Its 2 years until the 2012 Olympic Games get underway in London. You can see some cool photos of how far the Olympic Park has progressed on The Telegraph’s website. Sadly, if you want to take your own images, you can’t just rock up and expect to stroll through the park. Security is extremely tight. But it is still possible to gain access, if you know who to contact.
Don’t be conned by the many private tour companies that advertise tours of the Olympic Park. These will take you around the perimeter, but they won’t take you inside the park. The only way you can currently get inside is on one of the free bus tours run by the Olympic Development Authority (ODA). Yes, you read right. They are free. The tours run 7 days a week and last an hour. You won’t be allowed to get off the bus, but the tour takes you all over the park, and there are plenty of occasions to take photos. The ODA does not advertise these tours, but any member of the public can book a place by calling 0300 2012 001 between 9am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. You must book a few days in advance and you stand the best chance of getting on a tour if you go on a weekend. During the week, the tours are often booked up as the ODA takes officials and sponsors around the park.
If the bus tour is not an option or your time is limited, there is a public viewing platform just outside the park that offers spectacular views. That’s where I took the above photo of the Olympic Stadium. It’s called the viewtube and is next to Pudding Mill Lane DLR station, which is only one stop away from Stratford station. You can’t miss it. Its a two story lime green building, built out of recycled shipping containers. On the ground floor is a cute little cafe where you can enjoy a coffee, and on the first floor is a viewing platform, offering panoramic, unrestricted views over the Olympic Park. Again, its best to go on a weekend as the viewing platform is often used for school visits during the week.
Both options are worth the effort and will afford you with the opportunity to photograph the 2012 Olympic Park. If you don’t live in London or are not planning a visit to the capital anytime soon, you can still follow the progress of the park on the official site, which is regularly updated with the latest photos. The BBC have also launched a new Olympic website, offering lots of useful information about the 2012 games.
I'm a London-based multimedia journalist.
I work for the BBC, specialising in the coverage of foreign news for television, radio and online.
I use video, photos and audio to tell compelling stories from around the world.
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