It’s been a while. In fact, it’s been about four years since I last made a video. For ages, I told myself I’d get back to it, but I kept putting it off. The excuse? My life wasn’t interesting enough. I wasn’t jetting off to far-flung places or capturing glamorous moments — just regular life, with the odd photo when I remembered.
But I’ve started thinking differently.
Rather than waiting for something “exciting” to happen, I thought: why not treat this like a kind of video gratitude journal? A way to capture and appreciate the things I do get to do — because there’s actually quite a bit that I enjoy, even if it’s not flashy.
So, this weekend, I decided to take a trip to London. Just me and my son. We packed our cameras and headed off in search of a good coffee, a few interesting photos, and maybe even an adventure or two.
First Stop: The Barbican
If you know anything about street photography in London, you’ll know the Barbican is a bit of a classic. Brutalist architecture, light and shadows playing all over the place — it’s almost impossible not to get a good shot there, especially on a bright spring day like this one.
We wandered around, snapped some frames, and soaked up the quiet buzz that the place always seems to have. There’s something about it that makes you slow down a bit.
Bank
Next, we made our way to the Bank of England. Another hotspot for London photographers, though we may have mistimed it a little. The light was harsh, and — as is tradition — every nearby building decided it was the perfect moment to set off alarms, start beeping, or power up loud machinery. Great for atmosphere. Not so great for audio.
To top it off, my Osmo Pocket 3 decided it didn’t like my face with sunglasses on. Still, we managed a few interesting shots, and I even had a classic photographer moment: stood patiently framing the perfect scene, when James — my son — walks up, taps his phone, and nails the shot instantly.
St Paul’s and One New Change
You can’t come to London with a camera and not head to One New Change. The view of St Paul’s from that walkway is iconic — and for good reason. We made the walk, snapped the shots, and swapped roles with James for a moment: I was now the one waiting for him to get the photo he wanted. Let’s just say I have a new-found respect for how patient my wife has been over the years.
Over the River (By Air)
We finished our photo walk with a bit of a detour — a ride on the cable cars over the Thames. It took a little effort to get there (and the trains were absolutely packed), but it was worth it.
If you’ve never done the cable cars before, they’re definitely worth the trip. You don’t get to use your usual TfL contactless passes anymore, which is a shame, but the views on a day like this? Incredible.
And for anyone wondering about accessibility — it’s spot on. Lifts, level platforms, smooth boarding. If you’ve got mobility needs or travel with someone who does, you’ll be just fine.
Cleaned Up Transcript
Hello everybody — this is something a bit different, isn't it?
I suddenly realised that I hadn't made a video for about four years. I'd been putting it off and putting it off. My excuse was always that I didn’t have a life interesting enough. I didn’t go to exciting places, I didn’t travel the world taking loads of photos… and I told myself my life just wasn’t interesting enough to make videos.
So instead, I’ve decided to make something like a gratitude journal, I guess — but in video form. A way for me to look at the things I do do. And I do do some vaguely interesting things!
Today we’ve come to London. I’ve brought my son with me, and we’re currently at the Barbican — which is, in my opinion, the street photography Mecca of London. We’re trying to get some nice shots, and later on, we’re also (weirdly) going to ride some cable cars. The family were meant to come too, but my wife's not well, so instead we’re filling the day with some street photography. I figured I’d just make a video along the way.
Second stop of the day is, of course, a short walk down to another street photography favourite — the Bank of England. I’ve just discovered that my Osmo Pocket 3 doesn’t like my face with sunglasses on, but honestly, it’s almost impossible not to wear them today. Which is weird… in April. But we’re savouring the sun, because it’s going to rain for the next week or so.
Got some good shots at the Barbican, which is almost impossible not to do on a day like today. Hopefully we’ll manage a few more.
Unfortunately, we’ve caught Bank at completely the wrong time — the light’s a bit harsh. So we’re going to circle back and return later in the day.
And everyone seems determined to turn on all their equipment and beeping noises just when I start recording. Typical. One annoying thing — I was framing up a shot and said to James, "I like the shadow there with the security camera — what you need is the perfect person." And he just clicked it — got the perfect subject straight away, whereas I sat there for ten minutes and didn’t find anyone close.
Such is the life of a street photographer. Whether you camp out and wait for the perfect person, or you’re just jammy like James.
I’ll pop his shot up in the video — he’s shooting with his phone at the moment, but he’s really got an eye for detail right now. It’s great to see him sharing the passion.
We’re heading down to St Paul’s now — can’t visit London without popping to One New Change. It’s basically a rule.
I’ve now become that long-suffering photography partner — waiting around while James gets the shot he wants. I have a new-found appreciation for what my wife goes through while I’m doing exactly the same thing!
So, we made it all the way across London — it was a bit of a mess getting from Bank. The train at Stratford was ridiculously packed. But we made it — we’re on the cable cars!
If you’re in London doing all the touristy things like we are, it’s definitely worth a ride. Unfortunately, it's not included on your tap-on, tap-off TfL stuff anymore, but the views — especially on a day like today — are spectacular.
Insert proper vlog music here for the slow-mo section or whatever you’re supposed to do.
The good thing is, it’s really accessible — lifts, flat platforms, and easy to get on and off. Well worth checking out, even if — like me — you’ve got a little girl in a wheelchair. If you’ve got mobility aids, it’s still definitely accessible.
I forgot to film an outro. That’s the reality of it.
It’s now like three days later. I was editing the video and, by the time we’d been on the cable cars, grabbed something to eat, and made the trek back across London to get to the car for the two-hour drive home… I just completely forgot.
But it’s edited together quite well. I’m actually quite proud of it, to be fair. I’m hoping this’ll be a thing — but who knows?
You can subscribe, like, and do all the “YouTubey” things if you want — but honestly, I’m just making these for me.
Got some great shots — as did James — so we’re both happy. And that’s the aim of the game, isn’t it?
Hopefully see you all again.