Happy Valentines Day - Special Offers

It seems like no time at all since we celebrated Christmas and the New Year and already here we are at Valentines Day!


But romance is certainly in the air and it's a great time to get engaged and with Spring is just around the corner celebrate new beginnings.

Hopefully winter will soon come to an end and Spring sees thing start to warm up for the busy wedding season in Nortern Ireland.  I just love to get out there and photograph couples who have either just got engaged, or even those who simply want to celebrate being together in a more original way than buying a bunch of roses...

A pre-wedding or engagement shoot, it's a great way to get to know me and also get to see how it feels to have photography session - a kind of taster before the big day.

If it's a portrait session, it can be an excuse to get close and a bit of fun and flirting in the great outdoors can feel like a bit of a spring clean!

If you book your wedding photography between now and the end of March I am including a free 'lifestyle'
shoot . If booking a couples portrait session I am offering a standard 'lifestyle' portrait session for £100 in a place of your choosing, including prints and a movie slideshow from the day.

If you want to have some fun, have a great day out, and do something a little different, then give me a shout

Wedding Photography in Northern Ireland
e-mail: colin@colinturtle.co.uk
www.colinturtle.co.uk

Northern Ireland Wedding Venues

OK folks so we are blessed in Northern Ireland in that there are literally hundreds of potential venues for your reception and ceremony. So I thought I might do a small series of articles on some of them.

These articles are just some basic notes and should not be considered to be any recommendation or otherwise of any particular venue they are simply some information that you might  find useful in your quest for your ideal wedding.

So where to start: Well I might as well start close to home and cover the hotels around Ballymena, I will then expend to others in County Antrim and beyond. This is an ongoing project that will run for a few months .

Article on the first in the list to follow shortly


Northern Ireland Wedding Photographer
http://www.colinturtle.co.uk/

SWPP Convention -- Shattered

I have just got home on Monday evening after 5 exhausting days in London at the biggest photography convention in Europe.
This year I was honoured to be asked to take part as one of the guest speakers and to give two masterclasses. So I flew over for a total of 5 days .

While there I met with some of the icons of world photography and got to attend several lectures and mastercalsses given by others. I had a fantastic time though have to admit that I am now feeling totally exhausted. Though totally inspired and really looking forward to forthcoming weddings



Colin Turtle Northern Ireland Photographer
http://www.colinturtle.co.uk/

Masterclass at 2011 Convention in London

I am pleased to announce that I will be taking part in the The Societies’ (SWPP) Convention 2011 which runs for a week in January 10, 2011 in London . I have been invited to hold masterclasses at the convention to discuss aspects of Wedding Photography in Northern Ireland and some of my experiences.

The Convention consists of a trade show, but also a feast of education, workshops and masterclasses.
It’s the biggest photographic convention in Europe so I am absolutely thrilled to be asked to take part.

The Societies’ CEO has described the agenda as ‘truly world-class’, the quality of our speakers is unsurpassed anywhere .

I have to admit to feeling more than a little intimidated to be taking part especially when you look at some of the world renouned speakers. I am also very concious that (to some extent) I will be 'representing' Northern Ireland.


Colin Turtle Northern Ireland Photographer
http://www.colinturtle.co.uk/

Emma And Stephen Lissanoure Castle Wedding

I had a wonderful time a few weeks back doing a pre-wedding shoot for Emma and Stephen.
It was a lot of fun and we got to know each other a bit better before their 'big day' which was last weekend.

I really enjoyed this brief shoot and it only filled me with anticipation about what was to come on the actual wedding day.

The venue for the wedding was St Saviours Parish Church in Conor and then this was followed by a reception at Lissanoure Castle. Thankfully the weather held up on the day and we managed to get some lovely shots. Emma and Stephen have received their broof book of images and are now deciding on the ones they would liek to include in their album.

.

The following is a little sample of what is to come:-

Colin Turtle Northern Ireland Wedding Photographer

http://www.colinturtle.co.uk/

Tips for your Wedding Photography

Don't take chances.

You only get one chance at wedding photography so make so make sure you get a qualified photographer who is a member of a professional organisation. Uncle Bob might indeed have a good camera and be a decent photographer but there is a lot more to wedding photography than simply taking the pictures. Also your professional will have experience of several situarions and have equipment to deal with the weather etc. Also he must be fully qualified and insured.

Make sure you see complete albums of weddings and not just the best shot from lots of weddings or
portfolio training days.

Look at how everything is arranged and organised in the photographs. You will be spending a significant amount of money on your wedding and dress and you want everything to look great. Check the pictures for bits and pieced of debris that have not been noticed by the photographer. You want a photographer who notices all these things and address them quickly and properly.

Look at the how group shots are arranged. Inexperienced photographers will often fail to organize groups properly resulting in awkward and unsightly arrangements, or worse some people being hidden.

Consult with your photographer about time. It is better to allow too much time and have some free to spend with your guests rather than having a to rush and perhaps have to miss some of the photographs you wanted. As a general rule you need to leave roughly 3-4 hours from the start of the ceremony to the start of the meal plus driving time. This might seem like a lot but if you take out roughtly 60-80mins for the ceremony and allow for a couple of locations etc it is better to have a little extra time and have a relaxed approach rather than continually watching the clock to ensure you are on time for your meal. It also allows a bit of contingency for trafffic or possible breakdowns etc.

Have a alternative plan for your pictures in the event of bad weather or other problems.
Does your venue provide a room where pictures could be taken etc.

Think of the time of year. Remember in some months of the year it can be dark in early afternoon so the lovely gargens that you saw in August with the great blooms might not be possible if your wedding ceremony is at 1:30. I normally suggest that winter weddingd shoudl be as early as possible to allow for the limited time for outdoor shots.

Ideally the hairdresser and makeup artist to get the bride ready first before anyone else.
There are a number of good reasons for this.
1: You will be ready in plenty of time and can relax.
2: Your photographer will have time for bridal portraiture shots with you while the others are getting sorted.
3: It avoids the scenario where your photographer has to leave for the church without photographs of you ready
4: The photographer can 'stage' a few shots of you 'leaving home' etc

Ask your photographer if he can supply you with details of other weddings he has done that you could contact for feedback, though this shoudl not be a major factor.
(This might not be possible because not everyone will agree to having their details passed on. In addition no-one is going to give details of a reference unless they are fairly sure it will be a good one!, but it is still worth asking)



Wedding Photographer in Northern Ireland

www.colinturtle.co.uk

Orla and Paul at Garron Tower Engagement

A wee while ago I had a mornings fun with Orla and Paul for a pre-wedding/engagement shoot. I had actually the pleasure of knowing Orla and Paul after covering Orlas sisters wedding in 2009 and must have done something right as they have booked me for their own wedding next year.

Anyway we headed off early one morning during the Easter holiday break to Garron Tower school near Carnlough a bit of fun. The following are a few of the shots that were taken
















Colin Turtle Northern Ireland Photographer
http://www.colinturtle.co.uk/

Engagement and Pre-Wedding Photographs

A pre wedding or engagement shoot is a great way to get to know your photographer better. It is a chance to have a bit of fun and try out a few things so it builds a rapport and really helps you to relax in front of the camera, and have fun!
It also allows your photographer to get a feeling for the type of shots you enjoy and it also allows us to experiment a little and find out exactly what works best for you
Lifestyle shoots are very casual & relaxed and fun. It is a great chance to get out in the fresh air go for a walk and get great pictures!

Normally these would be scheduled as a weekday or evening session.

The location of the shoot is entirely up to you. It could be a garden or park. It might be somewhere that holds special significance to you. There are also a multitude of beautiful locations in Northern Ireland. It might be somewhere you go simply to walk the dog or ride your horse (if you have one) . On that front pets are also welcome (though I draw the line at lions and tigers).
Belfast Castle, Carrickfergus Castle, Dunluce Castle, Glenarm ,Various Beaches, Glenariff, Crawfordsburn, Roe Valley, Mussenden, Bishops Gate, Botanic Gardens, the list is endless.

In terms of what to wear my advice is always to wear what ever you feel most comfortable in and something practical. Casual outdoor clothing. Jeans are great, and sensible shoes. Stiletto heels and forest paths are not a good mix.
Dress according to the time of year and the weather we dont want anyone getting frostbite, it should be fun and enjoyable and it wont be if you are freezing.

Rain is not a problem as we can usually find some shelter and can always use an umbrella. Admittedly if there is a force 10 gale and it is blowing a blizzard we might have to reconsider our options. Dont work we wont do anything unsafe, unless YOU fancy your shots abseiling down a cliff!

Sometimes we also use a picture from your pre-wedding shoot and get a 'signing board' made. This can be taken to your wedding and all the guests sign the mounting board and the result can then be framed thus you have a totally unique picture for the wall with all your guests names etc.


You are under no obligation purchase any photographs from a pre wedding shoot -
unless you are so delighted you just cannot help yourself!

The pre wedding photoshoot is the perfect ice-breaker - and a great deal of fun!


Colin Turtle
Northern Ireland Wedding Photographer
http://www.colinturtle.co.uk/

Fun -Lifestyle Kids

Kids generally get a bit intimidated and dont enjoy a formal portrait session so I love to simply let them go out and enjoy themselves having fun and then they really do not even notice the camera. Here are a few shot taken 'at play' in the Roe Vally Country Park.








































Photographer in Northern Ireland
Colin Turtle
http://www.colinturtle.co.uk/

Avoid the Stress

Your wedding day is one of the most important days in your life and you will possibly have spent months and even years making the plans.
With all the planning etc that goes on it is very easy for what should be an enjoyable fun occasion to become very stressful.

However a little bit of planning and common sense can help ensure everything runs smoothly and as stress free as possible.
Bottom line is dont worry, the hotel,wedding photographer , florist, drivers etc are paid to do that for you.!!

Budget:
It is important to have a rough idea of your budget in mind and work out what you expect to spend in each area.Often this will change significantly but it is a good starting point. There is no point is looking at wonderful exotic flower arrangements for the entire bridal party if it would blow 90% of your entire budget.

Planning your guest list
At the initial planning stage try and work out a rough list of guests. This gives you an idea of approximate numbers attending the ceremony and the reception , this may be a deciding factor on where you have your reception.
Visit your venues and meet with the hotel to discuss your menu options and approximate numbers also agree the costs for each menu to ensure you are remaining within the budget.

Decide on your bridal party bridesmaids, best man, groomsmen, ushers, flower girls etc..
This can often be an area of some contention as you dont want to leave some out for fear of offending etc. However you must know who will be on your bridal party before you can start considering the outfits.

The Girls
Dresses can be bought for very little or as much as you’re willing to pay , there are also plenty of places to hire on a limited budget.
Consider the style of the dress as it is important that it suits the bride in particular, however you should also what will look good on your bridesmaids etc.
Not all styles and colours will suit everyone. In all cases the bridesmaid’s dresses complement the brides dress but the brides dress is the most important.

Make-up
I would suggest that you get a professional make up artist for the day , no matter how confident you are it is one less thing to worry about .
A professional will be much more aware of what works and does not for wedding photographs and various skin tones .
It is important that the makeup does not look shiny or this will show up in the photographs. Arrange for someone to carry a small portion of makeup to
allow you to touch it up throughout the day

Hair
Your hairdresser or stylist will be able to make recommendation on a suitable style for you hair for the wedding this wmay also be impacted by the dress you have chosen.
It is worth having a couple of 'trial runs' to ensure you are comfortable with any style.

The Boys
Clothing the men is not really that difficult. Normall the men hire the suits in a sytle agreed with the bride and groom. Sot it is just a case of ensuring htat the correct sizes etc are
got and that the colours are appropriate. If you have decided on special outfits e.g. Highland wear ask the outfitters to demonstrate how it shoudl be worn etc
unless you are confident in this area yourself.

Insurance
I am often asked about my own professional insurance and can confirm that I am fully insured. However it is also worth you considering taking out wedding insurance, it is relatively inexpensive and will protect you in the case of any disasters, which may affect your wedding plans. Many people find it reassuring to have this insurance and there are many different providers who can arrange cover for you.


Colin Turtle
Northern Ireland Photographer
Colin Turtle Photography