I wanted to write a blog about street photography in Cambridge and just how different the city is compared to somewhere like London.
First off the city is much smaller than London giving you fewer areas to shoot in, I've never found this to be a negative thing. A plus for me is when I visit Cambridge I can have a relaxing day of street photography; something I've never managed to have in London lol. It's pleasant to be able to take my time with my street photography, I can find a nice area with good light and just spend a while in this one place waiting for something to happen.
Something else that I've noticed in Cambridge, I come across the same people nearly every time I visit. So for me, the city has many challenges for street photography, you have to work hard to not come away with the same looking photos over and over.
While I’m talking about the negative things in Cambridge I have to mention the bikes, they are everywhere and you really have to watch out for them. But on a positive note, you will come away with some great bike photos. The biggest negative for me (and remember this is just me) is being asked if you want to go punting, on an average day you get asked at least 20 times. I have thought about buying a T-shirt that says “NO I DON”T WANT TO GO PUNTING” but I haven’t…….yet. However, even with this negative, you can come away with some very different looking street photos. There are always people falling off the punts and into the river. You can also get photos from above the river, as there are many bridges.
On a positive, you get used to the layout of the city and this helps with knowing what the light will do at different times of the day. So I'm able to chase the light easier in Cambridge than with London. Cambridge starts to come alive later in the day than London, yes you get people going to work at around 8 am, but for me at least the city doesn't start to come alive until about 11 am and then it's emptying about 17:30 / 18:00. So the time frame to shoot in the city is a lot shorter, making it harder to get those photos. Don't get me wrong, in the autumn and winter you can get some amazing photos early in morning, the fog/mist that descends on the city is magical and I hope to start visiting Cambridge in the early morning over the coming winter months.
I can recommend the city of Cambridge for any street photographers out there.
