{"id":351982,"date":"2026-01-04T17:11:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T17:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/351982\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T17:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T17:11:13","slug":"bored-with-the-same-old-photography-spots-ask-ai-to-plot-you-a-photo-walk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/351982\/","title":{"rendered":"Bored with the same old photography spots? Ask AI to plot you a photo walk!"},"content":{"rendered":"

If I\u2019m testing a gadget for Digital Camera World, then I usually head to the Barbican Centre in London, England. The Barbican\u2019s sprawling maze of Brutalist architecture makes a great location for a model shoot, especially when I need to light them with an LED or test out a variety of fog machines in the location\u2019s long, dark corridors.<\/p>\n

When Apple<\/a> lent me an iPhone 17<\/a> to review as a camera, I predictably shot at the Barbican. However, I also wanted to put the iPhone 17 through its paces in a new location, to break free of the Barbican\u2019s familiar grey-and-brown color palette and stony textures.<\/p>\n

I only had my model for two hours, so I decided to ask the machine mind of ChatGPT to conjure up a London-based two-hour photo walk that would give me a wide range of locations in which to shoot my model.<\/p>\n

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\"Model\n<\/p>\n

In a matter of minutes, we were shooting against the red brick backdrop of a Victorian council estate. Here, I used the iPhone Air\u2019s Portrait mode to dial in a shallow depth of field to draw attention to the model. (Image credit: George Cairns)<\/p>\n

I hadn’t really used ChatGPT before for a project like this, but I was impressed by the speed at which the app created a location-based itinerary in part of London that I\u2019d not visited since the last century: Shoreditch.<\/p>\n

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It struggled to give me a usable map with a detailed route inscribed on it, but it did give me the following route, complete with a timetable \u2013 and each location had some suggestions on what type of subjects and shots I could expect to capture!<\/p>\n

I checked out ChatGPT\u2019s suggested route on Google Maps and was able to use Street View to get a better preview of the locations that it suggested I visit. Here\u2019s the photo walk timetable, route and some potential photo subject suggestions, and even a selection of shooting tips that it suggested:<\/p>\n

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\"Model\n<\/p>\n

Brick Lane\u2019s cobbles and graffiti offered a vibrant palette and varied textures for Maddy\u2019s shoot. This resulted in a distinct and different mood and aesthetic compared to my usual Barbican backdrops. (Image credit: George Cairns)<\/p>\n

Route Summary:
Start at Boxpark Shoreditch \u2192 Walk along Redchurch Street \u2192 Head to Brick Lane \u2192 Turn into Chance & Whitby Streets \u2192 End at Arnold Circus.<\/p>\n

The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

Time 0:00 \u2013 0:20
Location Boxpark Shoreditch
Style \/ Highlights Urban, modern lines, signage.
Photo Ideas Geometric backdrops, glass reflections<\/p>\n

Time 0:20 \u2013 0:45
Location Chance & Whitby.
Style \/ Highlights Streets Graffiti concentration, artistic vibe
Photo Ideas Edgy portraits, shade light tests, color contrast <\/p>\n

Time 0:45 \u2013 1:15
Location Redchurch Street
Style \/ Highlights Boutique storefronts, muted tones, cobblestones.
Photo Ideas Shopfront portraits, mirror reflections, lifestyle<\/p>\n

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Time 1:15 \u2013 1:40
Location Arnold Circus
Style \/ Highlights Soft greenery, vintage London brick, calm atmosphere.
Photo Ideas Depth layering on staircases, natural skin tones<\/p>\n

Time 1:40 \u2013 2:00
Location Brick Lane
Style \/ Highlights Street art, graffiti, markets, lively texture.
Photo Ideas Murals as backdrops, walking shots, wide vs portrait<\/p>\n

Shooting Tips:
Best time: Early morning or golden hour for softer light and fewer crowds. Bring a small reflector or white card for shaded shots. Test ultra-wide for murals, standard for portraits, and telephoto for compression shots. Each stop is 5\u20138 minutes apart \u2014 stay flexible for spontaneous moments.<\/p>\n

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\"Model\n<\/p>\n

Despite being in a busy London district, there was plenty of privacy in nearby Arnold Circus, so I could capture Maddy solo amongst the autumn leaves that complement the colours of the background red brick estate. As ChatGPT had promised, we had \u201csoft greenery, vintage London brick, calm atmosphere.\u201d (Image credit: George Cairns)<\/p>\n

So, armed with my AI-powered itinerary, I headed to London. I planned to meet my model, Maddy (@Runway.voguish<\/a>), at 14:00, so I arrived an hour early to do a quick recce of ChatGPT\u2019s proposed route. I soon realized that there was a fair bit of zig-zagging, so I re-ordered the itinerary in my iPhone 17\u2019s Notes app.<\/p>\n

The recce was a good idea, as it showed me that ChatGPT had indeed provided me with some fantastic locations, from the autumnal leaf-strewn Arnold Circus, to a park surrounded by beautiful Victorian red-brick mansion blocks and tenements, to the shop fronts and graffiti-sprayed walls of Brick Lane.<\/p>\n

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\"Model\n<\/p>\n

I followed ChatGPT\u2019s suggestion to start at Boxpark in Shoreditch, with its \u201curban modern lines, signage, geometric backdrops, and glass reflections.\u201d This urban backdrop inspired me to use the iPhone 17\u2019s Stark B&W Photographic Style. (Image credit: George Cairns)<\/p>\n

When I met Maddy I was completely relaxed, as I knew where I was going and what backdrops I would be shooting her against. This gave us time to fit in a coffee break in a beautiful non-franchise coffee shop, which itself provided a lifestyle photo opportunity of Maddy drinking her coffee.<\/p>\n

I enjoyed my ChatGPT-inspired photo walk, and it certainly provided me with a much wider range of subjects and backdrops than I usually get from my regular photo walk haunts. I used ChatGPT\u2019s suggestions as a springboard for my shoot and was happy to tweak its timetable and location suggestions once I\u2019d recce\u2019d the location.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s certainly an experiment that I can highly recommend \u2013 and as you\u2019ll hopefully see from my shots, I captured a wide range of colorful and varied images on the iPhone 17, using its Ultra Wide 13mm, 26mm Main, and 52mm Telephoto lenses.<\/p>\n