curiousillusion

http://www.leeds-castle.com Leeds Castle is really pretty, the grounds are gorgeous, plenty of photo ops. I'd highly recommend it. It's about an hour from London.

Get an Oyster card for travelling around London. It's more convenient and cheaper than the standard bus/tram/underground fares! http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14836.aspx

If you want to get out of London, Bath is really nice (I went to university there ;)). It's a 90-minute train journey from London Paddington. Any train towards "Bristol Temple Meads" will probably stop at "Bath Spa" station just before Bristol. The bus station is near the train station, so you can hop on a tour bus to get a guided tour of the city. If you're in the mood for a milkshake while you're there then stop by Shakeaway (http://www.shakeaway.com/). Brighton, Cambridge, and Oxford are also lovely, of course, and maybe a bit quicker to get to than Bath.

Have a great trip! Hope to catch you in Houston before you leave!

OK - as a Londoner...
Plan to spend at least 2 of your days in London. You'll never see everything in a day. Come in to central London by train (it's cheaper) and get a day pass for the tube / buses if you have to to get around the city (although it's also pretty easy to walk around). Think about what you really want to do / see. If you want to do the sights - plan to see Buckingham Palace, St Pauls, Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge and maybe the Tate Modern. That's probably a day. Eat at places like Wagamamas, a cheap and tasty noodle bar you'll find all over the city.
Then on day 2 you'll be free to just explore all the nice little places London has to offer. Check the opening times but Borough Market is an amazing food market which is great for photos. Camden (with it's market) is also brilliant with lots of good street photo opps. As is the Spitalfields Market part of East London. I'm completely biased as it's my part of London but I love Greenwich and the boat trip to get there from central London is fun (look for a Thames Clipper boat). Covent Garden is also really nice and buzzy and good for photographing street performers. If you walk along what's known as the South Bank (along the river, but on the south side) you'll get some good shots of skateboarders too.
Kew Gardens is nice, but very out of the way, expensive and at this time of year you'd get just as good flower photos walking around London's more central parks. Hyde Park is probably best as it's really central and huge. It has flower gardens etc you can visit for free.
If you're done with London and want to see other places, Cambridge and Oxford are nice but for the best photos (and if it's a sunny day) you won't beat Brighton. It's a fabulous seaside town, really buzzy, really good fun and really bright and colourful. You can get the train there from London Bridge station in the centre.
Hope that helps, and enjoy!

Im not sure where Brentford is in relation to Upminster, but if you can get up that way, you absolutely need to see the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. A little pricey if I remember right, but SO worth it. Excellent photography fodder. And oh my god, I can't even fathom how wonderful that place would be in the spring. (I went in October)

Hi Ari,

I lived in England twice (actually graduated High School at RAF Lakenheath) ... but I haven't been there since 1993, so I can't really offer much "up to date" advice. That said, even as teenagers, my friends and I used to take the bus to London, buy a tube pass, and just wander around all day. I wish I had been a photographer back then. I strongly suspect that rather than not having enough to do with your "free" days, you'll probably be faced with an over-abundance of choices. You have such a good eye, and great imagination as a photographer, I'd be willing to bet that you could probably spend a whole day right there in Upminster and come away with some very memorable (and uniquely English) shots.

If the weather stays nice, I do agree with a few of the others who have suggested Cambridge. In addition to all the great historic buildings, it's actually fun to just sit down by the river, or on the green and watch a cricket game.

No matter what you decide to do, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Still so freakin jealous that you are traveling. I wanted to go to London and Paris in June but the plane tickets alone are $1,400. I guess I will have to wait until they are cheaper.

PS. I want to order that camera bag that you got but I can't remember the company. Can you send it to me?

Ugh that stinks! I was lucky and stole my dad's frequent flier miles so I paid much less. There's no way I could have afforded a full price ticket.

And the company is epiphanie, and here's the link: http://www.epiphaniebags.com/ :)

Cambridge is very nice and has a young University crowd. In the summer you have to go punting - very Cambridge and really fun. Tons of opportunities for photos.

Have to say I have no idea where Upminster is so I can't relate where it is in relation to London. Am assuming is somewhere between Bath and London as you mention both.

Bath is lovely. The Cathedral is free if I remember. And definitely take a walk to the Crescent (I think it's called or maybe The Circle or The Circus - it's a circle of very famous houses which feature on Jane Austen films etc. Quick search would get you correct name).

London is fun, if expensive.
-Budget £5.60 a day for an off-peak (after 9am) underground ticket for zones 1-2 (they are the main zones I imagine you would need - elsewhere is suburbs). Trains aren't cheap either. Visit www.trainline.co.uk or www.nationalrail.co.uk for prices and book in advance if possible.
- Free places include museums and art galleries - in terms of architecture Tate Modern on the south side of the River Thames is interesting. Also if you don't mind architecture visit 100 St Mary's Axe (called The Gerkhin by some, others called it ruder names due to the shape). Fascinating building as is the nearby Lloyds of London building. Go to Liverpool Street on the underground to visit them as they are both in the City of London.
- Buy Time Out magazine - it lists what is going on in London for a week and you can pick and choose, and am sure there will be some freebies. Also lists cool places to hang out.

If you want 'meal deals' to use (and to save money) try www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk and look under Restaurant vouchers - alternatively type 'vouchers meals' in www.google.co.uk and you will turn up some savings - mainly for evening meals but really cuts the costs both in London and elsewhere. Also try Greggs (for cheap and quick lunches - pasties, sausage rolls) and Marks and Spencer's Food-to-Go for cheap, good quality sandwiches. There is one near St Paul's Cathedral if you happen to be in the area and you can eat on the steps :-)

If you want to use the internet head to any McDonalds. Wifi is free. A real bonus considering a lot of UK hotels charge £15 for 24hrs internet time. You'll also find some free access in what are called Clouds - tend to be in stations and airports, but some are in the City of London.

Weather? Well we are going through a slightly warm spell (touching 80 degrees) but it's not meant to last. Bring a light jacket and rain jacket.

Otherwise have fun :-)

(Oh and Italy is nice as well. People watching is fab there as are the gorgeous men :-)

*Jealous* lol-have an awesome trip :D

You mentioned the possibility of Bath and although I have never been to Bath personally, my mother- and father-in-law recently returned from a trip there - it was absolutely amazing. Of course, if you do go, you should take advantage of the Roman baths after which the town is named.

As for other places, Upminster is in kind of an odd spot for most of my recommendations, but if you have the time and possibility, head to Oxford. The city center would be great for some "urban" photography and then try and make it out to the White Horse, probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen. You can see for miles out there on a good clear day and you really get a sense for the gentle rolling hills of England.

In London, well...where isn't there to go in London? Just about anywhere is interesting. Some of my favorites? Brick Lane for a curry, Battersea Park for some relaxing (don't forget to photograph Battersea Power Station made famous by Pink Floyd), Alfred Bridge and Battersea Bridge are nice for views of the Thames while you're there, and SOHO for people watching. Have a great trip!

Ok - yes...I'm totally jealous, haha! If I were going to London, besides seeing all the fabulous museums, I would check out these gardens: http://www.kew.org/index.htm

Hope you have a fantastic trip ~ and take lots of photos!

Do a day trip in Cambridge. Well worth it

Oooh have fun. London is great to visit. Walk along the river, that's my favourite part and the whole city grew up around it so it's got lots of different buildings.