Flash vs No Flash at The Square Tower: The Same Venue, Two Very Different Weddings

I have now photographed weddings at The Square Tower in Old Portsmouth twice, about two years apart, and the biggest difference between those two days was not the couples, the weather or the confetti. It was the flash. So I thought I’d show you what lighting a dark venue properly actually does, because if you are booking somewhere like this, it really, REALLY matters who is holding the camera!

First, The Challenge

The Square Tower’s ceremony room is one of the most beautiful spaces I shoot in. It is also one of the darkest. Thick medieval walls, a vaulted brick ceiling and barely any windows mean there is next to no natural light getting in. Gorgeous to stand in, genuinely tricky to photograph. Left to its own devices, a camera in that room has to crank the settings right up just to see anything, and that is where photos start to lose their magic.

Without Flash

When I first shot at The Square Tower, I worked with the ambient light in the room. You can get lovely, moody, atmospheric images that way, and there is absolutely a time and a place for it. But in a room this dark it comes at a cost. Colours go flatter, the rich red brick turns muddy, faces can fall into shadow, and to keep things bright enough you push the ISO up, which softens the detail. It is the room fighting back. You can see that natural light approach over on Lauren and Shane’s Square Tower micro wedding.

Here is the natural light look from that first Square Tower wedding. Lovely and soft, and I leaned into black and white, but you are working with whatever light the room gives you.

With Off Camera Flash

Fast forward to Vicki and Luke’s wedding and I lit the whole thing with off camera flash, and the difference is NIGHT and DAY! The brick glows warm and detailed, the chandeliers sparkle, every guest is beautifully and evenly lit, and the images are crisp, punchy and full of depth. Instead of the room limiting the photos, the room becomes the star! That first kiss shot in the vault is one I am genuinely proud of, and it simply would not exist without the flash. See the full day on Vicki and Luke’s Square Tower wedding.

Why This Matters If You Are Booking a Dark Venue

None of this is me being down on natural light, I love it when there is light to work with. But at a venue like The Square Tower, and plenty of barns, forts and winter weddings besides, the ability to add beautiful, controlled light is the difference between photos that are fine and photos that make you gasp! It is a skill I have put a LOT of hours into, and it is why I am currently ranked in the top ten in the world for flash on the Flash Masters leaderboard. So when you are choosing a photographer for a dark or atmospheric space, it is well worth asking how they will light it.

Getting Married Somewhere Dark and Dramatic?

If you are planning a wedding at The Square Tower or anywhere with tricky light, this is very much my happy place! Have a look at my Square Tower wedding photographer page and my work as a Hampshire wedding photographer, then get in touch here and let’s talk about lighting your day beautifully.

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