The past few days have certainly started to show the change in season.
Summer, the gorgeous green tones, long grass & summer coats. It is the time most clients think of having their photo shoot, but do you know what, there is something about a winter shoot that is just so magical. Not convinced? Read the following photo shoot story and let me share the magic with you.
A WINTER PHOTO SHOOT STORY
At first light, a blue haze could be seen on the ground, primarily reflecting the small amount of moonlight peeping through the clouds. In that instant, I knew the frost had come! over the following minutes, light rapidly filled the valley below my house, revealing the vast extent of the frost, almost as though the world had been sprinkled with icing sugar.
In the garden, cobwebs had become the threads for frozen pearls, decorating the hedgerows and gateways. A thin frozen mist had also descended which truly added to the magic of that winters morning.
At 7am, I set off and what a beautiful drive it was; through the Shropshire countryside, where every field was dusted in powder and each village so idyllic, with chocolate box houses lining the roadside, their chimneys puffing smoke in to the cold sky.
On my arrival, I could instantly envisage the images I would take, and I was exited to get Started.
We began in the walled garden, where relics of thistles, nettles and other shrubbery left from the warmer summer months, remained, now frosted in the most intricate detail. This was the first of many stunning backdrops, with the coarse textures from these dried artefacts contrasting with the soft textures of the beautiful coat.
Around 10 minutes in to the photo shoot, through the mist, a beam of sunlight began to shine, becoming brighter with a warm, golden hue with each passing second. Joey’s breath catching the frozen air and slowly dispersing was now brought to focus by this natural spotlight, adding yet more beauty to the already spectacular morning.
After capturing an array of images here, we followed the sunlight beyond the boundaries of the walled garden, further up the hill, to the foot of a beautiful old tree. Leafless, exposing the intricate details of the branches and surrounded by a number of other ancient giants, creating a stunning textured backdrop. Some more cloud cover had descended, by the time we had walked to this location, but a rich orange hue still pierced through, flooding the landscape with warm light.
Following this, we headed around to the front of the house, so that we could feature the beautiful architecture. Cloud had filled the sky by this point, leaving a soft, hazy light, which lessened the shadows and textures.
Although around 10am, the thick cloud that was obscuring the sun was also preventing the frost from melting, meaning we were able to head to a 4th location and have an outfit change.
The Driveway of the estate, lined with stunning metal rail fencing & Concrete pillars leading to the field and woodland gateways.
A few more beautiful locations were made possible by the continued cloud cover, before the last of the frost melted.
Driving home, the landscape no longer resembled the white, frosted winter wonderland it had been a few hours earlier.
Returning home, time to upload all of the images to my computer & while waiting, making a hot chocolate to accompany an editing session in front of the log burner.
And that is why I LOVE winter photo shoots.
For winter shoots, I always have 2 options. For those with busy schedules and who need to be able to plan a date in advance, I can arrange a specific day for your photo shoot in my diary.
For those who are flexible with availability, you can join my frost and/or snow list, which guarantees winter wonderland images.
How does it work? A £50 deposit secures your space on the list. Over the winter period I keep a very close eye on the forecast. When your name is next on the list, I will contact you around 48 hours before a frosty morning or snow is predicted. Once you confirm you’re available, we will arrange all of the finer details and have a fantastic shoot. Please note, the sooner your name is on the list, the sooner your shoot will be, so do contact me if this is something you would like to arrange, as the waitlist fills up very quickly.
If I don’t manage to get to your name before the end of the winter (some years we have very little snow) you can choose to either have a refund of your deposit, put it towards a spring/ summer shoot or take priority on my frost/snow list the following winter.
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