New Wedding Album Collection

I love to shoot weddings in a fairly modern contemporary style simply letting the day flow and capturing the emotion and events as they happen. Obviously I will also take some time for the more traditional classic shots and groups that make up your day. Then for a short time its lovely to take the bride and groom alone for some more intimate, fun and romantic images.

If possible I like to also allow the couple time to just relax and chat with their guests and it is during this time that I will capture many of the subtle details of the wedding. Often couples will comment about all these little things that they never realised were being photographed but which all go togther to make the day individual and unique.

This style of photography means that you will receive large range of shots from a simple details shot of the flowers right through to some very contemporary images , so it follows that the albums should also be able to accommodate a range images .

With this in mind I am absolutely delighted to announce our new range of albums for 2012 and beyond.

Story books offer a modern contemporary album . These are available in sizes ranging from A4 to A3 size
and can have almost as many pages as you can think of. The covers available include Metal , Acrylic, Leather, Cameo and Photographic Wrap.These albums are professionally printed and hand-bound by skilled bookbinders to deliver the best finish available on the professional market. The albums open flat with full double-page edge-to-edge panoramic printing.

Each album is designed especially for you by Colin ensuring that you get a totally individual record of the day.
Smaller duplicate copies are also available in A4 & A5, or A6 sizes.

A Matted album offers what appears to be a more traditional approach but beautiful albums can be as traditional or modern as you choose. Our new range of albums are what we class as 'hybrid' albums. Each album is individually handcrafted for quality and excellence so that your images are presented in a stunning manner and preserved for a lifetime.

Each album page is designed exclusively for you by Colin with page mats and can also incorporate full page panoramic and gatefold pages etc. No-one offers more variety in cover materals, cover enhancements and colours than you can choose from 10 different types of materials (traditional, contemporary and exotic) and over 50 different variations in colour.

Not only that but every cover can be enhanced and personalised in a variety of ways.So you can be assured that your album will be totally unique.

I work with a relaxed, friendly & fun approach which puts everyone at ease, and this shows in your finished photographs. Many couples actually comment that the photographs have actually been great fun and enjoyable.



For further information please contact Colin on 028 25 862312 or 07734794799 or via the website




Wedding Photographer Northern Ireland
www.colinturtle.co.uk

Northern Ireland Wedding Journal Show and New Studio

Well the year is moving on quickly and amidst the hectic summer of weddings my thoughts are also on forthcoming wedding fayres and we are very busy with developments around the new studio.





By far the biggest bridal show of the year in Northern Ireland is the Wedding Journal Show which will take place in the Kings Hall Belfast from 30th September to 2nd October. This year I will be exhibiting upstairs where you can get a great view of the fashion catwalk and avoid the hectic crush.

If you are planning to visit the show please pop up and say hello and see what we have on offer.

The show will also mark a great significant event for Colin Turtle Photography in that we will be launching  our new range of albums. These are beautiful hand made custom designed albums which will ensure that every couple gets something truely unique

I might even have a few sweets !!!

The bookings for 2012 and 2013 are already coming in so dont wait too long to book your date .

Please have a look at the Northern Ireland Wedding Photographer Galleries for a brief taster my work

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

Orla and Paul's wedding at The Ross Park Hotel

Recently I had the honour of being photographer at Orla and Paul's wedding. Their wedding was held in St Patricks Church in Crebilly (just outside Ballymena) and was followed by a reception in the lovely Ross Park Hotel.

The weather in the week running up to the wedding was fairly typical of Northern Ireland to the extent that we were all prepared for the worst and had altenative venues arranged just in case. The day for me began with heading into Ballymena to Orla's home and as I drove through the rain I was less than hopeful. However the sky cleared and in fact it was a lovely day with conditions about as good as anyone coudl ask for.

St Patrick Church gives some lovely views over Ballymena and the Ross Park is a great venue for a wedding. The fact that the only have one wedding per day means that you have the entire place at your displsal and the staff are really friendly and helpful.

Not to mention the other benefit that it is only about 20mins away from home so I dont have a long journey when the day is finished. This wedding was also lovely because I was also the photographer at Orla's sisters wedding so soem of the guests were familair and its always nice when a family ask you back . It at least gives me hope that I did a reasonable job for them on the first occasion.

Anyway the following is a brief selection of a few of my initial favourites from the day

Wedding Photographer Northern Ireland
www.colinturtle.co.uk

Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

After some recent articles in the press and television about some people who have been dissappointed with their photographers I thought It might be an idea to write an articlegiving some advice on my tips for choosing a wedding photographer in Northern Ireland
OK so you have got engaged and have decided on your location, you need to find a wedding photographer. Most importantly you need to find a photographer that suits you. Your wedding day is a unique event and one of the most important days in your life. Your wedding photographer is out there somewhere and there are lots to choose from. Some are part-time, others full-time; some come with professional accreditation others do not There is also a huge variation in fees and charges. How do you decide?

Here are some general ideas to help you choose :-
Choosing a date is just the start of what will likely be one of the busiest periods of your life. Your wedding can take so much work and planning and then it's over in a flash, the day can whiz by so quickly that it is easy to miss many things. That's why choosing a photographer is a crucial part of your plans as it is their job to capture the essence and spirit of the day in an enduring set of images that will last forever. No matter who you choose it is vital to feel relaxed and at ease with your choice

A good photographer will make you look like a star, but still capture the real you.

1. What should I look for in my photographer
Most importantly, when choosing a photographer you should choose someone you feel comfortable with and who produces photographs in a style you like as they are going to photograph one of the most important days of your life.

A photographer who is a member of a professional photographic will be able to produce work to a high standard in any situation. Always ask to view a complete wedding album from a recent wedding, and not just look at the photographers best photos.

Meet with your photographer prior to the day, and ensure they knows the type of pictures you want

2. Photographic Style
Over the last few years, there has been a great change in the range of photographic styles available from the classic traditional posed shots of groups of family & friends, signing the register and the cutting of the cake, etc to totally journalistic shots. In reality what most couples want is a mix but where even the ‘posed’ shots are relaxed and enjoyable.

Black & white images which are well composed and taken have a great timeless quality. Good photography should be about capturing emotion, expression, and of course story telling.

I will continue with some more later
Northern Ireland Photographer
Colin Turtle is a wedding and portrait photographer based near Ballymena covering weddings across Northern Ireland.
He is an award winning photographer and lecturer at The Societies Photographic Convention in London which is the biggest photographic convention in Europe.

Wedding in Broughshane and Templepatrick

On Saturday I had the honour of being asked to cover the wedding of Laura and John in St Patricks Church in Broughshane.  This was a bit of an unusual experience for me because even though I am from the area I dont get the chance to do that many weddings locally.

Add that to the fact that I have known Laura and her family for longer than I can remember and also know quite a few of the guests I am not ashamed to say I was a little bit more nervous than usual.

But I need not have worried...it was a lovely fun day..The weather was cold and damp and there were lots of showers etc but nothing could dampen the spirits and enjoyment we all experienced.

St Patrick's in Broughshane is a lovely old church with lots of character. Following the church service we all headed to Templepatrick and the reception was held in the Templeton Hotel.

The bridal party stopped for a short time at Castle Upton which is just opposite the Templeton.
The castle has some lovely grounds and creates a good backdrop for many pictures and even though the
weather was cold and wet both Laura and John and the rest of the bridal party were undeterred.

We sheltered between the showers and then popped out when the shower subsided to grab the shots we needed.

I will post a few shots in the next day or two.




Wedding Photographer Northern Ireland
www.colinturtle.co.uk

New Studio

For the past number of months I've been investigating a project that is going to completely transform the way I work.Up until now I have had a small office in my home for my wedding photography where I do all my admin and meet clients.

Well after many months of planning and various steps with appropriate agencies I have finally got to the stage where it is in progress and I will have a decent studio space.This has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember .
I have a decent sized space about 450sq ft with good high ceilings ,lots of work will be required over the next wee while  but it is a great challenge to get the building work started and then design the interior space to be both a practical and comfortable area to work in .

I really hope to be fully operational within a short time although I'd rather take a little longer and try to get things as good as possible rather than rush into decisions that might be wrong.

exciting times ahead.


Colin Turtle
Northern Ireland Photographer


Northern Ireland Photographer

The Giants Causeway - Northern Ireland

The other evening I had the pleasure of a trip to the Giants Causeway with another photographer for a little bit of landscape pjotography and chill-out time . The Causeway is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and its not difficult to see why. It is truely the jewel in the Crown for the County Antrim and indeed Northern Ireland coastline.


Whether you suscribe to the science of the Causeway being the result of volcanic activity on teh Antrim Plateau or prefer the Legend of Finn McCool building the Causeway to Scotland to fight Benandonner, and the ensuing legends.

For centuries tourists have gazed at the wonders of the Giants Causeway. The unique and uniformity of the columns which intrigue and inspire in equal measure.The Causeway demands that you allow your imagination to 'run wild' and think about the myths and legends,you simply cant help it.

This is a few if the shots I took...The light was not the best and there was not a lot of cloud to add to the skies but I am relatively pleased with the results. I also forgot some of my filters so had to improvise which was fun.

Landscape Photography Northern Ireland

2011 Bridal Shows and new products

It's that time of the year again when there are a few Bridal Fayres so I thought I'd post the details of the ones that I have on the agenda for the next couple of months.There will most likely be more later in the year.

Our diary is filling up quickly, especially for 2011…but I still have some dates available.

Ross Park Hotel
The Ross Park bridal Fair will take place on  Sunday 20th March 2011, 2pm-5pm

I am delighted that this year I have been invited take part so will have a stand in the Kells and Connor Suite.

So if you are planning to visit pop in and say hello and see what we have on offer. I might even have a few sweets !!!

New Albums
I am hoping to introduce some additional brand new albums to my range over the next few months.These have just been released for 2011 from the suppliers so are not yet available but hopefully it will not be too long. In the meantime I have to make do with some brochure shots of the new albums.However all my current albums will be available to view at the bridal fayres.

I will also be showing the brand new DVD slideshows of wedding imaages which are now available.
We are also offering some new wall art products in addition to the normal framed prints, acrylics and canvas wraps

Wedding Photography in Northern Ireland

 

Wedding Photography in Northern Ireland

Thisi is just a wee bit of self promotion by posting a link to a short video slideshow showing showing some of my work . It will hopefully give a feel for the type of wedding photography that I do but there is no substitite for actually meeting with your wedding phtoographer and personally discussing all your requirements.

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

Getting Married in 2011 or 2012

Well I just thought I'd post this wee note to tell everyone that there are still a few dates available for 2011, if you are getting married this year please get in touch for a chat.

A lot of couples have also been in contact for 2012 and quite a few dates are now booked up and there are a few really well orgainsed people who have booked for 2013 !!!

So for all you couples out there who have not yet booked your photographer please give me a call.We can arrange to meet for a chat over coffee and I can show you some fo my work , there is absolutely no obligation.


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