Skip to main content

The Long Awaited Preview Night Has Been and Gone

This night I had been looking forward to since before I even knew I'd ever put on an exhibition seem to come and go so quickly. Before I knew it we were on our way home. Believe it or not its been something I always dreamed of, a night when people would come to see my work, work that I've become very proud of. I would like to thank everyone who came to support me. It means a lot to see so many friends and clients who've become friends take the time to visit. I really appreciate it.


I also really appreciate my photographer for the evening, Mr. Ed Brown. All the photographs you see in this blog have very kindly been provided by my friend and fellow photographer. Ed is a fantastic wedding photographer based in Hinckley but serving clients far and wide. Its wonderful to have these images, first because it meant I didn't need to be worrying about a camera or doing a job on this night and second because I got to see this exhibit through someone else's eyes. Ed photographed this event beautifully and in ways I know I wouldn't have which has taught me to look at things differently, a prime example of why we should look at other people's work, whether you are a professional or an amateur. To see more of Ed's work please follow this link to his website.


It was so nice to see the Mayor and Mayoress pop in for a visit - I created their portrait the first time Jeff was in office back in 2007 and its great that we've remained friends ever since.


The Atkins Building is a great venue for an event like this. The space and light is wonderful. And along side it is a wonderful cafe called Café Espanol run by a lovely Spanish couple who prepare amazing authentic Spanish food. Tapas is one of my favourite things and I loved that I could provide some of that on this night. I can highly recommend this place for either just a meal or as a venue for a special event.


And finally I need to thank the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council for providing the venue and an avenue for local artists to display their work. Rebecca, who I've been dealing with most has been so helpful and encouraging throughout, gaining me much exposure in the community and finding me opportunities such as a radio interview with BBC Radio Leicester. This has been an exciting and very worthwhile opportunity I won't ever forget.


My interview took place the morning after this event. Speaking on the radio is also something I've always wanted to do. When I was young being a radio announcer was something I quite fancied. I even used to do the morning announcements at my highschool. I was both excited and nervous for this experience. I was mostly nervous that when it was over I'd wish I had done it differently but to be honest it went much more smoothly than I imagined and I only mildly disliked (rather than hated) hearing myself when I got home and listened to the recording. That's quite an achievement for me.

(This image was provided by my husband - he does take photos occasionally, but usually only when I can't)

Here is a link to the show if you care to hear it for yourself. My segment begins at around 02:10. This link only lasts for another 28 days so if you are viewing this after that time don't expect it to work.

Well I guess its time to get back to reality and back to work.  Its been a great week and this exhibit is still running until the 2nd of June. If you're interested in having portraits created for yourself this is a great place to meet with me where you can see so much of my work all in one place. I'm happy to make the trip to the Gallery and meet you there. Just email me at christina@christinalauderportraits.com or call on 01455 611069.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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

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

My First London Fashion Shoot

Well I finally did it. I bit the bullet and faced my fears and headed to London with a good friend, Mr. Panikos Hajistilly to do my first location shoot. We chose our locations together and Panikos organised a model and brought so much of his gear which he kindly shared with me. And probably most importantly, he showed me how it's done. I was so surprised to see just how much wonderful light was there, just waiting to be used. I am a studio photographer and while I understand the use of studio flash very well, I am very much out of practice and out of my comfort zone with using available light. Its one thing to place lights and backdrops around my subject in the comfort of my studio. Its very different to find the right light and the right backdrop in unfamiliar territory and to place my subject in it. That may sound simple enough but honestly it is not, particularly on a day with no clouds in the sky. One of our planned locations just wasn't possible as a result of the