Traffic Light Tree
This quirky public sculpture by Pierre Vivant stands eight metres tall on a small roundabout near Canary Wharf, fitted with 75 sets of working traffic lights that cycle through patterns independently, creating a hypnotic, ever-changing display. It works brilliantly as a foreground subject with the glass towers of Canary Wharf rising behind it, and a wide or standard zoom lens lets you balance the sculpture against the skyline without distortion. Shoot from street level to emphasise the height, or crouch low to silhouette the lights against the sky. Dusk is the sweet spot, when the artificial lights on the sculpture pop against the fading sky and the surrounding office towers begin to glow. The roundabout location means you can circle it freely and find the angle that best combines the sculpture with the financial district backdrop. (London, England, United Kingdom)
