Vibrant, varied and edgy, East London these days is a popular place among both Londoners and tourists. However, it used to be notorious as one of the city’s most impoverished areas. Over the last few months it’s been one of my go-to places for photo walks. And therefore, I’ve put together this short guide to street photography in East London.
Where is East London?
First off, I’ll define East London (also traditionally known as the East End) for the purposes of this article. Because it could encompass a massive area all the way to Walthamstow and Barking. However, to save your feet from excessive walking, I have in mind the area to the east of the City of London, bordered by the A10, up to the Lea River.
Including key neighbourhoods such as Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Hackney, Dalston, Clapton, Whitechapel, Stoke Newington, Mile End and more, this is a quite manageable area for a few days of street photography in East London.
History and culture
For many centuries East London remained a rural suburb with hunting grounds and abbeys to the east of the Roman-built old city. In the Elizabethan era, theatres and entertainment venues appeared, as they were deemed immoral and banned within the city itself.
Successive waves of migration, beginning with French Huguenots in the 17th century, followed by Jews from Eastern Europe, Irish and Bangladeshis added greatly to the population and vibrancy of the area, as well as bringing an expertise in textiles and furniture-making. Maritime industries also bloomed around the East London Docks.
In the 19th to mid-20th centuries, however, the East End became notorious for its extreme poverty, overcrowding, and crime. Whitechapel is where Jack the Ripper operated, while Bethnal Green is where the Kray twins were based in the 1950s and 60s.
Nowadays it has a much better reputation: as an up-and-coming area popular with artists and other creatives with many neighbourhoods undergoing gentrification. At the same time, it continues to be extremely multicultural, with particularly large South Asian, Turkish and Jewish communities.
From a travel perspective, East London (particularly Shoreditch) is known for its creative, hipster vibe, world-leading street art, diverse local eateries, cool cafes, bustling weekend markets, numerous art galleries and museums, waterways and parks.
The East End is also of course synonymous with London’s traditional working-class Cockney culture and its clever rhyming slang.
Street photography hotspots
Now let’s get into the best locations for street photography in East London, in my opinion, based on my recent lengthy strolls and observations:
1. Shoreditch
This is a vibrant area above all associated with its amazing graffiti and street art, which is up there with the best in the world apparently. That said, there’s much more to Shoreditch and surrounding areas, including a wonderful range of cuisines and numerous bustling markets, not to mention one of London’s best-loved streets: Brick Lane.
2. Brick Lane
Extending from Whitechapel towards Bethnal Green, this famous street is the centre of Banglatown, or the Bangladeshi community, and renowned for its rows of curry houses. However, it also abounds with street art and vintage clothes shops. Plus, don’t miss the two long-running Jewish bagel bakeries, the Brick Lane Bookshop or the Sunday market.
3. Victoria Park
This park, stretching from Bethnal Green all the way to Hackney Wick, was created to improve living standards in the notoriously impoverished East End of the 19th century. It’s surprisingly large and in good weather is a hive of activity as East Londoners congregate around the lake or skate, stroll, cycle and sunbathe. In spring and autumn its many-coloured trees and flowers are a terrific backdrop.
4. Columbia Road Flower Market
Taking place every Sunday, this hugely popular market always throngs with people throughout the year. An entire street is decked out in stalls selling the most wonderful assortment of flora radiating all sorts of intoxicating colours and aromas. There’s also a host of little independent shops and enticing cafes, as well as stalls selling antiques and vintage clothes.
5. Broadway Market and around
Similarly popular is Broadway Market, a busy food market occurring on Saturdays and Sundays. But even during the week Broadway Street is worth browsing, lined with cafes and bookshops and lying just north of Regent’s Canal. The canal is also enjoyable to walk along, in either direction. Meanwhile, located at the northern end of Broadway Street, London Fields is another popular park.
6. A10 from Dalston to Stamford Hill
The A10 slices through the East End from Spitalfields via Shoreditch, Hoxton, Haggerston, Dalston and Stoke Newington to Stamford Hill (which is as far as I went) and well beyond. I’d recommend starting in Dalston, an edgy area known for its bars, restaurants and Ridley Road Market. Walk on to Stoke Newington with its villagey feel, old pubs, chic cafes and lovely Clissold Park.
What makes East London unique?
London is vast and made up of many different places. Here are some of the things that set East London apart, and which you may wish to home in on during a day of street photography:
Markets
From Brick Lane and Broadway Market on a Saturday to the Columbia Road Flower Market on a Sunday, there are many unique and popular ones in East London. Attracting all types of people, though mostly young and trendy, they generate a great atmosphere, particularly when the sun’s out, and are the main reason why I’d recommend doing street photography in East London at the weekend.
Street art
Shoreditch, Spitalfields and Whitechapel are well-known for being awash with art and graffiti by some of the world’s best street artists. However, you’ll also find excellent works in the likes of Bethnal Green, Hackney Wick and many other places. While these works are simply fun to find and admire, you can also play around with using them as a backdrop for street photos.
Canal walks
Like its parks, the various waterways of East London, chiefly Regent’s Canal and the Lea River, help to break up the densely packed residential areas. Stroll along them for a spot of tranquillity and nature, and look out for shots involving canal boats, canoes and the like. They certainly offer an alternative glimpse of London life, however they are also just a good way of getting from one place to another.
Parks and pubs
I’ve mentioned some of the parks already, namely Victoria Park, Clissold Park and London Fields. In addition, there’s the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Hackney Marshes and Walthamstow Wetlands, though I wouldn’t really recommend those for photography. In between scanning the streets, you can also pause for a pint in one of the many historic pubs dotted around East London, which boast intriguing histories and eye-catching Victorian architecture. Here’s an interesting article about someone documenting them.
Multiculturalism
Strolling the streets of East London, I have been fascinated to see just how multicultural this traditionally Cockney region now is. From the South Asian communities of Brick Lane and Whitechapel to the Caribbean culture of Dalston, the Turkish vibe in and around Stoke Newington and the Orthodox Jews up on Stamford Hill. The architecture remains the same, but the atmosphere, people and cuisine are always changing.
Final thoughts
So there it is, my street photography guide to East London. I have focused on all the great things about this large and diverse area.
However, needless to say there are also some negatives. For example, the many large and characterless residential areas which are easy to get lost in when walking between the main activity hubs. Getting around by bus or tube would be wiser.
Also, I often find London a fairly drab (and depressing) place in poor, overcast weather. Given the city’s lack of colour, being a colour photographer, I find it difficult to enjoy street photography in such conditions. And rundown parts of the East End can be particularly miserable.
So, finally, here are a few bits of advice: it’s definitely worth doing street photography in East London. But head here in good weather, at the weekend and, given all the great food (and coffee) available, on an empty stomach.
A few more photos from East London:
