Alongside the Tame Canal under Spaghetti Junction is a graffiti artist’s playground and a photographers paradise. The surface of the canal is quite sheltered here, and mostly ripple free; there are some wonderful reflections. The light slanting down between the sections of motorway adds interest and drama. It’s a great location!
See my blog post Spaghetti Junction – A Different Viewpoint for directions to reach the underside of Spaghetti Junction.
In the darker reaches by the canal where the interesting graffiti is to be found, lighting can be a problem. You will want to capture the close up detail of the amazing artworks framed against a distant shot of the environment, and will need a really small aperture to get the depth of field necessary. Without a tripod for these shots you will be forced to shoot at a very high ISO. Another way to do this is to take two images – one of the graffiti and another of the environment; then bring them together as layers in Photoshop.
There is also the possibility of taking macro or close up shots of the artworks to create your own abstract compositions. Again, because of the low light, a tripod would be very useful to ensure you have a crisp well-focussed image to work with. Shooting macro in these conditions is very unforgiving. Besides the graffiti, there are amazing textures and details in the concrete pillars, structures, and general debris in this whole area that would make great subjects for macro photography.
The area itself is quite remote and is not on a well used pedestrian route. You are therefore likely to be alone apart from the occasional person or possibly an angler. For this reason it is a good idea to visit thearea with a companion, and to be careful with your camera equipment.
Mike Hawkridge Photography 
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