Another Client Returns for More Newborn Portraits

I've been very fortunate this year to have several families return to have done for their second child what we did for their first. Its nice to know they were happy enough the first time to return. Its also great fun to see how the first has grown.

Having 2 children to photograph together, although challenging, opens up a whole new variety of portrait. I'm able to use my usual props differently. Like in this one with the baby in the pram. I love that we get an image of this little girl proudly pushing her little brother. This is something that no doubt will be a memory for her parents of no only her helping with her brother on walks but also of her pushing her own dolls in her own pram.

When Mum came to pick up her portraits she looked at this one and said this is so much more than just a photograph. "It is a real portrait that I am so happy to have on my wall.".

This is what I've always aimed to create. Anyone can take photographs but its always been my desire to create real portraits that will stand the test of time, bringing art that is very personal to my clients. Not every photographer can do this. Its something I've worked very hard for over the 10 years I've been in business. I suppose secretly I've always wished I could be an artist. I've never attempted to cultivate the painter in me though. But when I found photography it all came together for me. I like the idea of creating something photographically that would have been the sort of thing that was painted in the past.

(As always I love the parent and baby portraits because I think they are going to mean so much to this little boy when he grows up.

So if you are looking for something a bit more special than your average photograph get in touch and we can create something meaningful for you too.

Contact us via our website here, check us out on Facebook or give us a call on 01455 610069.

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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 seemed somewha…

Family Portraits with Fine Art Flair

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Seeing as this family is actually made up now of two families we also did portraits in their respective groups which I chose to do in different style to their main group. I love adding a bit of style for the overall main group and what you see above is something that is proving popular with my clients. I love adding props and giving a sort of Vanity F…

4 Merits, 3 Finalists, 2 Awards and a Masters!

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(Photo Credit: Mike McNamee - Sitting on a panel)
(Photo Credit: Mike McNamee - The entire judging team including print handlers)
Being amongst the judging team just gets better and better each year. It is very intimidating sitting on that panel and being resposible for assigning a score and then often providing a critique to substantiate it however the rewarding feeling when doing it well is immense. I know I am still a relatively new judge but hope I can improve each…

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 was transi…

A Most Wonderful Portrait Session with 3 Lovely Ladies

This was a dream session for me. Not only did I have 3 beautiful young ladies, but they also brought with them a fantastic wardrobe and their very own hair stylist too (mum owns her own salon). So all the elements for beautiful portraits were there. And I was thrilled to get this opportunity.

Its easy to think of having portraits when you have a new baby or when you get married or have a special family occasion where you get the entire family portrait done. But its less often that people think of having their growing children photographed. After all I suppose, they are photographed at school. I even do some of those school photographs. However, those portraits are made in less than a minute per child and they are assembly line style portraits while they are wearing their school uniform. They are never going to be as special as what can be created with unlimited time and outfit changes in the comfort of a private studio.

Its in this environment that I can take the time to talk to the …

Christina Lauder Portraits

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