Moulin Rouge

The Moulin Rouge is a unique 19th-century cabaret on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche along the Pigalle nightlife strip. It originally opened in 1889 and the red windmill on its roof still turns, (the sails were rebuilt in 2024). This location really shines at night when the lights of the whole strip come on. A wide planted median runs down the centre of the boulevard giving you the perfect distance to fit the windmill and the illuminated sign in one frame. Blue hour is the sweet spot, when the neon is lit and the sky still holds some of its colour. You can experiment with slowing the shutter and letting the sails smear into a red arc while passing cars leave light trails. Rue Lepic climbs beside the building if you want to play with angled views. This area does get quite bust so be aware of traffic as you are shooting. (Paris, Île-de-France, France)