Stills

What an odd place to have a BBQ, like cooking out at the end of the world.
 

Gated pier for a gated community presumably? That's a great bringing together of a typical East End view of the Thames and this modern community grafted on/inserted (take your pick). I'm beginning to think that I might be getting a phobia about the greys in b/w shots: when I analyse this it is OK but the visual hit is that it is a bit uniform in tone.
 

I agree with John's comment about the tone but then that is typical from steel grey UK lighting.

The concept of deciding to have an impromptu BBQ, finding the Concierge, getting his permission (in writing?), firing it all up and then sitting down to look at that amazing view somehow leaves me feeling a bit depressed about UK life.
 

I would guess that there are not many BBQs going on in this location.

Flat gray seems like the right color for this hard, unfriendly environment with bars everywhere!
 

I find the repeating pattern of the gray bars further underscores the bleakness and attempts to control by those who put up the sign. Sort of a sign of the times.
 

Shooting through railings offers a number of problems. Apart from the left hand lamp being a little too close for comfort these bars do not interrupt too much with the view behind. They are also well balanced given the choice of framing right and left. The scene behind as a whole backdrop is not that beautiful but as with John's Petticoat Lane photo below there are plenty of smaller elemental details that make you look a little closer and want to get through the bars...with or with BBQ. From the crane far right to the gasometer in the middle to the 'loading pier' on the left the horizon adds interest. But the repeating bar patterns upfront, along the sides and in the midground are all very dominating (though not too much so) and work well with all those benches. (This really was a bench shot wasn't it?)
 

(This really was a bench shot wasn't it?)

If it was it was subliminal. It was a sign shot really - something I'm a bit too prone to.

I was using a rangefinder, not an slr, so the precise alignment of the lamposts was largely luck.