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For the majority of the year, you can't get around London without getting caught up in a crowd, stuck in a queue or sitting in seriously slow moving traffic. But there's one time of year when London suddenly becomes eerily quiet. Yep, Christmas Day – when most people have flocked back home to their families in the sticks and everyone else stays firmly inside, venturing out only for emergency booze supplies or to walk off their lunch. Freelance photographer Genaro Bardy decided to make the most of this precious 24-hour window by capturing some of London's most famous sights while they were completely deserted.
From 11pm on Christmas Eve to 6.30am on Christmas Day, he walked about 12 miles, photographing Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and other areas of London that are usually swarming with people. He wanted to use long exposure techniques, which require the shutter to be open for around 30 seconds, and any interference from cars or pedestrians would ruin the photo.
One of the most impressive of all is this snap of Oxford Street. We guarantee you'll never see these streets this empty – unless you fancy dragging yourself out on Christmas Day next year, obviously. But somehow, we can't see that happening.
Take a look at some photos of empty London:
See more of Genaro's work on his website or follow him on Instagram.
Images: Genaro Bardy
Want more cool snaps of the city? Check out these pictures of London enveloped by fog.