London locations
Permits, light and what to expect on the day.
Photography with Mariya Harley
Fashion, portrait & brand photography · £300/hour
10 retouched photographs for the whole shoot. Delivered within two weeks.
Optional supplied wardrobe, applicable travel, venue hire and permit fees are separate. The exact location and any permissions must be agreed before booking.
Museum architecture, red brick, wide pavements and quiet mews. That is what brings people to Kensington with a camera.
| Kensington | |
|---|---|
| Who controls it | The film office is run by FilmFixer. |
| Good for | Museum architecture, red brick, wide pavements and quiet mews. |
| Light | The museum facades face several ways, so there is usable light at any hour. |
| Busiest | Kensington Gardens next door is a Royal Park and has its own permit. |
The film office is run by FilmFixer. Shooting on council land or on the public highway needs a permit through their application system, and charges depend on the location and the disruption.
Checked on 4 October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the authority before the shoot.
The museum facades face several ways, so there is usable light at any hour.
Kensington Gardens next door is a Royal Park and has its own permit. The street outside is the borough. Know which side of the railing you are standing on.
South Kensington serves the museums and High Street Kensington the shops.
A reflector for the shaded mews, and a longer lens for the museum facades.
Setting up inside a museum entrance. That is private ground with its own rules.
| Who controls it | Borough film office, run by FilmFixer |
| Permit needed | Depends on the borough land, equipment and disruption |
| Notice to allow | Several days, longer with parking |
| Insurance | Ask the film office |
| Worth knowing | Charges depend on disruption |
| Nearest stations | South Kensington serves the museums and High Street Kensington the shops. |
| What to carry | A reflector for the shaded mews, and a longer lens for the museum facades. |
Rules and fees change. Confirm with the authority named above before the shoot, and treat this table as a starting point rather than a permission.
| Where | What it gives you | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| Natural History Museum railings | Carved stone and repetition | Morning |
| Exhibition Road | Wide shared surface, clean lines | Any time |
| Kynance Mews | Arched entrance, climbing plants | Early, before visitors |
A location is a corner at an hour, not a postcode. Pick one of these and build the session around it.
For Kensington, compare Natural History Museum railings, Exhibition Road and Kynance Mews as possible settings, then choose a priority. They are options, not a promise of three stops in an hour.
Agree the exact camera position, access and essential photographs first. Add another setting only if permission, walking time, equipment and changing arrangements allow it. A short session should protect time for making photographs rather than promise a tour.
Wisteria on the mews in May, which is the single most photographed fortnight of the Kensington year.
Autumn for the museum stone, which warms in low sun.
Winter mornings are empty and the buildings still carry the frame.
Structured clothing against structured architecture.
Deep colours against the red brick, light colours against pale stone.
Nothing that competes with the wisteria if that is the shot.
The museum arcades give shelter without going inside.
Kensington Gardens is across the road, with its own permit.
The borough film office is run by FilmFixer, which handles permits for council land and the public highway.
You apply through their system with the location, the date, the crew size and the equipment.
Charges depend on the location and on how much disruption the shoot causes, so a handheld portrait session is treated differently from a lighting setup.
Parking suspensions and road closures are arranged through the same office and need longer notice.
Other London settings, with different rules and a different look: Shoreditch, Chelsea and Soho.
The full list of occasions is on event photography in London.
Next step
Send the date and intended use; the current permission route can then be checked before the location is promised.
Choose between a portrait session and a fashion shoot before choosing a background. Compare the fashion portfolio with the studio options if you need a controlled indoor setting.
The cost calculator separates photography, wardrobe, studio and travel. There is no location charge from Mariya for the street itself. Send the preferred date, intended use and reference photographs through the enquiry form or WhatsApp Mariya.
For a shoot in this area, see Mariya’s Kensington photography service, then estimate the shooting time and optional costs. Confirm the location and any access requirements in the brief.
Send the date, location and what you need photographed.