What is The Trafford Centre?
The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping mall with some of the most flamboyant and extravagant architecture in the UK. The Orient, its massive food court, is designed to look like the deck of a grand ocean liner, complete with a giant screen and themed areas.
Why Shoot Here?
- Baroque & Neoclassical Interiors: The mall is filled with marble, statues, fountains, and ornate plasterwork that offer endless architectural details.
- The Orient’s Grandeur: The sheer scale and nautical theme of The Orient provide a unique and dramatic setting for wide-angle interior shots.
- Glass Domes: The massive glass domes throughout the centre allow for beautiful natural light to play on the ornate interiors.
- Seasonal Displays: The Trafford Centre is famous for its elaborate Christmas and seasonal decorations, which transform the space into a photographer’s wonderland.
Best Times to Shoot
- Weekday mornings (before 11am): Fewer shoppers means cleaner shots of the ornate interiors without crowds blocking architectural details.
- Midday: The glass domes let in the strongest natural light at this time, illuminating the marble and plasterwork from above.
- Christmas season (November-January): Seasonal decorations transform the already opulent interiors into an even more dramatic photographic setting.
- Evening (after 7pm): Artificial lighting takes over and creates a warmer, more theatrical atmosphere throughout The Orient.
Composition Ideas
- Shoot straight upward beneath the glass domes to capture the full ornamental detail of the ceiling and ironwork.
- Use the grand staircases and balconies as vantage points for elevated wide-angle shots of The Orient’s ocean-liner-themed food court.
- Focus on close-up details of marble columns, statues and decorative plasterwork for rich, textural images.
- Frame symmetrical shots along the central axis of the mall corridors, using the repeating columns and arches as a perspective tunnel.