Orton Hall Peterborough – Wedding Photography

In my opinion Orton Hall is the best venue to have your wedding reception in Peterborough, and if you are not having a church wedding it is also a great venue to have your ceremony as well.

No matter the time of year the photographic scope is endless.  With its grand appearance it makes a naturally great backdrop for photographs. The main advantage of this venue is the superb grounds. All around Orton Hall Peterborough there is potential for timeless wedding photos.

The ceremony

The ceremony is conducted in the conservatory. A beautiful set up that allows you to capture every emotion. I prefer to stand behind the registrar’s and capture the photographs of the bride coming down the aisle. During the ceremony photography is limited; you are allowed to take exchanging of rings and then the first kiss. A mock signing of the register is then set-up.  The only down side to the room is on a bright day the sunlight cast shadows and unwanted highlights on the wedding party. Use flash or be skilful and work in shaded areas.

Bride and Groom photography

Taking the bride and groom away for 15 minutes or so is a definite must, it gives them space and time to themselves and it also gives you the opportunity to capture some intimate photography. Here are my favourite locations to take bride and groom photographs at Orton Hall Peterborough.

Orton Hall as a backdrop – Frame the bride and groom in various positions using Orton Hall as a backdrop. Have them facing each other, kissing or facing you. Use the different planes of the building along with dynamic composition. Just make sure you eliminate any distractions like people, branches and lighting imperfections. Try variations, for instance, have the bride and groom walking towards and away from you. Also bring a tripod and capture some images of the building at night, you can do this with flash and without. When using flash have the camera on manual and use the iso, shutter speed and aperture to gain correct exposure. For example, iso 400 f5.0 @ 1/80, flash intensity 2 stops over exposed.

 The back strip of trees – There is a strip of trees at the back of Orton Hall. Without fail I always use this set-up. I get the bride and groom to walk away from me, and then go for a kiss. I am continually zooming in and out and turning my camera at different angels to create various effects. 

The front strip of trees – At the front of the building, just opposite reception there is another set of tall trees that can be used to create artistic images. They line up well and offer lots of potential.

Large trees – Use the large trees for the bride and groom to rest upon, create various scaled images using viewpoint. Get low to the ground to exaggerate effects.

The road leading around the back– Use the road as a natural curve to lead your eye away or into the photo. If the bride and groom have a wedding car this is a good place to get some shots using the backdrop of Orton Hall or the greenery behind.

The fountain – The fountain can be used as a useful prop, especially with children, get them to run or skip around it.

The church at night – The church just across the way from Orton Hall has some dramatic lighting at night; I have used this to capture some unique images using the bold lighting to create atmospheric photographs.

The steps outside the ceremony room – The steps are a good place to set up a group of kids, if you can get them to stay still?

The staircase inside – The staircase always lends an elegant touch. I normally take the bride here and capture some creative images. I work my way around the staircase, normally looking down with the bride looking up at me.

The seasons

The seasons also put their unique touch on wedding photography, make use of the season’s offerings and incorporate it in your photos. Work with colour and contrasts

Group photography

The seemingly endless space outside, weather permitting, creates the opportunity to chose where you set up for your group photos. If the light is good you can photograph the group photos in the woods. You can have Orton Hall as the backdrop. You can go up into one of the guest rooms and look out the window looking down on the wedding party in the court yard (ask permission before you do this) and you can also use the greenery of the many trees and bushes as a neutral backdrop. I normally ask the bride and groom which they prefer.

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