From Ceremony to Golden Hour: A Photographer’s Journey Through The Pear Tree

Photography is a skill that takes time, practise, and a lot of dedication, and, without doing myself and my peers a disservice, it’s often down to much more than ‘having an eye for a photo’!  Putting aside a good editing technique and professional equipment, it often comes down to luck, experience and more importantly, good lighting.  Without enough of it, photos are flat and lifeless, but with too much, you lose detail and colour definition, so the key is the balance.

One of my favourite venues that allows fun and creativity with a broad spectrum of lighting opportunities is the stunning Pear Tree at Purton.  It has everything from cosy nooks with soft and subtle lighting, the art deco meets modern and contemporary bar and dancefloor, comfortable, spacious and beautifully designed accommodation, as well as a ceremony space with breathtaking views. But without a doubt, the showstopper is the orangery with its bright and warm atmosphere, when even on a cold and wintry day, you are bringing the outside in.

Ceremony

At The Pear Tree, you not only have the option to use the incredible ceremony room upstairs, but they have a beautiful outdoor ceremony space too.

During the ceremony, things move very quickly so it’s really important to get the lighting setup just right so you can keep your focus on each moment.

The ceremony room has a beautiful warm undertone thanks to the lovely wooden flooring and off-white walls.  The huge windows let in so much light and even on dull days, the beautiful chandeliers are such an important feature, not only decoratively but to create just the right lighting.

Outdoor ceremonies can be a little trickier as we can’t predict when the sun will make an appearance or disappear behind a cloud but use of a balanced colour profile in the edit will always help.  Come rain or shine a good photographer should always be able to make the best of any lighting situation and seize the moments when the sun gods bless us with a money shot.  An outdoor ceremony in the sun always makes colours more vibrant and adds a freshness that artificial lighting sometimes can’t offer.

The grounds and the all-important Golden Hour

If I have said it once, I must have said it a thousand times (and yes I know it sounds cheesy!) but ‘golden hour’ will always be my favourite time of day to shoot.  When the sun just starts lowering in the sky, it creates a blanket of light on everything, picking out details in places you wouldn’t even think to look.

The vineyard at The Pear Tree creates the most beautiful backdrop for a golden hour shoot and I always try and encourage my couples to sneak away for 10 minutes to make the most of that special moment and when timed just right, it creates something really special.  As the sun sets, it creates a vibrant silhouette effect bringing the most stunning colour palette of burnt oranges and ambers, no matter what the season.

Even at night, the warmth of the venue cuts through the dark creating such a glowing and homely feel.  With the outdoor seating area being undercover, its completely versatile and comfortable whatever the weather.  Although we always hope for a dry day, I personally love the effect of a wet floor reflecting the light and warmth of the venue.

The Orangery:

I remember the first time I came to The Pear Tree and felt the cosiness and warmth as I walked in and could see the bar area in the distance looking inviting with comfy chairs and a relaxed but elegant feel.  There was a curtain pulled closed, but nothing prepared me for the light explosion when it was pulled open and I walked into the orangery.  It was bright, spacious and so cleverly designed that no matter your theme or style of decoration, it will fit perfectly.  In fact, it’s the kind of space that you could actually not decorate at all, and it would still steal the show.  Surrounded by windows letting in the natural light and the beautiful views, you also have the incredible skylight above you, bringing light in from every direction.

The importance of lighting:

I always prefer to shoot in natural light rather than using a flash as you see every shade and colour in its true form without the need for heavy edits or adjustments, so the orangery is a dream to shoot.  Although sometimes, natural light can be unpredictable and isn’t something we can always dial up or down, so it also requires a real display of creativity.

During my last visit to the Pear Tree, it was really lovely to see the addition of the new blinds for the skylight.  Not only are they beautifully designed and really in-keeping with the style of the venue (and the most high-tech blinds I have ever seen!) but they help massively with having more control over the light balance in the Orangery too.  Whilst they don’t take anything away from the light, bright and open feel to the space, they almost provide a subtle dimmer switch to the overhead lighting in the room, giving me more options to create just the right lighting ambience to get the perfect shot.  On a really bright and sunny day this will have a massive impact on the balance of the lighting in the room and will really help to prevent glare and overexposed lighting effects. A subtle, thoughtful and brilliant touch.

I can’t wait to be back at The Pear Tree very soon so keep an eye on their dedicated gallery for more of this stunning wedding venue.