More Newborn Portraits of a Lovely Baby Girl

I am really loving everything about creating newborn portraits. For a start, I usually get a good cuddle at some point during the portrait session and/or the viewing. It has been wonderful holding such tiny babies again (my baby is nearly 10 years old now).

I also enjoy the challenge of getting the pose above, baby propped on elbows. I think it is such a cute pose that seems impossible to achieve. But with a little patience I've been able to get the pose every time I've tried (of course I've probably just jinxed myself now). I can't stress enough though, that this pose is really only achievable in about the first 2 weeks. The little girl in these images is only 8 days old. The older they get the lighter they sleep which makes it difficult to keep them asleep while we pose them and more difficult to move them when we want to try different setups.

Probably the most enjoyable aspect of my work lately is when I am able to create something that I feel looks like a proper artistic portrait, and not something that is just a photograph of a moment. Piecing together various elements that complete a vision I have in my head is what makes what I do so rewarding. It makes me feel like the artist I've always wanted to be (but without having to draw or paint myself).

But of course a session wouldn't be complete without also capturing the typical details and closeups that will provide the wonderful memories from the early days of babies life. Hopefully though, I capture and present them in a less than typical way.

These details and closeups make for wonderful additions to a fine art album which we now offer, new just this month (photos coming soon - the sample album only arrived today!!!). The also work well in a framed collection of several smaller images.

I was also thrilled be able to use my new pink blanket (images above) along with a new tutu and headband. Virtually all the items in my portraits are mine and my clients are free to choose anything they wish to use in their portraits. However I also encourage my clients to bring along anything that matters to them so we can try and include it in the photos as well. I like to capture special gifts, particularly hand knitted blankets or cuddly toys that may become that most important item in a small child's life. It's always nice to look back on a teddy bear in years to come and be able to see what it once looked like before all the years of dragging it around everywhere.

If you'd like more information on our newborn sessions please get in touch. You are welcome to come in for a no obligation consultation to discuss how these sessions work and see all of our sample products. Its best to do this early so we can ensure we have space available when baby finally arrives.

Comments

London in Spring, Whats Not to Love?

Well I know there is still a lot not to love but I'm choosing to see the great things about London at the moment. I am having a ball this year visiting London as often as I can. Which is unusual for me since I usually prefer the comfort of my own home, in rural old Leicestershire. Staying home and avoiding people has always been the easy option. But this year, possibly due to the wonderful weather we keep having, has me longing for venturing out. Again, just like my last trip, I headed out with my good friend Panikos Hajistilly . Living in North London he finds it easy to meet up for our shoots. This time though I had more of an idea of the sights I wanted to use as the backdrops for my portraits. With it being spring I was in search of colour, preferably flowers. Admittedly. I didn't quite get what I was looking for. The white fronted terraced houses with pink magnolia trees we did not find unfortunately. But I did make it to Peggy Porchen's which was a must see on m...

Family Photos with Flair - Vanity Fair Style Family Portraits

This style of portrait continues to be the eye catching success I had always hoped it would be. Once again I created a beautiful family portrait that I am really proud of and I know this family loves too. Over the years I have developed this style through influences such as Vanity Fair and the many photographers I follow, though I hope that there is something in here that is entirely my own. Having my work easily identified as my own was a goal of mine from the start. Getting to the point where people will want not just a portrait but a Christina Lauder portrait is where I've always wanted to be and I'm hoping I'm on way. These portraits were created for the family of two professional photographers who wanted some portraits of their own. Family portraits isn't really something one can do of oneself, at least not easily. So they needed the services of another and I was honoured to be chosen for the job. They chose me not just for my style but also for my ab...

Teen Portraits - Prom Season is Just Around the Corner

If your child is heading to prom in the next couple of months I'd say there is probably no better time than now to have portraits created of your growing teen. With the purchase of a new (and probably expensive) outfit wouldn't it be nice to capture this milestone with a portrait created by a professional. Across the pond this is a hugely popular time to create portraits, and although I am not American (I'm Canadian) I wholeheartedly agree that this is a special moment to record. My prom was a key memory in my teen years and in fact I myself had professional portraits created also. I think I'll go dig them up if I can, though admittedly I think my mother has them back in Canada. I wonder if I can get her to scan one for me. My daughter is currently making plans for college and in the running is one that will move her away from home, as many others are probably experiencing for themselves, particularly those who are 18. This makes it all the more important to ...

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...

Never Work With Children or Animals

Or so the saying goes. But I have to say that working with dogs has been so lovely. They have been almost entirely a dream to work with. I say almost entirely because we have had a few moments where a dog has needed to settle. And one moment where the dog had settled but one of my cats decided to have a look through the glass door which, as you can imagine, rather quickly unsettled the dog. Still, that didn't stop us from creating incredible work. In fact it was during that shoot with the cat instance when I created two of my favourite pieces, shown below. (It was while sitting on the couch here when he noticed the cat peering through the curtain) I don't know if I've just been lucky or all dogs are just easy to work with. I photographed a french bull dog puppy and I thought that would be tough as he hadn't had time to be properly trained yet. But he did everything we wanted in no time at all. And this included the props we used here (below), which to me...

Christina Lauder Portraits

Search This Blog