Another Client Returns for More Portraits

I love having past clients return. Its a bit like having old friends over for a visit. And its always nice to see how much the children have grown. In this case, Frankie has grown quite a lot, he was last here as a newborn just over a year ago.

And Lucia wasn't up for any photos last time so our last images of Lucia were from aged 3 months and she is now 3 so even bigger changes from her and thankfully a lot more co-operative. It was Frankie who wasn't keen on being photographed with her this time, rather than the other way around. One of these times we will get the two together.

For now though we had to settle for individual portraits which are my favourite anyway.

For this shoot I arranged to borrow a few teddy bears from Heirloom Bears as there was a particular look I was going for and these bears I knew would be perfect. In the end, as they were so delicate, it quickly became apparent that only Lucia was capable of holding them, mainly because I was worried the poor bears wouldn't come off well.

When I photograph siblings I like to create matching poses wherever possible. And I will often move the lights to the opposite side of the camera as well so that I can position the children in a way that makes their images sit well together side by side. If you look at the images above and below they belong with Lucia on the left and Frankie on the right. This way they look like they are looking towards each other rather than away from each other and when images are sitting next to each other, either on a wall or in an album, they can look odd if they are looking away from each other.

The image below is one I am particularly pleased with as I managed to capture Frankie looking so happy. He's clearly in mid clap as you can see his hands are out of focus due to their movement yet his eyes are in perfect focus looking right at the camera with a grin from ear to ear. This is just the sort of shot I'm always confident the parents will adore.

Frankie seemed to come to life when we provided him with something to climb. I used one of my vintage suitcases and that seemed to keep him happy. That and a little singing from Mum. In some of the images he's actually dancing along.

Its not uncommon for group sing a longs to break out during sessions. Anything to keep the children happy. So be prepared to entertain us all if singing is something your child loves too.

Comments

I am Still Me: A Story about a Transgender Boy

Meet Leo. Leo is 15 and currently going through an epic transformation that has momentarily turned the lives of himself and those around him upside down. A mum who once had the daughter she always longed for is now coping with the realisation that she will be living the rest of her life with a son instead. When your child is born you have certain expectations of the typical life they will lead but most of us know and accept that it won't necessarily end up the way we imagine. Not every person wants to marry, have kids or be involved with the opposite sex. Most of us have come to accept this and can adjust to whatever comes our way relatively easily. But few of us have expected to have to deal with a change in sex. Its not that we've hoped it won't happen, but just that it never occurred to us that it might. This is a new adjustment that we as a society are being presented with today, just like so many others that have come before. When I first heard that Phoebe

5 Reasons you Should Consider Getting a Professional Headshot

Headshots, or profile pictures are becoming a requirement of so many tools we regularly use or reference today. From Facebook to Linked In, Instagram to Twitter and often any website that represents a company for which you work or own will have a place to include a photograph that is meant to show your audience who you are. And how you present yourself there will tell your audience so much about you. 1. A profile picture is your first opportunity for your audience to see you. Its often the first impression you make and we all know you only have one chance at a first impression. A professional photographer has the skills to show you in the best, most suitable way to give a great first impression. (These headshots were created for recruitment firm Optima UK who asked to have their logo placed behind them. I think it makes these headshots quite eye catching and they should do their job well.) 2. Using a professional to create your headshot will convey yo

I'm a Portrait Artist and Variety is the Spice of My Life

I often admire the work of other photographers. I'm always having a browse or spotting something interesting on Facebook or Pinterest. Many of them have a very consistent style and subject, as is the case with many newborn photographers especially. This has made me wonder if perhaps I'm not developing as a portrait artist as well as I could be. We are taught early on within the realms of the photography world that we are to develop a distinct style and this of course must be clearly evident in any upper level qualifications panels we choose to submit. However, when I look at my own work over each passing year I fail to see the same consistency. I don't have a particular subject in which I specialise. I can photograph anything from newborns to teenagers, toddlers to families and even the occasional male nude. How can you put these together in an album and form a beautiful collection that I see many other photographers displaying so well.

Fine Art Portraits of a Beautiful Young Girl

So this is really becoming my thing lately. I am having so much fun working with children individually where I can direct and interact in ways that bring the best out of my subject. This has certainly become a process now of creating rather than taking photographs. And its what I have always wanted to be, a portrait artist rather than a photographer. I cannot put into words fully just how rewarding this is. For each of these shoots (as with nearly all of my shoots) we begin with a consultation where we discuss what we would like to achieve in the shoot. Here we will consider the type of clothing and any possible props. We will look at both the clients clothes and my ever growing collection so we can pick what will work best. In all circumstances we are heavily guided by what the child in the portraits wants to wear as I see this as vitally important. If he or she is uncomfortable its going to show and the portraits won't work. But most are happy to play dressups and wear a com

My Associate Panel

As I mentioned in my last blog, I achieved my Associateship in Portraiture with the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers). I just thought I would share with you the panel I submitted. Having sat through the assessment I see that there are a couple of images that I wish I hadn't chosen, more so due to not having enough variety rather than the lack of quality. but overall I am pleased with my submission. I always thought that once I achieved my Associateship I would be done with qualifications. Working towards a Fellowship just seems so unattainable. I don't think I can just sit here not striving towards a goal though. Besides, my husband has already set 5 year plan. So I guess I've not seen the end of qualifications just yet. But don't be expecting any news on this front for quite some time though. A fellowship is on an entirely new level and its going to take a lot of work.

Christina Lauder Portraits

Search This Blog