The Best Time for a Photoshoot in London

The best time for a photoshoot in London is early morning, for empty landmarks, or the last hour or two before sunset, for warm light. Westminster and Tower Bridge fill up from mid-morning as the tour groups arrive, and one Westminster listing runs its sessions before 10am for that reason. Late afternoon light by the river turns the stone gold. Midday works too, under cloud, which London supplies generously and which is kinder to faces than hard sun.

Sunrise and sunset by month

On the 15th of each month, central London (computed for Tower Bridge), local time.

Morning: the empty landmarks

In summer an early session is very early: sunrise is before 05:00 in June. From October to March it is a sensible hour, around 07:00 to 08:00, which makes autumn and winter the easiest seasons for a sunrise shoot. The Tower Bridge sunrise photoshoot is built around this, and the private Westminster session books its walks before 10am.

Afternoon: the warm light

The hour or two before sunset gives the softest, warmest light, best by the river looking at Westminster from the South Bank. In winter that is mid-afternoon: sunset is before 16:00 in December, which also means the city lights come on while you are still shooting.

Season by season

Spring brings blossom in the parks and long, mild days. Summer gives the longest light and the biggest crowds. Autumn has the leaves in St James’s Park and reasonable sunrise times. Winter is short on daylight, but early sunsets and lit-up streets are their own look.

Rain

London weather can turn quickly, so leave yourself a spare morning if the photos matter. The shoots on this site have free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and one listing says it may reschedule for weather at no extra charge.

For Big Ben, book the first slot of the day: the Big Ben photoshoot gives you 35 to 40 edited photos around Westminster, from US$94 a person (checked October 2026).

Check early Big Ben dates