WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER AT EUREKA! THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IN HALIFAX
A eedding photographer and his family pays a trip to Eureka! in Halifax, a museum, explicitly designed for children. Imagine Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, add in lots of buttons to press and knobs to twiddle, minus all the explanation, and you’ll have a good idea of what this children’s museum is all about.
Wedding Venue?
To the best of my knowledge this museum is not a wedding venue, unlike, say, Manchester museum, so you can’t get married here. However, it’s still definitely worth a look around for any bride and grooms, or newlyweds that still have children. Having now taken a look around, and taken a few photos of my family here too, I think this place would make for a really interesting and quirky wedding venue.
Fun day out for all the family
My son is at a stage in his development where he really enjoys fiddling with bright coloured objects such as flashing buttons and spinning wheels. That’s why this museum is such a great place for a child of is age. It’s all so colourful and most of the activities also incorporate some kind of sound response so there’s always a little rewards for pressing the buttons. It makes for quite a sensory experience.
Buttons, Flashing Lights, and an unwanted Costume
On one section children can add sound plates to a musical track that is on the wall. Every time the song plays round it will play the arrangement that the children have created, meaning they can get really creative and experiment with the sounds in different orders. There are many sounds and musical instruments to choose from, including bird song and violins.
A small section teaches children about the difference between night-time and day-time. My wife and son enjoyed placing the different placards in the right places, highlighting the differences. This was a little lost on my son, who was perhaps a little too little to understand, however he still had plenty of fun fitting the different shapes in the right holes. He will also enjoy this exhibit again when he is older and has progressed further in his development. Nearby there is a large section teaching kids about insects, and little ones can even dress up in their own insect costumes. We tried to get Owen to try on a butterfly costume, however as you can see in the photos, our efforts were met with considerable resistance.
Children's Sized Kitchen
The last part we discovered was the life-sized – but also children’s sized – kitchen. Here the little dudes can explore one of the most fascinating parts of the home without fear of injuring themselves. All the shelves and utilities are at a low height so even small children can experiment with washing and doing the dishes, while also bashing some pots and pans and throwing around some fruit!
There was time for a little play outside and then it was time to head home and tell Nanny and Granddad over Skype all about our adventure! As you can see our son was pretty tired by this point with all that excitement. I was hoping to capture a smile but just got a big yawn.
Trying out my new Camera
Visiting this museum was a good opportunity to try out my Sony a9 camera and 12-14 f4 lens in very low light. Many parts of the museum are very dark indeed, and you can see that some of the photos are pretty grainy. Overall, though the camera and lens did pretty well. I wouldn’t normally use an f4 lens in such a dark environment, but it’s useful when shooting family because it allows me to capture the whole scene while staying close and interacting with my family. It’s not a family day out if I’m stood apart from them taking photos!
Looking for a photographer?
It would be awesome to shoot a wedding at Eureka! but alas it is not currently a venue for marriages or civil ceremonies. Photographing weddings in a natural and relaxed way, with a documentary style is what I do for a living. If you think my approach to wedding photography is right for you why not get in touch to chat about your day, check out some of my work in my blog, or read some testimonials from previous clients.
A little More about Eureka!
For 25 years Eureka! has been the UK’s first and foremost Children’s Museum. This Educational Charity is the UK’s only fully interactive museum 100% dedicated to children. The museum’s aim is to provide answers to the splendid and bizarre questions that children ask, and most importantly, make learning fun.
Eureka! Is not like other museums! Aimed at children aged from 0-11, Eureka! Is a fun , interesting and thoroughly unique educational experience. Unlike most museums and days out, here you only pay once, and this provides you with an annual pass that covers your entrance fee for the rest of the year.
Each of the six unique zones are packed with a whole ton of interactive exhibits that are designed to instil a sense of wonder and discovery into young and intrigued minds that use them. A dedicated team of professional Enables are placed throughout the museum and work hard to ensure all children and adults get the most out of their visit.
The site is kept as safe and inviting as possible however children still need to be accompanied by an adult at all times. Adults can also visit without their children, even in groups, if they want to. However, as per the museum’s security and child protection policies, they request that adults wishing to visit make prior contact so discuss the reasons for their visit.
