Street Photography in Liverpool

Pier Head is the waterfront under the Royal Liver Building, one of the Three Graces. Photographer Mike Chesworth says to visit the Beatles statue early in the morning, when you can have it to yourself and the sun rises behind it and the Graces. Later in the day the crowds posing with the statue become your subject. Commuters from the Mersey Ferry terminal nearby add a steady flow. Wind off the river is strong, so dress for it.

The Royal Albert Dock is a set of restored brick warehouses around the water, with iron colonnades along the quays. Chesworth notes the dock reflections, and says the area becomes a different place after dark, when the buildings light up and reflect in the water. Use the colonnades to frame walkers, or shoot across the water at figures on the far quay. Weekends are busy with families. Stay back from the unfenced dock edges.

Mathew Street is the home of the Cavern Club, a few narrow streets off Lord Street. Chesworth says it gets busy in the afternoons and evenings with tourists wanting snapshots with the statues, and that later in the day is the time for street photography. The Cavern entrance and the John Lennon statue pull a constant stream of fans. At night it turns into a party street. Keep your camera close and your manner light.

Bold Street runs uphill through the Ropewalks, lined with independent cafés and food spots. Portrait photographer Leon Britton picks it for candid scenes, like a busker or friends laughing over coffee. At the top stands St Luke's, the Bombed Out Church, gutted in 1941, and Chesworth points out you can frame the skyline through its windows. Stand by the church and let people walk up the slope towards you. Saturday afternoons are busiest.

The Baltic Triangle was Liverpool's warehouse district and is now a creative quarter. Simon Wiffen came for its reputation for graffiti and street art, and found an area that invites artists in. Chesworth adds the Paul Curtis murals and the Red Brick Market. Walls change often, so wait for someone to walk past a fresh piece rather than shooting it flat. Weekend evenings bring crowds to the bars. By day, delivery vans and people working in the studios give the streets a working feel between the murals.

Liverpool's Chinatown is one of the oldest in Europe, and its Great Arch on Nelson Street marks the entrance. Chesworth says the area comes to life in the evening, with its busy restaurants. Shoot people passing under the arch after dark, when the lights and signs are on. Chinese New Year brings dragon dances and big crowds. The side streets are quiet at night, so stay near the main road.

St George's Hall is a huge neoclassical building facing Lime Street Station, and Britton lists it as a highlight. The plateau in front hosts events and gatherings, and commuters stream out of the station opposite. Shoot from the steps of the hall down onto the crowds, or use the columns to frame a single figure. In winter a Christmas market usually fills the area. Traffic on Lime Street is heavy, so watch where you step back.

Hope Street links Liverpool's two cathedrals, the modern Metropolitan and the vast Anglican. Chesworth says the Metropolitan, known locally as the Wigwam, looks spectacular lit up in the evening. The Georgian houses and university buildings around it bring students and residents onto the pavements. Use the cathedral steps as a stage. Inside, ask before using a tripod, as Chesworth advises, and leave a donation. The Anglican cathedral's tower, open for a small fee, looks down on the streets below.