Legoland Windsor – Continuing the Pinhole Theme Park Series

I’ve been back out with the Mia 6x6 pinhole camera, continuing my lensless theme park series — this time at Legoland Windsor.

As always, it was an interesting day juggling photography with parenting duties — exploring the park, chasing light, and trying to spot pinhole-worthy moments, all while keeping up with three very excited kids and one wife. Not the easiest way to shoot film, but definitely one of the most rewarding.

Hydra’s Challenge

The first ride to get pinholed was Hydra’s Challenge — one of the park’s water-based attractions with plenty of motion to play with. I decided to test out some handheld pinhole panning, which is always a bit of a gamble with a 1-second exposure.

Following the movement of the boat created a soft, abstract sweep of water and shape — not perfect, but full of energy and feeling. 

Giant LEGO Figure

Next, I aimed the camera upward at one of the giant LEGO figures towering over the park. These oversized models add a surreal charm to Legoland, and shooting one with a pinhole camera only heightened that sense of scale and strangeness.

Fire & Ice Freefall

While the kids took on Fire & Ice Freefall, I timed my exposure just as the ride dropped. The slow shutter stretched the motion into a beautiful blur, capturing the thrill and energy of the plunge without needing crisp detail.

The blurred ride cars hanging at the top for a split second create a striking, almost suspended moment.

Lego London (with a Giant Child)

One of the day’s most playful moments happened in Miniland. I was framing the Lego version of London when one of the kids stepped into the shot. The soft focus and scale tricks of pinhole photography turned the child into a friendly giant looming over London.

It was an unplanned but perfect capture.

The Show Lake Lighthouse

Passing the show area, I stopped to photograph the lighthouse in the middle of the water. The calm reflection on the lake, combined with the long exposure, turned the scene into a peaceful, painterly moment — a quiet island of stillness amidst the park’s energy.

Back to Hydra’s Challenge

Later in the afternoon, the kids wanted to cool off, so we returned to Hydra’s Challenge. While they enjoyed the splash, I practiced more pinhole panning shots — handholding the camera with slow shutter speeds to create watery streaks full of movement and life.

These images don’t capture detail, but they do capture the spirit of the moment.

Hydra’s Challenge — Stillness in Motion

I also took some shots of Hydra’s Challenge without panning, letting the slow exposure capture the jet skis as ghostly blurs dissolving into the water.

Waiting Outside the Lego Shop

Towards the end of the day, I found myself waiting outside the Lego shop while the kids hoped I’d buy half the store. It’s a classic moment — full of hopeful energy and daydreams — and gave me a chance to pause, relax the camera, and soak in the surroundings.

Dragon’s Castle

No visit to Legoland would be complete without a stop at Dragon’s Castle. The fairytale design and Lego details make it a perfect subject for pinhole photography.

Autumn’s Riding Adventure

To finish off the day, I captured Autumn’s Riding Adventure — a spinning disc ride that climbs and twists along its tracks. Timing my 1-second exposure just as the disc reached its highest point, I caught the blur of motion at the end of the ride.

The long exposure turned the spinning movement into a soft streak of energy, a dynamic and playful close to the pinhole series at Legoland Windsor.

Shooting Legoland with a pinhole camera and black and white film was a fresh challenge — capturing motion, scale, and stillness all at once. The soft, dreamy images reveal a playful side to the park that you don’t usually see in bright colour and sharp focus.

If you enjoyed this glimpse into the slower, softer world of analogue pinhole photography, check out my full series and more photos over on the blog. Thanks for reading!