Photo by Ian Woolnough
Capturing the Seasonal Glow
Windsor at Christmas turns into a glowing tapestry of lights, colour, and festive atmosphere—perfect for night photography. When the sun goes down and the crowds thin, the town takes on a magical calm, and every corner offers a new opportunity to capture the charm of the season.
Photos by Ian Woolnough
Windsor is a magical place at any time of year, but at Christmas it becomes something truly special ,
a blend of royal history, glowing festive lights, and atmospheric streets that seem made for night-time photography.
As dusk settles, the town takes on a warm, golden character
a blend of royal history, glowing festive lights, and atmospheric streets that seem made for night-time photography.
As dusk settles, the town takes on a warm, golden character
Composition Tips
💡 Use shop windows, street lamps, or reflections as your main light sources.
✨ Frame people walking through pools of light or waiting at crossings.
🌧 Exploit wet pavements for glowing reflections.
🎁 Include festive elements (decorations, market stalls, fairground rides).
📐 Use leading lines of lights to guide the viewer’s eye.
Creative Techniques
🚗 Capture car or bus light trails with Live Composite or long exposure.
🎠 Experiment with slow shutter + intentional movement for painterly light swirls.
🌌 Play with bokeh — fairy lights in the background at wide aperture create magic.
🪞 Combine scenes with double exposures (lights + faces or buildings).
Creative Ideas for Night Shoots
Starburst lights: Use f/8–f/16 on streetlights
Light trails: Use slow shutter on traffic or cyclists
Shadow play: Side-lighting from bus stops + markets
Bokeh portraits: Shoot at f/1.8 close to Christmas lights
Motion blur: People walking through static scenes (1/10–1/30s)
