Cumbria and Lake District wedding and portrait photography by Lorraine Oates - Who we are

We are a full time professional Lake District wedding and portrait photography studio covering Cumbria and the North West of England. We are located in the ancient medieval market town of Dalton in Furness, on the southern edge of the picturesque Lake District not too far from the towns of Barrow in Furness and Ulverston.

Whilst the majority of our photography work is in the Lake District and Cumbria, we can and do cover assignments from all over the UK.

The business is registered in the UK, company number 7620958 and is owned and operated by Lorraine Oates.

Lorraine is one of only a handful of professional female photographers in the South Lakes area. Her reputation for excellence extends across the Lake District, Cumbria and beyond.

She feels that clients benefit from her passion, enthusiasm and her female perspective. She has a uniquely romantic and feminine view when looking through her lens. Combine this with her understanding of colour, shading and light (based on over 20 years experience as a professional make-up artist and lecturer, and nearly 15 years experience in photography) and clients can be sure that their images will exude the vitality, essence and beauty of their special moments.

“To really get to the heart of a subject or a client it’s important to establish a friendly and relaxed, yet fresh, fun and innovative environment. People have always told me that I make them feel at ease, and that definitely shows through in my photographs. I pride myself on my professionalism, confidence and understanding. People don’t want a photographer who doesn’t understand them or who intrudes upon them or their special day – I learnt that very early on in my career as a makeup artist. What they want is someone who can value their individuality, nurture it, and bring it out, shining, in the photographs.”

She has been trained by some of the countries leading portrait and wedding photographers and has won many awards for her images. She currently holds a Licentiate qualification from the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) and is currently working towards a similar qualification from the MPA (Master Photographers Association).

Derek is Lorraine’s husband, assistant and business manager. He has extensive experience of building, running and maintaining small-to-medium businesses. He has been part of Powder & Paint since its inception, and is dedicated to helping Lorraine grow the business, offer more services to a wider range of clients, whilst at the same time never losing sight of the unique philosophies that have made Powder & Paint a success, combined with continuing to drive it’s development.

Becky joined us in October 2012 and is responsible for all things front-of house, this includes meeting and greeting our clients, viewings and sales and is also part of the design team at the studio. She is currently lending her diverse talents to being trained in photography and make-up artistry.