Octagon takes the Crown for the Best Views in Birmingham
If you are looking for the best views in Birmingham, it’s very difficult to look beyond the latest addition to the Birmingham skyline, The Octagon. I was fortunate enough to join a group of fellow Birmingham Photographers to mark the topping out event for the new building and even though this is ‘not my first Rodeo’ in terms of taking pictures from tall buildings, things didn’t all go smoothly!
The Octagon looms large on the Birmingham Skyline, at 155 metres tall, it’s difficult to miss it but it’s not just the size of the building that makes it unique. As the name suggests, the building's octagonal design is a world's first for a purely residential building. However you cut it, any ‘world’s first’ in Birmingham is a great thing. The shape certainly cuts a distinctive figure and makes it as instantly recognisable as Birmingham’s very own Rotunda!
As impressive as the building is, we were there for the views, with promises of unmatched 360 degree views, the stakes were almost as high as the building itself. The event, organised by the wonderful folk at Core Marketing in conjunction with Paradise - gave dozens of Birmingham photographers the opportunity to access the roof at sunset and then again at sunrise the following day, a mouthwatering proposition.
The only issue for me, I was travelling back from Switzerland the same day as the sunset shoot! As you can imagine, my excitement was curtailed as I sat in an airport in Zurich watching my flight get delayed further and further. After an anxious flight, a mad dash from Luton into London and making a train with seconds to spare (as well as being alleviated of £75 just to change my ticket!) I made it back into Birmingham just as everyone was being hoisted up to the roof, phew!
However, my disappointment was only mildly alleviated as I opened my backpack and remembered I only had my little Fuji X100V with me - not the camera of choice to capture stunning landscape images with. With no time to get home and swap cameras before the sunset, I would have to make do! My frustrations were further elevated as I watched an incredible sunset develop - it was a case of right place, right conditions, wrong camera! Sometimes though, you just have to enjoy the moment for what it is, and to put it simply, it was stunning.
The views from the 155 metre rooftop were simply breathtaking. If you have read my little photography blog before, on more than one occasion I have said ‘Insert building Name’ has “the best views of Birmingham” - and I stand by the fact that many of those still have incredible view - but standing on the top of the tallest building in Birmingham with 360 degree views is a difficult act to beat. As we watched the sun slowly set, the sky caught all of the beautiful pinks and oranges - a full Harvest Moon rose and added to the majesty of what we were witnessing.
Using the little Fuji X100V left me a little frustrated. The camera's 28mm equivalent fixed lens doesn’t offer the kind of versatility you need for shooting in situations like this. The very-necessary safety barriers meant that I was shooting from a little way back from the edge of the roof, making wide shots looking straight down very difficult. However, it was nice just to take in the views and not worry too much about the photography - afterall, there were literally dozens of other Birmingham photographers grabbing stunning shots of the landscape.
The next day, we had the opportunity to go back to the roof for sunrise. After my previous travels, I wasn’t looking forward to the 5am start but the promise of those views was enough to get me out of bed! The forecast was for mist and even though this might hinder the views a little, the moody atmospheric look would be a great contrast to the previous night's images. It was chilly to say the least and at 155 m in the air, it was also surprisingly windy but the views were completely worth it!
I had even managed to take a proper camera (or two) this time, plumping for the Fuji GFX 50S II for the wide shots and the Canon 6D Mkii with 70-200mm lens for some tighter, cropped shots. The misty morning certainly gave the view a different feel. There were obviously less lights on in the buildings (apart from the unfortunate souls who start work prior to sunrise!) so the city felt a bit more quiet and desolate. Perfect vibes for some moody ‘cinematic’ images.
I took this opportunity to edit with my new preset pack (yes, I’ve finally done it!) and darker moody tones suited the conditions perfectly! After grabbing a few ‘wide’ shots, I started to look for some more details. I found that the gaps between the roof and the huge steel work of the ‘crown’ of the building made for perfect little frames - just to pick out little snippets of the city and some of its famous landmarks. These were probably some of my favourite images which is quite a surprise given the views on offer.
As the ambient light finally reached normal daytime levels a little of the drama seemed to fall away and it felt a bit more like a typical grey day in September. However, the views were still incredible, even without the glamour of the stunning sunset from the night before. As we made our final way down in the hoist, it suddenly dawned on me that as the big steel framework gets filled in, those views will be blocked off and only reserved for those fortunate enough to take up residence in the building. Lucky people, I thought but I was also incredibly grateful to have even had the opportunity in the first place.
I obviously would like to give a huge thank you to Octagon, Paradise and Core Marketing for the invite and I would highly recommend checking out the relevant instagram pages for more great images captured by the wealth of Birmingham photographers who did a far better job than I did of capturing these stunning views! The Octagon certainly deserves it’s new ‘crown’ and will take some beating as the best views in Birmingham!
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About the Author - Ross Jukes is a professional Photographer and Videographer with over a decade of experience. Working in both Digital and Analogue formats, Ross has worked with international clients, had his worked published numerous times and exhibited his work extensively. With a passion for all things photographic, Ross combines his experience, enthusiasm and dedication to his art form to create engaging and educational content for the photographic community.
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