I don't know about you, but I'm LOVING the fact that the gardens are now in full bloom and the world is once again green and luscious! It really does gladden the heart, doesn't it?
I hope you've been making the most of the wonderful weather (ok, the occasional sunny day!) to get out and about in the great outdoors. At this time of year there are events and fayres popping up all over the place, and in Dorset we're spoilt for choice.
If you fancy a visit to the wonderful village of Shillingstone here in Dorset where I live and work, we have something very special coming up on May 20th and 21st - our annual Steam Fair! It's a great day out and it's set in a truly incredible location with stunning views - so even if vintage traction engines aren't normally your thing, it's still well worth a visit!
Talking of the outdoors, at this time of year many of our portrait clients get excited about having images taken outdoors - and I'm sure that if you're taking photographs at home, too, you're keen to make the most of any beauty spots near you. A few tips for you if you're heading out and about with your camera (or even your camera phone!)...
Tips for Great Home Portraits When Shooting Outside
- for best results when taking pictures of people outdoors, keep away from the middle of the day, for this is when sunlight is directly overhead and gives hard shadows. Aim for early evening and not only will the light be softer and more flattering, you might even get a beautiful golden sunset!
- aim for areas of open shade when photographing, and you'll keep the sun off people's faces (and stop them squinting, too!)
- finally, if photographing people with trees or hedging as a backdrop, make sure you keep a good distance between your subject and the greenery. This will give a pleasing separation between the two and help the subject be the natural focus of the image. Someone once took a photo of me right next to a hedge, and it made me look like one of the Borrowers 🙂
What we've been up to at Belinda McCarthy Photography
We've enjoyed a couple of very successful Open Days at our portrait studio here in Shillingstone - were you able to come along? If not, don't forget that we're always happy to show you around by appointment, so if you're planning to be in the area, just let me know!
