This week was the start of all the Christmas lights switch-on around London. Most of them this year are more low-key than usual. First up is Oxford Street on Monday; there's no fanfare, just a turn on at 4 pm. Also on Monday, the Christmas tree at St Pancras Station always looks good. Also, there are Carnaby Street, Regent Street, and Battersea Power Station. The week ends with the Lady Mayor’s Show and the fireworks at St Albans Cathedral.
My first photocall of the week was on the 4th at the Saatchi Gallery for the gallery's 40th-anniversary show, The Long Now. Featuring many, many artists who exhibited over the 40-year period.
After the show, I headed to the Institute of Engineers to edit. One of my favourite places to edit, where you can get a decent cooked meal that isn’t expensive and lasts you until late in the day. Additionally, it features fast WiFi for uploading photos, making it a great spot to explore one of the many hidden places around London. You will find more of them in a future guide in my members’ area.
Next up, later in the day, was “Twenty Five Years of Victim Fashion Street”, A fashion show in Spitalfields Market by Mei-Hui Liu. A fabulous evening of fashion celebrating 25 years of her career. I came early and photographed behind the scenes, always good working with amazing designers.
After, it was the Christmas lights switched on at Carnaby / Regents Street, an art exhibition at Catto Gallery, and lastly the Lady Mayor's Show. Read all about them below; the figures in brackets are the number of images I took.
Celebrating 40 years of Saatch Gallery, a new exhibition, The Long Now, opens on the 5th November and runs until 6th January 2026. Exhibiting artwork from various artists. This was a late morning start at 11 am for the photocall and preview, an interesting exhibition, and I hadn’t seen most of the artists before. I spent 3 hours going through the exhibition, photographing the artwork. Some big art pieces with a pile of tyres and a car on top are the centrepiece.
An amazing evening celebrating 25 years of Victim Fashion Street, the iconic upcycled fashion label by Mei-Hui Liu. Known for her handcrafted elegance and raw romanticism, this anniversary show pays tribute to a legacy of creativity, collaboration and sustainable design. It took place at the Old Smithfield Market in London. There was a red carpet fashion show in the market, featuring models showcasing Mei-Hui Liu's creations, music, dance, and fun.
These photos I captured are behind the scenes, whilst everyone was getting ready, plus the actual red carpet fashion show. There are lots more photos on the links below.
An early morning shoot in Hampstead that I almost missed because of train cancellations. I'm glad Alex stayed to do some shots, especially since most other photographers either left or were about to leave.
The acclaimed British artist Alex Russell Flint is opening his first solo exhibition in the UK in eight years at London’s Catto Gallery. The show features a series of new paintings and runs from November 6th to November 27th, 2025.
The lights were turned on in a crowded Carnaby Street, hosted by AJ Odudu, with a choir and singers present. At 6:45 pm, Charlotte Tilbury and AJ Odudu illuminated the display. The theme of this year's installation is ‘All Is Bright’.
The lights on Regent Street were illuminated on November 6th. This year, there won't be a grand launch event; the display will stay the same as in previous years. The “Spirit of Christmas' features over 30 figures created with 300,000 LED lights along Regent Street and nearby areas. Here are some photos of the lights. Many visitors, especially tourists, were out capturing pictures.
Saturday, 8th, started bright and early, and I made my way to the City of London for the Lady Mayor's Show, only the 3rd female mayor in 800 years. Collected my pass at 10 am in the Guildhall, got some nice shots of the golden carriage and of the new Lady Mayor entering. She spent longer waving for the photographers, which was great, unlike the previous mayor. After the Guildhall, I went to St Paul's, where the ceremony took place, blessing the new Mayor.
The 697th Lord Mayor of London is Dame Susan Langley DBE, of the Aldgate ward, and the first ever to be titled the ‘Lady Mayor of London’.
I took photos of the parade from the Guildhall and the press area in front of St Paul’s Cathedral.
It was the annual fireworks in St Albans. A moonlit, chilly night with fog rolling in. The spectacular fireworks surrounded the historic setting in Verulamium Park. Photos were taken from a hill outside the enclosed area, near Bluehouse Hill Road. Shame about the bright lights. Halfway through, I swapped between a telephoto lens and a wide-angle as the fireworks grew bigger towards the climax.
I reached the destination from central London with an hour to spare. It was a lengthy walk from St Albans Abbey station towards the hill in Verulamium Park, not the main one where the cathedral is located, but further down. Initially, there weren't many people present, but the crowds quickly gathered.
Shooting fireworks is fairly straightforward; just ensure your long exposure isn't too extended, or the fireworks will overlap and look messy, becoming overexposed. The ideal exposure time is around 7 seconds, but it can vary with smoke buildup, so you may need to cut it to 5 seconds. I plan to write an article on fireworks photography within the next few months. Additionally, a tripod is essential; you can’t achieve the same quality as my shots without one.
That’s it for this week, a much busier week. Look out for the next ones in a few days. The Substack membership is now open and includes a calendar of 2026 events; more guides will be added each month. These resources, coming soon, include a standard model release form for you to copy, a guide to my process for exporting and editing photos for News Agencies, and more. You can see a list of upcoming articles here.
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