Out and About: The Beautiful Tulip Celebrations at Hever Castle

It is the time of year when we all start looking for signs of spring - perhaps this year more than any other after such a cold winter! Of course nothing says spring more than beautiful flowers and for the second time, Hever Castle and Gardens is hosting a Tulip Celebrations event from April 18 - 27 with over 20,000 magnificent spring tulips in bloom.

For those of you who have not yet visited, Hever Castle is the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and is a stunning backdrop to the beautiful blooms making this celebration a local spectacle, and a personal highlight!

Visitors can enjoy a self-guided tulip trail, or time with Hever’s Head Gardener Neil Miller. I love the vibrant colours, and tulip varieties planted in the Castle grounds, along the stunning Pompeiian Wall, in the traditional Tudor Garden and the ‘Italian Garden’.

Documented for the first time this year is the history of the tulip and this is marked with displays and information in the Castle. I found the global footprint of the tulip especially interesting and its journey from Turkey to Holland in the Sixteenth Century.

I will be at Hever Castle to enjoy this up-lifting time of year over the next few days, of course with my camera. I hope to see some of you there!

For more information please visit Hever Castle here

Stella

Time to Book Your 2018 Bluebell Photo-Shoot...

Beautiful Bluebell Photo-Shoots

As the bluebells begin to bloom, join me for a memorable photo occasion, with your family and friends.

I am delighted to report that a magical time of year is almost upon us, as the beautiful bluebells begin to bloom in our local ancient Surrey Woodlands.

Each year I use this wonderfully rich backdrop as the scene for exclusive photo-shoots with families and friends. I offer this only when the bluebells are at their very best, and only at certain times of the day to ensure a perfect light. With the right light, it is one of my favourite natural settings.

I am now taking bookings for my bluebell photo-shoots. Please do get in touch to discuss if you are interested on 01883 722282 with further details on our website. This opportunity is only available for a very limited time.

Stella

A testimonial from a happy customer last year;

'We booked our first family bluebell photo-shoot with Stella and we were so pleased we did. Stella was so good at putting us all at ease, particularly our 16-month-old daughters. She was able to maintain their attention long enough to capture some fantastic photographs which reflect the girls’ personalities beautifully.

'The whole process was smooth from start to finish and Stella was able to help advise us on photos to combine and how best to display them. We are so pleased with the photos, they are of great quality and are a lovely memory for us all.'

My March Inspiration

In March, I take my inspiration from the new light, and the beautiful flowers that arrive to tell us Spring is here. When the clocks go forward, the extra daylight inspires me to go outside and play with the different light. For me the best time is early morning as the sun rises and late afternoon as the sun goes down to create two distinct atmospheres.

This March we have have had the extra bonus of a heavy downfall of snow which has added to the beauty around us, especially the reflective light which inspired me to travel a little further afield to London to take a few photographs of our landmarks. The snow has added an element of depth and mystery that you can't really achieve with any other light.

This link will take you to my blog 'London in the Snow' to see more.

Stella

London in the Snow

As Storm Emma broke, I braved the elements to capture our magnificent capital city, in all its frozen glory.

Throughout our changing seasons, London's spectacular landscape endures, and whenever I visit I always feel so lucky to have this beautiful city just a short train ride away. When Storm Emma hit last week, I felt compelled to leave the warmth of my studio and brave the elements to capture the city in all of its frozen glory! It was so cold that at one point I was unable to use my camera, but despite the freezing conditions I am so pleased I made the trip. I hope you enjoy a few of my favourites.

Stella

From Camera To Wall - Part Four - Viewing Session and Choosing What's Best For You

Welcome to part four in a series of six newsletters 'From Camera - Wall'

Following on from the previous newsletter Photographing on Location & Equipment Used,

we are now exploring the 'Viewing Session and Choosing What's Best For You'.

Viewing

A week or so after your location shoot you are invited into the comfort of our studio for a presentation of the photographs. An hour is set aside to go through the images to select your favourites, don't worry I have already done the first edit.

A number of images are shown on the screen so a comparison can be made and shuffled into different folders of preference. The images below give an idea of what to expect.

A selection of images to choose your favourites from...

a variety of templates to help choose which works best for you...

Choosing

Depending on how you choose to display your photographs, either for yourself or as a gift, different layouts, papers, glass, frames and acrylic finishes are suggested to suit you.

different ways to display four different photographs...

a single image can work just as well...

compare an example of colour to black and white before deciding...

The above is all done prior to skilled in-house post production, which will feature in Part Five - 'Editing and Post Production'.

and there is a variety of frames to choose from.

Please join me in two weeks time to learn a little more about the process 'From Camera to Wall'.

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now.

Stella