A photo of a steam train festooned with disco lights won the Christmas Parties and Seasonal Events category at the 12th annual Event Photography Awards.
It was taken by leading railways and British royal family photographer Jack Boskett, one of 250 guests who attended the ceremony at the Central Hall Westminster in London, UK.
The Event Photography Awards (EPA) is a not-for-profit competition founded to highlight the importance of great photography to the international events industry.
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Over 2,300 images of events held all around the world, from photographers in over 20 countries, were entered in 2026’s competition.
The EPAs comprise 18 core categories, plus a new Black & White Award – sponsored by Digital Camera magazine – introduced for 2026.
Also new is the Event Photographer of the Year accolade, bestowed in conjunction with the Best Portfolio award.
View the current and past winners of the Event Photography Awards here.
We caught up with Jack Boskett after the ceremony and asked him to illuminate us about his colorful capture…
“It was an absolute shock and I was delighted to win,” Boskett said. “I think this is the fourth year running that I have won an award at the EPAs.
“Winning makes all the hard work of being a photographer worthwhile, and it’s even harder for photographers to stand out these days because of AI.
“So when genuine photography wins awards – I’m not just saying me, but everyone else who has won this evening and everybody who was shortlisted – it’s absolutely fantastic to see so many stunning, genuine photographs.”
Boskett’s photo was taken during an event on the Severn Valley Railway in England, UK, called the Boogie Lights Express.
A bespoke sound and light show, “thousands of coloured LED lights make the steam train look magical inside and out,” says the SVR website.
A family-oriented event, passengers are given colored LED wristbands, and get to enjoy a disco on the two-way 70-minute journey between Kidderminster and Highley stations.
Photographing ‘The Boogie Lights Express’
“It was a hard shot to take,” Boskett adds. “The locomotive is doing about 25 miles an hour in the dark, and you’ve got to focus on having the right camera settings.
“I cranked up the ISO quite high, but the shutter speed was very low – 1/50 sec. It was literally pitch black and there was no light around me.
“When the locomotive came through the cutting, through the trees, it just shone and lit up everything around me and looked better than I expected.
“I wasn’t expecting ‘The Boogie Lights Express’ to win tonight. There were some very, very good photographs in the category, so it was a really nice surprise to come out on top.”
Camera used: Nikon Z 9 and Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S at 70mm. Settings: 1/50 sec at f/3.2, ISO 2000.
Click here to see more of Jack Boskett’s photography.
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