the perfect location, I finally got to try it. The final image was created using 28 individual images, divided into four segments with seven exposures each.
The Thames is the second-longest river in the United Kingdom and flows through many cities, including London. It has been an essential part of London’s history and has played a crucial role in its development. Many of London’s iconic landmarks, such as the Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament, are situated along the river.
One of the most significant transformations of the Thames was during the 19th century when it became the busiest port in the world. It was during this time that the London Docklands were constructed, which became the largest port in the world. However, with the invention of shipping containers and the advent of containerization in the 1960s, the Docklands became obsolete and were eventually redeveloped into the financial centre that we see today.
The London Docklands is now home to many multinational companies and is a vital financial hub for London and the United Kingdom. It has also become a popular tourist destination, with many visitors coming to see the impressive architecture of the skyscrapers and to take in the panoramic view of the Thames.
Workflow
I first put the seven exposures of the individual segments together in Photomatix. The results were then merged together in Photoshop where I also did the rest of the post-processing. Special attention I’ve paid on the sky, as I want to present its structure as accurately as possible. To achieve that I have greatly increased the contrast to emphasize the cloud formation.
Technical Details
Camera: Canon EOS 500D
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-55mm @ 55mm
ISO: 100
Exposures: 4×7 in steps of 1 EV
Aperture: 8
Exposure time (middle): 10s
Tripod: Manfrotto 190CXPRO4
Date: Taken in May 2014
Location: On the Greenwich riverbanks of the Thames across the Docklands an Canary Wharf
Software: Lightroom 5.4, Photoshop CC, Photomatix Pro, NIK Define 2, NIK Color Efex Pro 4, NIK Sharpener Pro 3
Interesting links regarding the London Docklands
» Docklands Light Railway: DLR London
» London Docklands Development: www.lddc-history.org.uk
