Railway Arches East of Temple Meads, Lawrence Hill

A roughly 300-metre pedestrian tunnel beneath Waterloo Station platforms, one of London's only legal graffiti zones. Made famous by Banksy's Cans Festival in 2008, the entire tunnel — walls, ceiling, and in places the floor — is covered in constantly evolving street art. The Victorian brick vaults are entirely obscured by layers of spray paint. Overhead strip lights cast a harsh, yellowish tone; supplementary lighting recommended for controlled shoots. Natural light enters from both open ends, creating useful fall-off deeper in. The surface texture is exceptional — layers of paint create a tactile, three-dimensional quality. The artwork changes constantly as artists paint over previous work, so the backdrop is never identical on successive visits. Sound reverberates strongly. You may encounter active graffiti artists at any time, which itself makes for compelling content. The arches also house bars and event spaces. No permit needed for handheld stills; larger productions should contact Lambeth Council and Network Rail.

The vast former turbine room of Bankside Power Station, now Tate Modern's main entrance and exhibition space. At approximately 3,400 square metres and 35 metres high, it is one of the largest enclosed public spaces in Britain. The architecture is raw industrial — exposed steel beams overhead, polished concrete flooring, and massive scale that dwarfs human figures. Enter via a long concrete ramp from the west (river side) or level entrance from Sumner Street. Natural light enters from high-level windows along the roofline and the glazed north-facing entrance. The sheer scale creates dramatic compositions with strong leading lines from the ramp and overhead bridge. Best in mornings when north-facing windows provide soft, even illumination. The space is frequently reconfigured for annual Hyundai Commission installations, so the visual character changes yearly. No columns obstruct sightlines across the main floor. The overhead bridge at Level 1 provides an elevated vantage point.

A narrow Victorian street in Bethnal Green with mid-Victorian two-storey terraces from the 1860s. The shopfronts retain traditional painted wooden shutters, all independent businesses — no chains. On Sundays 8am-3pm, it transforms into one of London's most photogenic street markets, packed with flower stalls: overflowing buckets of colour against weathered brick and painted timber. Traders set up from 4am, offering a quieter, moodier pre-market atmosphere. The street is narrow enough for wide-angle lenses to capture both sides simultaneously. Ezra Street at the western end branches into a small courtyard with independent shops and cafes — useful for intimate framing. The Grade II listed Royal Oak pub at the Ezra Street corner has served as a filming location for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Outside market hours (Mon-Sat), closed shutters create a melancholic mood. Light is best when morning sun aligns down the east-west axis.