Being mindful. This isn’t often used when thinking of photography. However, I have been noticing a shift in my photography over the last year or so.

It’s a subtle shift, and have struggled to put my finger on it. The subject matter hasn’t really changed, nor has my appetite for taking photos diminished.

It is now what I call mindfulness. But what does this mindfulness mean in my photography?

It is a sense of slowing down, taking in what is around me and really taking in what I am seeing. I am in much less of a rush to take the photo, and have less of a need to take endless photographs.

With digital, photography has become much more instant, and disposable. It’s far too easy to take too many images in the hope that one turns out. I have become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of digital images I have.

While I like photographing in digital, I have found I have started approaching digital photography with much of the same discipline as film. With film, I am very conscious about the number of shots on a roll of film.

When shooting on film, I will often limit myself to 2-3 rolls at a time – regardless of whether it’s 35mm or medium format. With digital, I often don’t set a hard limit on how many photographs I will take, but I have more of a sense – and discipline – to pause and give each photo space; as I would with film.

This doesn’t mean that I have stopped exploring subjects by taking images from different angles. However, there is more of an emphasis of quality, not quantity. Am I taking a photograph because it speaks to me or has it been taken just because I can?

In slowing down, I am noticing things or see things more – which I had possibly missed before. I feel a lot less pressured to photograph everything and anything – in case I miss that magical moment.

Perhaps my mindfulness is related to thoughtfulness. I am finding myself much more aware, considered, and being in the moment. If I miss something, that’s okay. I will get something else. 

Everyday as I travel into London, I am presented with The Shard – the new slick glass office building by Renzo Piano being built at London Bridge.

The incremental change over the last number of months has slowly changed the skyline in this part of London. When completed, it will be the tallest building in Europe – even surpassing One Canada Square at Canary Wharf.

For a large city, London doesn’t have very many skyscrapers. This is due to restrictions on building heights originally imposed by the London Building Act of 1894.

Even though height restrictions have long since been eased, strict regulations remain to preserve protected views, particularly those of St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London and Westminster Palace, as well as to comply with the requirements of the Civil Aviation Authority.

The lifting of the restrictions has allowed for taller buildings, including Centre Point and One Canada Square, which is the centrepiece of Canary Wharf. The Shard is the latest building to cut through the skyline.

The impacts of the changes in regulations are being felt, and it will be interesting to see how the London skyline changes over the coming years, and in the long term future. It seems to me that architects and builders are using big to mean bold. Whether this is a good thing or not is up for debate.

However, what I wonder is whether London will become another large city with glass skyscrapers or will it retain its individuality in whatever is built. 

The Thames River in London has increasingly started to fascinate me as a photographer. I have always taken the river as granted – it was always there, and I photographed it from time to time.

Increasingly over the last number of months, I have been drawn to the Thames more and more. The last couple of months, I have had more time to explore the river and to take photos - often taking snapshots of what I see, but occasionally spending time along the river with one of my larger cameras.

What has struck me about the Thames is the number of iconic and dominant buildings along the river. Canary Wharf (left) stands tall in the East End – built on former docks. It dominates the skyline for miles around, and is a statement of money and the might of the financial industry.

It is interesting that Canary Wharf is built on former dockyards – the former economic engine of the UK, and London. What makes the photo for me in the left is the boats sitting on the Thames – which are a reminder of yesteryear, and a contrast to the steel and concrete of Canary Wharf. 

An image that caught my eye was the old warehouses – many of whom have now been turned into flats – that dot along the Thames. Again, these hint of a bygone age, and, in a way, I am glad we haven’t lost the buildings completely. They hint at what the river got up to previously. 

Tower Bridge, for me, is a grand statement by the Victorians – and it wasn’t to everyone’s taste when it was built – but it has become an iconic bridge over the river. It is a nice site to see the bridge open and shut for taller boats. It is probably one of the very few bridges which sometimes suffers from mistaken identity - with London Bridge. 

It’s now October, and the unseasonably warm weather in London is unbelievable. I have, however, enjoyed the opportunity to take photos and people watch along the South Bank.

Using a non-descript, and less intrusive, point and shoot digital camera, I find that I can get away with more, and don’t stand out. Most of my shots are of buildings, but the late summer weather draws people outside.

For a number of years, I have shied away from taking photos of people as I didn’t want to be told off. However, I have started to incorporate people into my photos again, but capturing them unaware and natural.

One image that really caught my eye today as I walked along the South Bank, not far from London Bridge, was a woman sitting on some stairs, pausing momentarily to read something. The sun coming down the stairs in itself has the makings of a good image, but the woman adds something extra.

The image probably would be a little cold otherwise. The woman adds a human element, and context. Otherwise, the image could have been taken anytime.

Another image that caught my eye was a busker playing along the Thames riverbed with silhouettes onlookers watching and listening from the walkway above. I did wonder who he was playing to – the unseen crowd above or their shadows.