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Here are some photos of frost which I took early in the morning to capture some winter images.   I was using a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus and for the grass images I was shooting into the sun to make the frost sparkle.

If you try this is you might find that frost like snow can fool your camera’s meter into thinking the scene is lighter than it is so your pictures may come out dark.  Using exposure compensation of one and a half stops usually works but the easy way is to just keep checking your histogram.

If you would rather use one of myimages than capture your own please contact me and I will send you a copy without the copyright logo. All I ask is that, where possible, you include a link back to this site please.

Was this helpful? Is there anything else you would like to know? Post a link in the comments box and I will get back to you with more details. Or feel free to leave your own tips on this subject as well.

Special Offer

Two poses, two airbrushed images to view from and your choice of one as a 9×6″ print  – £75.00

Three poses, three airbrushed images to view from and your choice of two as 9″ x 6″ prints  – £99.00

You will need to arrive with your hair and make-up done but I can offer advice.

Call me on 07931 238280 to book a studio session which will last around 45 minutes.

31st January 2011 Couldn't resist these cherries. My favourite fruit.

30th Janary 2011 Rushed out to capture the sunset on Pinkneys Green, Berkshire.

29th January 2011 Practicing with a manual mirror lens.

28th January 2011 Spent the morning with Helen of www.lamapeach.com photographing next year's collection. These boots called Paige come in leather or suede and be available this Spring.

27th January 2011 We had lots of fun, games and treats to get this photo of Mabel.

26th January 2011 Making gift cards.

25th January 2011 Heard a noisy cat fight last night so was relieved to see our cat Tom in one piece this morning.

24th January 2011 I was photographing Paul Hay today who wanted a headshot for his website and social networking sites.

23rd January 2011 Got a cold!

22.01.2011 Got my daughter Nicky to stop for a photo just before she left for a party.

21st January 2011 We had friends over this evening so I opened this bottle of sparkling wine that was a gift from wedding clients who held their daughter's reception at the Vineyard in Hambleden, Oxfordshire. Thank you Peter and Becky.

20th January 2011 Another prop for the studio - a sensory ball that stretches and lights up!

19th January 2011 Met with Ute Wieczorek-King (above) and Mary Fraser today. These two ladies are a real inspiration. Among other things they are co-hosting an International Women's Day convention on Monday 7 March 2011, 18:00-20:00 at HSBC, Green Park, Reading

18th January 2011 A little snack for my friends Fiona and Julie who are coming for coffee today.

17th January 2011 We thought children coming to the studio would prefer Edward to wear something casual.

16th January 2011 We bought Bella as a partner for Edward bear in the studio.

15th January 2011 My daughter has donated Edward as a prop for my studio portraits.

14th January 2011 This lovely lady Clare Popplewell specialises in the Alexander Technique. She asked me to take a photo for her website www.clarefinzi.com

13th January 2011 Working on more wedding photos today. The bride and groom are my friends Helen and Charlie and the wedding was held before Christmas at Hall Place, Burchetts Green, Berkshire.

12th January 2011 Working on wedding photos today. Here is my favourite of the Groom and Best Man taken on New Year's Eve at the Sanctum on the Green, Cookham, Berkshire.

11th January 2011 Mint always reminds me of Summer and Pimms.

10th January 2011 Greek Basil which smells wonderful

9th January 2011 Bought some chives to inspire me to cook.

8th January 2011: I am following a blog where my friend's daughter Sarah tries one of his recipes per week. Waiting to see if she really can keep within 30 minutes! www.sierralimanovember.wordpress.com

5th January 2011 My daughter bought me a Lovelinks bead today. Thank you Nicky. X

4th January 2011 Home-made cappuccino – yummy!

3rd January 2011 I love coffee so the family bought me a coffee maker for Christmas. The pods arrived today. They should keep me going for a while!

2nd January 2011 Some people would say I am living my creative dream but it doesn’t hurt to check every now and again. This book was recommended by my lovely friend Pat Naylor - www.madebypin.wordpress.com

1st January 2011 New year’s resolutions starting tomorrow due to a little bit of a headache thanks to yesterday’s wedding and then curry party hosted by our friends Jo and Alex!

]]> http://www.alisoncrownphotography.co.uk/blog/2011/01/31/a-year-in-pictures-january/feed/ 2 http://www.alisoncrownphotography.co.uk/blog/2010/07/20/business-portraits-for-social-media/ http://www.alisoncrownphotography.co.uk/blog/2010/07/20/business-portraits-for-social-media/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:56:21 +0000 Alison Crown http://www.alisoncrownphotography.co.uk/blog/?p=807 Gone are the days when the camera-shy could hide behind their desks.  With the rise of social media and online networking means that practically all of us need to show our faces on the internet.  Many people take their own photos and it’s not that difficult to spot – surprised expressions and raised shoulders can lead to an altogether uncomfortable-looking result.

I recently took a business portrait for Rachel Fletcher, a financial coach who is launching her own business.  This week, I sent Catherine Osborn to interview her and find out how it went!

CO:  What were you looking for in your business photo?

RF:   I wanted a really great shot that would look professional whilst letting my character shine through.  It needed to be personal.

CO:  Why did you decide to go to a professional?

RF:   Originally, my husband offered to take the picture and I thought about it seriously.  He has a good camera and takes great family shots.  I wanted something more businesslike though and I decided that it was worth making that investment as much of my online presence and branding will be built around this photo.

CO:  Did you have any concerns or worries and did Alison put you at ease?

RF:   Absolutely!  I HATE having my photo taken, I’m totally unphotogenic.  Alison quickly inspires confidence though and I just decided to relax and let her lead me through the whole process. She’d obviously thought through the process in advance – location, lighting etc. – and I was able to relax knowing that she could picture the final result in her head long before the picture was taken.

CO:  Your hair and make-up looked great, who did it for you?

RF:   Thanks!  I did!   I kept it simple – I don’t usually wear a lot of make-up but I went for foundation, mascara and a little lip-stick just to even out the skin tones.  Alison advises people on her website to stick to their usual make-up routine, just to make it heavier and that’s sound advice.

For my hair, I just used lots of hairspray and that was it.

CO:  What do you think of the photo?

RF:   It’s absolutely fantastic and it’s already brought me tangible results.  As soon as I put it on my LinkedIn profile, old contacts started to get in touch to say how much they liked it and I have regenerated some valuable business relationships as a result.

I don’t mind saying that Alison managed to shed a few pounds for me in the process!  She achieved that by using careful positioning and lighting, rather than massive amounts of digital manipulation.  In fact, the only adjustments she made were minor, to remove the odd blemish.  She also used some really clever mind techniques so that when she was taking the photo, I was thinking about something I felt totally passionate about, and that comes through in the final picture.

When my husband saw the portrait, he just said, “Wow!” and I think that says it all.

CO:  Do you have any advice for people needing a business portrait?

RF:   Firstly, do go to a professional, it’s surprisingly affordable and yet, such a key component for your online brand.

When choosing your clothes, make sure they coordinate with the rest of your branding in terms of colour, style etc.

And finally, ask your photographer for a digital print that you can use however you wish – the last thing you need to be worrying about is copyright.  It will cost a little bit more than a single print but you can use it again and again.

Rachel Fletcher is the founder of Rachel Fletcher Associates Ltd, Executive Coaching for Finance Managers.

As a Finance Director working in a Global FMCG working with Sales, Marketing and Operations teams, Rachel has specialised in bringing Finance expertise to the heart of business. She is passionate about helping Finance professionals transform into Business Leaders. Rachel Fletcher can be contacted via LinkedIn.

Catherine Osborn is a freelance writer who helps to take the pain out of creating well-written, compelling copy.  Find out more at catherineosborn.wordpress.com.

1. By moving out of the studio and into the garden, we benefit from the injection of colour from the beautiful spring flowers, but the wide open spaces give the children (and, therefore, me!) more scope to run around and it can be quite exhausting to pin them down. Toys offered a welcome distraction and we had most success with toys and objects that were new to them, such as the croquet hoops.

2. Daniel has just come out of a stage of not wanting to be photographed and, thanks to years of coaxing by his mum, now wants to say, “Cheese!” at every opportunity. The key here was to give him time to relax and start playing, and try to catch him unawares.

3. Elena, on the other hand, is the most serious-looking two-year-old I’ve ever met! Although we did get her to smile in the end, Mum was more than happy with the serious shots. Catherine told me, “These photos sum her up perfectly and when I look at them I see echoes of me at the same age and also my late mother and grandmother.”

Whether they’re overly serious or too obliging with the cheesy grins, it’s a real pleasure to photograph kids with character and we’re already planning the next shoot!

I have been photographing boots and shoes for www.lamapeach.com for the Autumn/Winter 2010 display book.   The boots and shoes are sold in top London stores and range in price from £200 – £350.  However, if you really want to get your hands on this vintage footwear, visit the website direct or talk to my lovely friend Geraldine Pipping at Scarlett Monroe in Marlow, Buckinghamshire – www.scarlettmonroe.com.

He was such a good boy.  All that water and not a tear!

Congratulations to his parents Becky and Gavin for a lovely day.