My Favourite Photographs from 2011

As I didn't get around to doing many blogs last year I thought I'd post some of my favourite images from the year instead. So here they are.

This image actually came about from my attempt at getting all the puppies in a row. Unfortunately they wouldn't co-operate. They just wanted to huddle up together. I took the picture more as a test of the lighting but when I viewed it on a larger screen it seemed to be in the shape of a heart. So I helped it along.

This is actually our own kitten, Tiger. Since I was a little girl I have wanted to own kittens so it was a dream come true. They have been so much fun. And the two we kept are amazing pets, so affectionate and loving. They're like our babies. I never realised cats could be such lovely pets.

This year I became very interested in colours and textures. I feel this will become part of my signature style. For me it gives the image so much more depth and really takes it away from the typical studio portrait. Unique portraits is really what I am after and this is a way I feel I can get that.

This image has a little of an Audrey Hepburn feel to it for me which is probably why I love it so much. Her eyes are so wide and her hair is so elegant.

With this one I just love the eye contact I've got with baby. Its difficult to get this which such young babies.

I've managed to get it here as well which is even more amazing considering I'm actually just holding the camera out in front of me.

I love this image. I love baby's pout, his hands, the textures and the tones of this image. I love it so much it because my new canvas sample this year.

Looking back on these images from this past year has made me even more inspired and determined to come up with unique ways of photographing my clients. This year I've even given myself the challenge of 12 shoots over the course of the year that are for me. These shoots will be ones that take me a little out of my comfort zone and force me to try the ideas I have bouncing around inside my head.

So watch this space, hopefully some beautiful portraiture will be coming this way soon.

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 ...

Winner of the Master Photographers Association's UK Family Portrait Award

This year for the first time I decided to join the MPA (Master Photographers Association). As a qualified member this entitled me to compete amongst other professionals throughout the UK. Last night the awards ceremony was held at the Hinckley Island Hotel (amazingly close to home for a change) where I received the news that my family portrait won its category. I am over the moon that it was a unanimous decision from all judges who felt it stood out against all others in the category making it the clear winner. And to have John Stoddart, a man who has photographed a great number of A list celebrities, present the award telling me this is a fantastic image was the icing on the cake. I'll admit that I have never really regarded family groups as my strong suit. They are hard work and not always the most challenging creatively. Until now that is. This project which I consider to be a joint effort along with my clients involved much planning and creativity. Together we came up...

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 ...

Fuji Announces the New X-T2 and I've Been One of the Lucky Testers!!

I have been one of the few fortunate ones to be selected by Fuji to test Fuji's newest mirrorless camera from the perspective of an SLR user. Today Fuji have announced the release of this camera, the X-T2, (X-T1 being its predecessor). It was such an honour to be selected for this task and I truly enjoyed the experience. I've been hearing such great things about Fuji's cameras over the past couple of years I've wanted to try one myself but when you own a perfectly good camera, in my case the Canon 5D MKIII, its hard to justify trying an entirely new system. As any photographer will confirm, in this industry there is always new kit we want to purchase. So getting to test one out for free was really quite awesome. Now I am not going to say that I prefer one over the other at this stage. My use of the Fuji is still relatively new. To be perfectly honest they both have very good selling points and I'd struggle to say one is better than the other. But if I were just...

My Fellowship in Child Portraiture, Baby Photographer of the Year and All Things Convention Related

Its been a very busy year for me. Hence the reason I've not been keeping this blog up to date. That's about to change though. I anticipate this coming year to be even busier but I plan on getting a lot more organised and keeping on top of things like this. For now though I'd like to tell you all about last week. I keep trying to think of some words to describe this past week and I keep coming back to 'I had the time of my life' and breaking into song in my head. Apart from when my daughter was born I haven't had a better time in my life. This week was spent at the Societies Convention where in excess of 14 thousand photographers from around the world meet to take part in print competitions, submit qualification panels and join in on various classes and events. The week began as one of the most stressful of my life. I've never felt nerves like it. I'd just spent the best part of a year planning and preparing my 20 image panel to presen...

Christina Lauder Portraits

Search This Blog