View from Royal Observatory Greenwich overlooking London skyline

Amateur Photographer magazine held its Festival of Photography at theย University of Greenwich. Getting to the south bank area ofย Londonย fromย Birminghamย was a long journey, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and efficient Londonโ€™s transport system was, with tubes and buses linking up seamlessly. I arrived an hour before the start, which gave me ample opportunity to wander around the beautiful buildings of the old Navy School.

Historic architecture of the University of Greenwich photographed at sunrise
Historic architecture of the University of Greenwich photographed at sunrise (featured by the BBC)
Historic architecture of the University of Greenwich photographed at sunrise
Reflection of the sunrise at the old Navy Buildings, Greenwich
A runner passes part of the historic coat of arms at old Navy College, Greenwich.
A runner passes part of the historic coat of arms at the old Navy College, Greenwich.

I took several pictures as the early sun began to rise, and one was selected by BBC Weather. The conference itself was very good. During the morning session, I heard several speakers, including Ron Timehin and Amanda Akokhia, both of whom gave lively talks packed with photographic advice.

Discussion at the Amateur Photographer Festival of Photography, Greenwich
Peter Dench interviewing Ethan Parker and James Manning at the Amateur Photographer Festival of Photography, Greenwich.

One session was a discussion forum on โ€œA Career in News and Documentary Photography.โ€ Peter Dench interviewed Ethan Parker and James Manning, two young photographers who have quickly become established in their field. James works for PA Media, while Ethan is a recent winner of the Amateur Photographer Emerging Photographer of the Year award. The discussion covered many issues in documentary photography, and all three panellists kept the conversation engaging and insightful. All the lectures I attended were excellent and provided valuable tips on improving photography.

The Royal Greenwich Observatory towering above the town.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory towering above the town.

At lunchtime, I visited theย National Maritime Museumย and then had time to walk up the hill to theย Royal Observatory Greenwich. The view from the summit is amazing, and I found that my iPhone zoom captured a lovely compressed image of the old Navy School against the skyscrapers ofย Canary Wharf. This picture is at the start of my blog and below is the panoramic view of London.

Panorama view of London from the Royal Obersvatory Greenwich
Panorama view of London from the Royal Obersvatory Greenwich

That afternoon, I took part in a photowalk with Mr Whisper, which is the subject of another blog. On the way back home, I took aย river bus operated by Uber and enjoyed spectacular views of Canary Wharf lit up by the setting sun.

Evening river bus journey with London skyline views.
Evening river bus journey with London skyline views.

Enjoy this then here is another London blog posts to read.

Street scene at Greenwich Market , photographed using the Fujifilm GFX100RF

The opportunity to use the Fujifilm GFX100RF on a street photography walk with MrWhisper was too good to pass up. The walk was part of the Festival of Photography organised by Amateur Photographer magazine at the University of Greenwich. Iโ€™d left it late to book and thought Iโ€™d missed out, but an afternoon slot appeared just in time.

Street scene at Greenwich Market with framed Teddy in a heart, photographed using the Fujifilm GFX100RF
Look through my heart and see what is there.

The festival is a great meeting point for photographers. Iโ€™d already attended the morning talks and, over lunch, done an impromptu photowalk around Greenwich with a colleague, Peter Thompson. So the day was already off to a strong start.

Street scene at Greenwich Market with shoppers and stalls, photographed using the Fujifilm GFX100RF
Reflections in a puddle of shoppers at Greenwich Market.

At the FujifilmUK stand, I signed out the GFX100RF for the hour-long session. Itโ€™s noticeably larger than my X100VI, but still comfortable to hold one-handed. I wrapped the strap around my wrist, my preferred way of carrying a camera, and followed Bal (Mr Whisper) towards Greenwich Street Market. He kicked things off with some street photography tips, revisiting ideas like leading lines, framing, and reflections, which was a useful refresher.

Street scene at Greenwich Market with shoppers and stalls, photographed using the Fujifilm GFX100RF
Looking in at the sweet shop in Greenwich Market
Fujifilm GFX100RF medium-format camera used during a street photography walk
Make fudge not war but choose carefully.

A few shots in, I started to get the feel of the camera. I normally use back-button focusing on my other Fujifilm camera, so it took a little time to adjust. Greenwich Market is an enclosed square with entrances on each side, full of activity and photographic opportunities.

Candid portrait of a shop keeper at Greenwich market. GFX100RF
Portrait of a shop keeper at Greenwich market.

Near a photobooth, Bal noticed Iโ€™d accidentally set the camera to digital zoom, caused by pushing an unfamiliar dial. Once corrected, I was back on track. The GFX100RF was a joy to use as I moved through the stalls, and the time flew by.


When we regrouped, I asked Bal if I could take his portrait, which he kindly agreed to. I took several shots by the market entrance, but again hesitated over my focus settings. Bal quickly switched on eye detection. This was another good reminder of how important it is to know your camera well and adjust settings quickly.

Portrait of MrWhisper taken at the entrance to Greenwich Market
Portrait of MrWhisper taken at the entrance to Greenwich Market

At the end of the session reluctantly, I handed the camera back and checked the images on my X100VI, only to find they appeared completely out of focus. I was despondent, even though Iโ€™d thoroughly enjoyed the session.

Busy Greenwich Market scene with reflections and natural light
The M&S bag says it all!

Back home, I checked the files properly on my computer. Relief! Most were in focus. My X100VI simply couldnโ€™t handle previewing the large files many in excess of 130Mb. Processing such large images was demanding (and my laptop ran hot), but I was very pleased with the results.

Busy Greenwich Market scene with reflections and natural light
Reflections of the 188 bus.

Many thanks to Mr Whisper for a fantastic session, and to Fujifilm UK for letting me use the GFX100RF. Now I just need a loan to buy one. Would I get the GFX100RF? Yes, absolutely.

The GFX100RF such a great street camera.
The GFX100RF such a great street camera.

Finally a big shout out to MrWhisper. I would recommend going on one of his night photography courses around London. Details on his website.

If you enjoyed this blog then why not catch up on my street photography around Digbeth, Birmingham.

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