Street Photography in Birmingham

New Street Station sits under Grand Central, a shopping centre with a huge atrium roof. Aspland calls the station magnificent and spent his first ninety minutes here, shooting commuters under the ceiling, including a man who stood in one spot for four hours. Stand on the upper level and shoot down onto the concourse, where the light from the roof is even. Outside, the curved steel skin reflects the street. It is private property, so keep kit small and expect staff to ask about tripods.

The Bullring is where Birmingham meets, next to the bronze Bull. Ross Jukes, a local photographer, rates the view down to St Martin's church as a favourite, then the abstract curves of the Selfridges building, covered in thousands of aluminium discs. Put a shopper against the discs for a clean graphic frame. Jukes notes that the Bullring is private land and security may approach you if you use a tripod, which needs a permit. Go at sunrise in autumn for the best light.

The Rag Market sits just below St Martin's, and the city council lists around 350 stalls, heavy on fabrics and fashion. It trades four days a week, Tuesday to Saturday except Wednesday, from 9am to about 5pm. Bright bolts of fabric make colourful backgrounds for shoppers and traders bargaining. Saturday brings the biggest crowds of the week. Stand at the end of an aisle and let the crowd move towards you, using the hanging cloth to frame faces. Ask before photographing a stallholder up close, and keep the aisles clear.

Digbeth is Birmingham's creative quarter. Damien Walmsley returns often for new street art under the railway arches on Heath Mill Lane and around the Custard Factory. His trick: seem to photograph the artwork, then catch a person as they walk into the frame. Jukes suggests the side streets at dusk, when many are lit with festoon lights. Street art changes all the time, so check local social media first. Keep an eye on your gear on quiet streets.

Victoria Square is the civic heart, with the Town Hall and Council House around it. Jukes says something fills the square most weeks, from food festivals to dance events, and that evenings and weekends bring the most life. For atmosphere, he suggests sunrise in winter, when fog is likely. Cross the tram tracks to the Town Hall stop for a wide view. Use the fountain as a foreground and wait for a figure walking out of the mist.

Centenary Square is a big open space in front of the Library of Birmingham, whose facade is wrapped in a gold and silver metal lattice. Aspland found children playing in the square's fountains, and the lattice throws patterned shadows on a sunny day. Shoot figures small against the facade, or go inside to the terrace gardens for views over the city, as Jukes suggests. The square is wide, so a 35mm lets you pick out single people.

Birmingham's canals meet at Gas Street Basin, lined with narrowboats and bars, and the towpath runs on through Brindleyplace. Walkers and boaters pass all day. Frame people on the bridges from the towpath below, or use the still water for reflections. Mornings are calm, and the canal bars fill up after work, which gives you groups on the waterside terraces in the evening. Jukes warns that it is easy to wander into quieter, dodgier stretches, so watch your gear and consider going with a friend.

The Jewellery Quarter is a district of old brick workshops, where more than 200 jewellers and silversmiths still work. The cast-iron Chamberlain Clock marks its centre. It is calmer than the city centre, which suits slow compositions, like a single figure passing a jeweller's window. Late afternoon light warms the brick. Craftspeople at work are on private premises, so ask before shooting through their windows. On the walk up from the centre, the Victorian Great Western Arcade opposite Snow Hill station is worth a detour for its ornate entrance.