Christmas & New Year Marriage Proposals – 10 Ways to Make Your Proposal - London & Essex Wedding Photography

Essex, London & Suffolk Wedding Photographer Jeff Turnbull.
Main websites www.JeffTurnbull.com and www.Photo-Training.co.uk

What a romantic Christmas many of you have had. I have received a couple of enquiries since Christmas day already regarding my wedding photography services from excited brides-to-be after receiving marriage proposals over Christmas.

One of the ways a bride-to-be was proposed to was that she noticed on Christmas day that there was an extra Christmas decoration on the tree. As she looked closer her boyfriend said “go ahead, open the box”. As she opened the box she saw the ring at which time he got down on one knee and proposed to her. It was an even more special moment as he had secretly arranged for their families, including her Grandmother who had helped raise her as a little girl, to come over for the afternoon and had silently come into the room as she opened the box. What a great guy.

Weddings are definitely back in vogue and 2010 looks like to be one of the busiest years for weddings for quite a long time.

So, with this in mind, if you’re getting married in 2010 then you need to start booking your wedding vendors very soon because if you don’t book them, then someone else will book the Photographer, Videographer, DJ, Toastmaster, Band, Wedding Venue, Wedding planner or the Makeup Artist that you had hoped to book for yourself.




Will you be proposing to your loved one very soon?
Here are ten suggestions on making that marriage proposal


1. Cook your loved one a romantic meal and place a note around the napkin like it is a napkin holder asking her/him to marry you. Or slip the napkin (use fabric ones not paper!) through the ring, when she goes to put her napkin in her lap she will find the ring.

2. Leave a trail of notes for him/her to follow and when he/she reaches the end you will be standing there with a sign or you can say "Will you marry me?"

3. Cook and set an elaborate candlelight table (or cater if you are not talented in the kitchen) for a quiet romantic dinner for two at home. Serve her a glass of champagne with the diamond ring in the bottom or ribboned to the stem.

4. Take her/him up in a hot air balloon with a bottle of champagne and announce that'll you'll jump if she/he doesn't marry you.

5. Write her/him a story about your relationship. Almost like a diary with dates if possible. Then end it with the date you are going to give it to him/her telling how you proposed and that the story can't be ended until you have the answer.

6. Take her/him to the theatre and ask the stage manager if he will allow you to come up on stage and propose after the final curtain.

7. Gather friends and family outside his/her home waving banners with the words will you marry me on them and you standing in front of them all on one knee holding the ring. (Make sure that they get the right house).

8. Create a web page all about your life together. Photos, places that mean a lot to you both. Send him/her the web address and wait for his/her reply and when accepted you can then send the address to friends and family.

9. Scatter rose petals all over her bed and put the gift wrapped ring in the centre. Tell her that you bought her a gift to show how much you love her. When she opens it tell her that you want to spend the rest of your life with her.

10. Finally... Do it the old fashioned way. Get down on one knee with a rose clenched in your teeth and the ring in your hand and simply say "Will you Marry me?".

And of course there's some proposals you just don't want

As we move out of 2009 I would like to thank all the wonderful Brides & Grooms that I had the pleasure of photographing their weddings this year and for also the great fun we had. I wish you all a prosperous and fun-filled 2010.

For all the Brides & Grooms who have already booked me for 2010 and for those still to book me I can’t wait to photograph your wedding. It’s going to be a busy year ahead for you and one heck of a great wedding day.
For further information please visit my website below
www.JeffTurnbull.com
www.Photo-Training.co.uk

Wahey! The Snow is here - Winter Photography Ideas

London, Essex and Suffolk Photography training courses and workshops by Wedding & Lifestyle Portrait photographer Jeff Turnbull

My photography services include Weddings, Civil Ceremonies, Engagements, Bar mitzvahs, Bat mitzvahs, Lifestyle Portraits, Products, Christenings, Commercial, Corporate, Product launch, Annual reports, Offices, photography training courses and workshops, wedding venues, locations and destinations. If you have any questions then please do contact me.

Main websites http://www.jeffturnbull.com/ & www.Photo-Training.co.uk

Winter is a great time to get out and take some photographs. While there's certainly no shortage of subjects to capture, getting the shot right can be tricky. Variable light conditions, reflections off bright snow, and hazardous weather conditions combine to make winter the most challenging, yet rewarding, time of year to photograph.

With so many people enjoying our current snowy weather,  plus with many people going away skiing, either for Christmas or in the new year I thought this would be a good time to post a few tips ensure you get your amazing snow & winter shots

Shoot for Proper Exposure:
The light meter in your digital camera is a highly sophisticated piece of electronics, but it can be completely mystified by a bright field of snow. When shooting an intense scene like that, your camera tries to adjust for the mid-tone in the scene and will most likely underexpose slightly. The result is gray, murky-looking snow. This can be fixed by increasing the exposure compensation before you take the shot. How much of an increase depends on the lighting situation and the sensitivity of your camera, but a setting between +0.3 and +1.0 EV should do the trick. The slight overexposure will return the snow to its proper whiteness.


Backlighting and Silhouettes:
The fine line between a portrait and a silhouette is another exposure challenge when dealing with backlighting. The brightness of a snowy background can cause details in your foreground to be washed out, creating a silhouette effect. If you're shooting for detail in your subject, position yourself so the background has less influence on your shot. Move in closer and fill the frame with your subject. If possible, reposition yourself to frame the subject against a background of trees or a building. This will help keep the subject properly exposed and reduce the chance for unwanted silhouettes.


The Importance of Time of Day:
The time of day can have a dramatic effect on your images, especially when you're shooting in snow. The early morning and later afternoon hours will provide warm, pastel tones while the bright light of midday offers cooler and more neutral tones. If you're looking for colour in your photography, avoid the middle of the day and use the warm light of dawn and dusk to your advantage.


Throw Some Light on the Subject:
Conventional photographic wisdom states that your flash is pretty much useless outdoors. However, when shooting in snow, firing a flash can provide highlights and bring out details your camera might not have picked up on. The high reflection factor of the snow allows the flash to add texture and interest to a flat field of snow. The flash might also pick up any falling snow in the scene, adding depth.


Avoid using flash when shooting close-up or macro shots with a bright background. The reflection will greatly reduce any detail in your image and can cause distracting hotspots.


Composing your Shots:
All the same rules apply when taking shots in winter, but there are a few techniques you can concentrate on to utilize the environmental conditions


Here are some ways to compose your shots to do justice to the frosty scenes:


Look for contrasts.
The bright, uniform nature of snow gives the chance to use contrast to your advantage. Look for colourful subjects and textures to put against the monochromatic snow and gloomy winter skies. If you're shooting snow in the foreground, such as a snowman, frame the shot with a contrasting background such as a blue sky or a group of trees to pull out as much detail as possible.


Use the available light.
Light is scarce in the winter, so if you have the good fortune of dramatic lighting, seize the chance to get some interesting shots. Look for low angle light to create long, contoured shadows or use backlighting to set up a silhouette.


In the absence of light, take your tripod out and shoot some longer exposures to capture the cool tones of twilight on the snow. With the ever-changing nature of winter light, you'll have plenty of opportunities to experiment with different setups and figure out what type of illumination appeals to you.


The quiet after the storm.
One of the best times to shoot in the winter is after a weather event. From a simple frost to a full-fledged blizzard, the aftermath can allow you to produce stunning photography. Subjects that were once mundane are now incredible, such as ice-covered branches or high, sculpted snow drifts you often find at ski resorts. Plus, these shots are great to look back on as documentary pieces when you're looking through your images in the middle of July.


Strive for simplicity.
Trying to keep your pictures simple is a goal for every shot, but in the winter it takes on even more importance. Draw your viewer's eyes to your subject using string lines and colour contrasts. Create visual appeal with uncomplicated subjects that stand out from the background.


Consider a filter.
There are many filters for digital cameras that you can use to improve your winter photography. Consider using a graduated filter to reduce the contrast between the sky and the ground, or a polarizing filter to reduce reflections from the snow. A good UV filter is always recommended when shooting in sunny conditions. Keep in mind that many of these adjustments could be made in an image-editing program, but getting the shot right in the field is always desirable.


Get Out in the Cold
The rewards of shooting in winter speak will for themselves every time you view your images. Once you develop your style for shooting in colder weather, you'll find winter to be one of the most exciting times of year to make use of your digital camera

Have fun
And while you're out in the snow why not make the most of it and throw a few snowballs as well :-)

Training: For information about my various photography training courses please visit my website www.Photo-Training.co.uk or www.JeffTurnbull.com

Winter Portrait Photography - Deborah James - West Mersea, Essex

Winter & Autumn Lifestyle Portraits by Essex Photographer Jeff Turnbull.

Main website www.JeffTurnbull.com

Recently I had a great portrait session with Deborah and her two daughters. The photographs from the session were to be a surprise for her husband’s 50th birthday. The location was the beach at West Mersea, Essex and I can tell you that on the way there the winds were really strong and the rain was lashing down. I made a quick call to Deborah to see if they were happy to go ahead and she came back with “Too right, we’re really looking forward to it!” How cool is that?

When we were ready to start, the rain kindly stopped and the winds died down and in fact it was only as I took the last image of the session an hour later that the rain started again. Working with them was really great fun as they were keen to try some fun stuff and also came up with their ideas of their own.

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Winter Portraits: Winter is, surprisingly, a wonderful time of the year for an on location lifestyle portrait session. Some of the vivid colours from autumn are still with us making wonderful backdrops for your portraits but also the natural light is more forgiving and with the sun being lower in the sky this time of the year results in less harsh shadows.

Ok, so what do we do if there is rain in the air? Well, to be honest most of my clients still like to go ahead because the great thing about lifestyle photography is that it’s all about freedom. Just think what great photographs I will capture of the kids (and yourselves) jumping in the puddles etc.
So, give me a call if you would like to go out, have a blast and to create special lifestyle portraits of your own. 01376 323 915

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Here are a few images from the session with Deborah and her daughters.