Experience London this fall with Natasha! 📸
We are continuing our November spotlight on England with a visit to the country’s picturesque capital: London!
Here is a destination that offers countless experiences, year-round. But there may not be a more perfect season for visiting than autumn, especially November. A blaze of colorful leaves, perfect sweater and coffee weather, the lighting of Christmas trees and streets, and the appearance of holiday markets! This city gives both its visitors and residents amazing autumn memories.
Let’s chat with one of our London photographers, Natasha, to hear why London is not just a spectacular city but a spectacular backdrop for an autumn or holiday photoshoot.
If you missed our first stop, with Maria in Oxford, be sure to check it out!
“In London, you can experience autumn and Christmas at once!”
For my meeting with Natasha, I decided to book a one-hour photoshoot package to see her in action and get some memories of my favorite city in the world on my first international trip in far too long!
We met in the area of Westminster and Natasha led the way. From there she took me on a whirlwind, exciting photoshoot with multiple backdrops, from the London Eye to Horse Guards Parade to St. James’s Park, with plenty of red phone booths and black cabs sprinkled in!
After the photoshoot, we grabbed a couple of coffees and settled in for an alfresco chat about photography and London while autumn leaves fell around us.
Me: Describe yourself in one word.
Natasha: Tricky! Maybe, “adventurous.”
How did you fall in love with photography?
When I was a kid I saw my father developing pictures in his darkroom. He had an old film camera and took lots of black & white pictures of me as a kid. So I was 4 or 5 and I opened the door to the darkroom and saw the red light and the pictures hanging and he was shouting, “Close the door! Close the door! You’ll destroy all the pictures!” I was so scared. But I went in and he showed me how he was doing everything with water and liquid, and it was quite fun!
Growing up I preferred to be a model rather than a photographer. But when I was 20 or 21 I bought my first camera, a Nikon, to take abroad when traveling, and I started thinking that one day I would take a photography course. I finished my degree, moved to Portugal for many years, got another degree, but still nothing with photography! Then I moved to London, working a 9 to 5 office job, and it was so boring that I decided, “It’s now or never.” I gave up the job and finally took that photography class.
I started slowly. It was difficult to start and I had a lot of doubts. I still had to work a day job for money, but two years later I gave it up and started doing photography full time. I’ve been full-time for five years now. My dad was actually one of the only people who believed I could be successful.
What’s your photography style and interests?
I like shooting weddings, because I can capture everything and work on different photography styles: portrait, reportage, a little bit of everything, catching special moments. I like street photography too, taking pictures that get the atmosphere. During the pandemic, I went out and took pictures of empty streets.
In photoshoots with clients, I like to walk around and capture as much of an area as possible. The longer a shoot goes the more I start to get warmed up!
During the pandemic, I also did a personal, self-portrait project. It was a change for me, as I’d never done a self-portrait. It was quite interesting and challenging. I was trying to do each picture in a different way.
How did you end up in London?
I officially moved here seven years ago, but I first came to London 14 years ago, during a work experience program while at the University in Russia. That’s when I met my husband. He’s Portuguese but was living here. I went back to Russia and graduated. Then my husband and I moved to Portugal. We were there for a long time, four years, and I liked the weather. But he wanted to come back to London. And I like London too because I come from a big, cultural city—St. Petersburg—so I’m used to this kind of energy. Here I can find everything I need.
What are your favorite spots to shoot in London?
I like Notting Hill. I like walking around the streets there. I also like the area of Richmond and Richmond Park. It’s wild and beautiful.
Why is right now a perfect time for a photoshoot in London?
We have two real weeks of perfect autumn that you can enjoy everywhere. At the same time, in November, the first Christmas markets appear in the city. It’s the time when in London you can experience autumn and Christmas at once!
What makes a Shoot My Travel photoshoot a great experience?
I’ve been with Shoot My Travel from the beginning. It’s the easiest way to find a photographer. Sure you can open Instagram and put in #londonphotographer and you’ll get thousands of choices. But if you don’t have time to look through them all and message each of them to find out their conditions, Shoot My Travel simplifies it all for you. You go to their website, see several photographers in the area where you’re going, and you know all the conditions upfront. It’s all there, so there are no surprises. And there’s no risk of not getting your photos for months. You know you’ll get the photos within 48 hours. You know the number of pictures you will get. It’s all clear.
How do you help your clients have a successful, relaxed photoshoot?
Before the session, I always ask where they’d like to go and what kind of session it is: family, couple, engagement, solo travel. I can recommend lots of spots, but I want to know what they want. I understand that visitors, especially if it’s their first time in London, want to see Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, even Notting Hill. They want to capture these main spots that remind them they were in London. Red phone booths and red buses.
I will also suggest clothing. You can wear whatever you want but if it's a couple or family, it’s nice for them to coordinate.
As for relaxing, maybe have a drink in the pub first? [She laughs] It can be especially hard to get the men to relax. I talk from the beginning and we have lots of conversations. I’m guiding the session, suggesting poses. But I also want it to be personal. I want to capture their unique interactions as a couple or a family, how they actually are together, in a natural way.
What would be a dream photoshoot for you?
Something not in London. [Laughs] I know every corner here! I’d like to do something just outside the city. Maybe in the Cotswolds or at Seven Sisters, which are the white cliffs on the coast. I love landscapes, not just cityscapes.
What's next for you with photography?
I’m starting to make videos! When I’m photographing a couple, I’ll also do small video clips of them, of about a minute. It’s a sort of an expanded package. People really like it. Video looks different and you can capture more emotions. I’m taking a video course and that’s the direction I’m heading.
We hope you enjoyed meeting Natasha here on our blog, and that you’ll soon be spending an hour or two with her on an amazing photoshoot in London! Check out her portfolio and book her here.
To get you even more excited about your time in London, here are ten other experiences you can look forward to as well!
10 seasonal things to do in London right now!
Go ice skating in front of the Natural History Museum. (Last year to do it!)
Drink mulled wine and get in the holiday spirit at one of the city’s many Christmas markets. Natasha recommends Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and Leadenhall Market.
Sip champagne and see the city from above on a flight around the London Eye.
Indulge in afternoon tea at The Dorchester or Savoy. Or even on a retro red double-decker bus.
Shop iconic department stores like Liberty of Londons or Harrods, decorative arcades like Burlington Arcade and Piccadilly Arcade, and cool Carnaby Street.
Stroll the many beautiful parks of London with a cup of cocoa or coffee in hand. We recommend St. James’s Park, Richmond Park, and Kensington Park.
For a rainy day, stay cozy in one of London’s world-class museums or art galleries, like the V&A, British Museum, or National Art Gallery.
Explore a winter trail of festive lights and natural beauty at Kew Gardens.
Take a Beefeater tour of the Tower of London. This time of year, even the old fortress is dressed up for the holidays.
Tour the city in all its autumn and holiday splendor from the seat of a vintage Mini Cooper. (A perfect photoshoot opp!)