Canterbury tales

Taking the time to wander around one of the country’s most stunning cities, capturing every fantastic sight possible

After returning home from work one day I grabbed my camera gear and jumped into the car to head to the wonderful and historic city of Canterbury. Living not too far away, I reached my first destination within 45 minutes. I began at the main medieval wall that circles the city. My eyes lit up when I noticed a monument on top of a steep hill, which gave me a fantastic view of the city, including the spectacular and world-famous cathedral.

I fixed my camera to my tripod, and sat there, enjoying the view, while setting a 30-second exposure. After a few attempts I was happy with the results and decided that it was time to move on.

I headed to the city centre to attempt a shot I had envisaged a few weeks earlier. I have a passion for night-time photography – the views, the peace and the outstanding results from my trusty kit

– and there it was in front of me, the view I had pictured all lit up. The time was now around 9.30pm, so it was nice and dark. I was amazed by the colours and sheer detail that the camera was able to capture. I sat on the cold cobbled floor while my camera was sat low to the ground on a tripod to capture the reflections from the lights of the shop windows, which seemed to make the cobbled stones really stand out. The biggest problem was that Canterbury always tends to be busy, so timing was key. There were a few passers-by, and once a couple disappeared out of sight I took the shot.

After getting a few strange looks from people as I sat on the floor I headed to the lower part of Canterbury, to an area known as Westgate Towers. I couldn’t believe my eyes; there were so many visual delights here to capture, including the added bonus of the traffic giving some rather

nice light trails. Funnily enough, people tend to slow down once they see a camera on a tripod, which made me chuckle to myself.

Photography is like an addiction to me; I’m always thinking what’s next and where to go, and this place was definitely hitting the spot. Once I was happy with my results, I started to work my way back. From the corner of my eye I spotted a fascinating sculpture of a large iron face with lovely ground-level lighting. So out came the tripod once again, and a few more shots were fired. This really was the icing on the cake for me. I could have easily stayed there all night, but it was time to head home. Next stop, London and bed!

The biggest problem was that canterbury always tends to be busy, so timing was key