Christmas Photo Spots in London

Yesterday afternoon I posted some pictures to my stories of our walk around London. It prompted quite a few responses and all with the same theme, how beautiful London was looking in its festive attire and how I capture lovely photos of Ita in London.

I certainly do not have the skills to remove people and change settings, so planning photos works best for me (and probably for the other average mums too). So hopefully this blog post will help you plan too!

The truth is photos mean a lot to me. I spend so much time making sure I capture the right image because when all is said and done, all you have left is the photo to remind you. I learnt this regrettably on my wedding day. You cant recapture a moment. Once its gone, its gone. As so because of this I have spent a lot of time thinking about how I could make sure I captured beautiful photos for Ita, to look back on when she is older and maybe even with her own children!

So this leads me here, sharing the most beautiful festive spots in London.

I wrote out a little trail for my friend Jovana on my last Instagram post. It was just a simple response to her comment but I think it captures the most beautiful sights. So I am going to use that little route to provide you with what I believe to be the best photo shots in central London.

New Bond Street:

For us, this will always be the Christmas shot to get. Each year Ita posts her letter to Santa from the post-box just across from the beautifully decorated Cartier store. The lights are undoubtably stunning at night but the truth is this area will almost always be packed… and full of Instagram models. As such, we always visit here on a quiet Sunday morning when you can quite literally park just down the road from this shop.

The post-box is across the road and slightly to the right so the best place to get a photo like this would be standing to the right of the post-box and then taking a few steps back. This means you can capture Cartier in the background too.

To get a nice photo outside of Cartier, I would suggest standing again on the road opposite but more so to the left. There are a load of street signs around here which you will want to avoid – it is this reason that Tiffany’s is so difficult to capture. It is such a shame as the shop is beautiful but there are too many signs and poles that ruin it.

I would say this is best for day time shots. As beautiful as the peacock lights are, it just isn’t worth the crowds of people. Even during lockdown I was receiving messages on Instagram telling me how busy it was.

Burlington Arcade:

Right by Cartier and Tiffany’s is the Burlington Arcade that leads you out to Regents Street. I would only suggest visiting here in the day as it becomes very dark inside and also very busy too. The Moet & Chandon swinging chair is probably the most popular photo op but it sits right in the middle of the arcade with nothing pretty behind it. You would really need to wait it out to get a gorgeous photo with no one in the background! (See below).

Definitely better for the day time shots.

Fortnum & Mason:

Once you exit the Burlington Arcade you will see Fortnum and Masons. One of the most stunning shops in London, especially so since their lights are that of an advent calendar. However…. There are loads of road works going on just outside and it is really unappealing to be honest. No matter where you stand across the road, you cant seem to get a photo without these road works being obvious. As much as I love this photo, it doesn’t show off the grand face of Fortnums. (This was taken by the main entrance). However if you walk down Duke Street which is to the right of Fortnums, they have the most beautifully dressed window display.

It definitely looks better at night where it is all lit up and arguably distracts you from the road works.

The Ritz:

Sadly The Ritz is all boarded up because of lockdown but it is where my mind goes to when I think of Christmas Days Out. They have a huge tree on the foyer by the reception and the décor runs throughout. Outside, they hang their decorated wreaths and garlands and they dress the two trees by the entrance too. Typically I would say you need a photo by their tree inside but that’s not going to happen right now. The outside is photo worthy though! The tree to the right of the entrance has a sign underneath but the tree to the left doesn’t and actually sits back slightly. Therefore it looks nice in photos without taking over.

I would suggest going during the day although if you are around in the evening it’s definitely worth going to.

St James / Waterloo Place:

My absolute favourite Christmas Tree in London!! There is none that even compare to the tree by the Crimean War Memorial on Waterloo Place (named St James). And this is why! The tree is tall and full but not huge meaning you can get a full length photo of the tree and yourself / child. As it sits on a little square, you can stand across the road and basically capture it from any angel. This means you will be able to get a picture without anyone else in shot.

For this photo I stood in the middle of the road – it was spookily quiet but thinking about it, it very often is quiet around here. There is a small strip of pavement that separates the road and faces the tree and this would be the best place to get a photo. On this night though someone was taking their photo and they seemed unhappy with the outcome so kept asking their partner to take more!

The tree is prettiest at night but I would still say it is daylight happy too.

Annabels:

Is underway and frankly I could burst! I always get too excited for their decorations as they are so OTT and take up the entire front of this private members club. Last year it was heaving during the day and at night time so I can imagine it will be this year too. It sits in a largish square but although its worth going to see, I wouldn’t have your heart set on getting a good photo!

Regent Street:

London has a theme of flying angels that kinda remind me of Hannibal the TV series. If you have seen it you’ll know exactly what I mean!! These angels have been reused for the last few years and really do not stand out much during the daylight, but at night they are gorgeous. I have seen so many photos in the middle pavement outside of Hamleys in Regents Street and this is where you will get the prettiest shot. And for that reason this is where were heading to next weekend!

Definitely better during the darker hours.

Covent Garden:

I’m going to be very blunt here – I am SO disappointed this year with the decorations in Covent Garden. I think we were spoilt last year by the absolutely stunning Tiffany & Co set up and remember that Jo Malone one too? This year they have a gigantic tree. It is so difficult to get a photo without anyone else in it and you will need to be about a mile away from the tree to get it in full length and then you in full length too. Ok so not a mile, but very far away!! I am secretly hoping that they will add something else to be honest.

The London Transport Museum has a small themed tree outside and I think this one is really rather cute. Chanel also have a little photo op outside too!

Honestly? Not worth it.

Elsewhere:

Other areas that have beautiful lights are Carnaby Street and Marble Arch. However I cannot imagine you will be able to find a good spot for a photo, that doesn’t have crowds of people in.

If you love a pink Christmas then of course Peggy Porschens is for you and this year Elan have a huge pink tree and carousel inside Kings Cross station.

We always visit The Ivy in Chelsea and each year they do fantastic displays. My favourite was from 2018 when they turned the restaurant into a gingerbread house!

With all this said and whilst still being sure that a nice photo is the goal, you do need to simply enjoy and have fun with seeing the Christmas lights and decorations! They are beautiful and have become somewhat of a tradition for us. There is no better place than London in December!

Some tips;

My biggest one. Avoid other people in your photos. Its quite an obvious one but having strangers in your photos not only distracts from how pretty they will turn out, but it also means you will quite literally have photos of random people!

Avoid distractions such as ugly scaffolding and building work. Try and place yourself/ child in front of them if possible to cover them up!

Clean your camera lens each and every single time to take a photo. Honestly, especially when it comes to phone cameras, it makes all the difference.

Take your time. I used to feel so rushed but now I take as much time as I need to get the photo I am happy with!

Natasha from Kiddos Adventures has done a blog post on a Christmas lights tour and I am allowed to share this with you. Here is the link below;

https://kiddoadventures.com/2020/11/22/your-guide-to-christmas-lights-in-london-2020/ and thank you