The View from New Zealand House
The London skyline from New Zealand House © Copyright Stewart Marsden
The New Zealand High Commission is New Zealand’s diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom. It is housed in a tower block known as New Zealand House, on the corner of Haymarket and Pall Mall in London. As well as the offices of the High Commissioner, the building is home to the New Zealand consulate in London and the military attaché. Since 1995 it has been a Grade II listed building, which I find interesting, as it is utterly hideous. And yet, ironically, it boasts perhaps the best view of the London skyline, but only to those fortunate enough to be granted access to the prestigious penthouse with its 360-degree balcony.
The view from the penthouse is perhaps one of the best views of London there is, from the brutalism of the Barbican’s iconic architecture and St Paul’s Cathedral to modern glass towers such as the Shard and 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin). This view has it all, and I have been fortunate to have had access to photograph it many times over the years.
Why I keep going back
You should never shy away from something because you have shot it before. Photography is a learned process, and no one will ever know everything there is to know about it. Today you know more than you did yesterday, and tomorrow you will know more than you did today. Experience teaches us a lot in photography. I look back on old images I shot and wish I’d had the knowledge and skills I have today when I shot them all those years ago. Returning to a place or subject gives us the chance to create something better and different, because we are better and different than we were when we first shot it.
I have been fortunate enough to have had many opportunities to photograph the fabulous vista from the penthouse, and I always look for a new twist I can put on my photography when I’m there. Day or night, rain or clear skies, there is always something to capture, and there are so many choices to make as a photographer when shooting cityscapes. Do we shoot wide or tight? How interesting is the sky? What time of day is it? What’s the centre of interest? What are we trying to capture? Who are we trying to reach? The composition of the shapes on the skyline is as important as the lenses you decide to use.
The kit doesn’t matter
There are many things to remember when shooting cityscapes, but having the best, most high-end gear is not one of them. As Edward Steichen put it, “No photographer is as good as the simplest camera.” I have taken many cameras, a wide range of lenses and several tripods to Kiwi House: shift lenses, zoom lenses and prime lenses; pan heads and ball heads; DSLRs, bridge cameras, rangefinders and point-and-shoots. As a matter of fact, my favourite shot of the skyline from this vantage point was taken on a Ricoh GR II, a point-and-shoot camera, resting on the balcony railings.
But whatever camera you have, and whatever your level of skill, get your camera out, try something different and have a go.
