Flash-Lit Portraits at The Queens Hotel, Southsea | Whitney & John After Dark

I promised you these, and here they are! If you caught Whitney and John’s Queens Hotel wedding blog, you will know I sneakily stole them away for some flash lit portraits around the hotel. Well, they deserved a blog all of their own, because The Queens after dark is something else. Grab a cuppa, this one is basically me showing off what off camera flash can do.

Why Flash at The Queens Hotel?

The Queens is a grand old Victorian beauty, and once the sun goes down it gets moody in the best possible way. The problem is, the camera does not see it the way your eyes do. Without flash you get murky corners, grainy faces and a couple lost in the shadows. With flash, I get to choose exactly where the light goes. The couple pop, the building glows, and all that gorgeous detail, the gold, the chandeliers, the painted ceilings, gets its moment too. It is basically my happy place.

Under the Glowing Canopy

First stop, the front entrance. That illuminated canopy with its gold crowns and The Queens Hotel sign glowing away is just begging for a night portrait. I balanced the flash with the warm glow of the canopy ceiling so you get the building AND the couple, not one or the other. We started classy, and then, well, Whitney and John happened.

Bride and groom standing under the illuminated canopy sign at The Queens Hotel Southsea at night
Groom dipping the bride under the glowing canopy at The Queens Hotel Southsea, rim lit with off camera flash

The dip is one of my favourites from the whole night. That rim light catching Whitney’s hair, her arm stretched out, eyes closed, completely lost in the moment. Proper movie poster stuff. Then they let loose and had fun with it, and I mean REALLY had fun with it.

Bride throwing her arm in the air celebrating with the groom under The Queens Hotel sign in Southsea
Bride laughing and dancing with the groom at the entrance of The Queens Hotel Southsea at night
Groom pointing at the camera with his leg across the bride under the canopy at The Queens Hotel Southsea

Yes, that is John’s leg. And yes, I absolutely love it. The daft ones are always the ones couples end up printing.

Beneath the Painted Dome

Inside, the entrance lobby has the most incredible glazed dome, framed in gold and painted with swirling skies and old sailing ships. Most people walk straight under it without looking up. So of course I got my camera right down low to make it the star of the show.

Low angle flash-lit portrait of bride and groom striking a pose beneath the painted dome at The Queens Hotel Southsea

Whitney and John went full music video on me here and I am not mad about it. Then we calmed things down for a little detail shot, with their hands reaching across the dome and the rings front and centre. A cheeky nod to a certain famous ceiling painting, but with a very Southsea twist.

Bride and groom's hands with wedding rings reaching across the painted dome ceiling at The Queens Hotel Southsea

The Chandelier Foyer

The foyer is pure old school glamour, with checkerboard marble floors, painted skies on the walls and a crystal chandelier right in the middle. Flash lets me light Whitney and John softly while keeping all that warm, golden candlelight glow from the chandeliers in the background.

Bride and groom nuzzling noses beneath a crystal chandelier on the checkerboard floor at The Queens Hotel Southsea

And because I can never leave things alone, I grabbed a reflection for this one, so the chandelier flips down below them. A little bit of fine art brain sneaking back in there.

Bride and groom kissing beneath a crystal chandelier with a mirrored reflection at The Queens Hotel Southsea

The Staircase Landing

Saving the best till last. Up on the staircase landing there is a huge arched stained glass window, two mustard armchairs and the most gorgeous moody teal panelling. I sat Whitney and John down and they settled in like they owned the place. It has serious magazine spread energy and it might just be my favourite from the whole set.

Bride and groom sitting in yellow armchairs on the staircase landing at The Queens Hotel Southsea, lit with off camera flash

Tips for Night Portraits at The Queens Hotel

  • A quick 15 to 20 minute sneak away in the evening is usually plenty, and your guests will barely notice you have gone.
  • Head out once it is properly dark. The canopy sign and the foyer chandeliers look their best when the sky is black.
  • Pop to the lobby and look up. That painted dome is one of the best bits of the whole building.
  • Do not worry about being a natural. I will direct you, and the silly bits in between are usually the winners.

Planning Your Queens Hotel Wedding?

If you are getting married at The Queens, have a look at my Queens Hotel wedding photographer page, read the full story of Whitney and John’s wedding day, or see how flash changes everything in my flash vs no flash post. You can find more of my work as a Portsmouth wedding photographer and Hampshire wedding photographer too.

I am ranked in the top ten in the world for flash wedding photography, and nights like this are exactly why I love it. Fancy some moody, fun, flash-lit portraits of your own? Get in touch here, I would love to hear all about your day.

Planning a Hampshire wedding? Have a nosy at my guide to the best wedding venues in Hampshire, all ones I’ve actually photographed!

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