Baby Albert Returns with His Big Sister

Since the session the other week went so well Albert's Mummy decided she wanted to have a go bringing in her first dog so they could have a portrait taken together. I believe we were lulled into a false sense of security with Albert's professional ability when on his own. Things didn't go quite as smoothly as we had hoped. I always knew this could be the case but still I had high hopes. However I chose to just relax and enjoy the session rather than panic that things weren't going to plan which in the end meant I got something I could be pleased with. (To see Albert's first session click here)

I believe as long as everyone is realistic and not expecting perfection some great portraits are still there to be had. They are animals at the end of the day with no understanding of our wishes. And when one is a puppy who's not had the benefit of long term training we had to take what we were given.

The session ended for me expecting to get very little. I had glimpsed a couple of images I thought had potential but chose not to show the client on this occassion, which I had done a hundred times in Albert's first session. I didn't want to raise their expectations. I wasn't certain whether or not I got something I would love. I was pretty sure I'd have something I'd be satisfied with but mere satisfaction isn't good enough for me. So I needed to manage their expectations and not build up any hype in case I couldn't deliver. The last thing I wanted was disappointment.

So instead I left them believing we'd get something but probably nothing as perfect as Albert on his own.

Well when I loaded them onto the computer for a closer look I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps lowering expectations was as much for my benefit as it was their theirs. I'm genuinely very pleased with the results and can honestly say I have images I love, just not as many as gorgeous Albert on his own. But then again, I wasn't aiming for a wide variety of images here. It was just meant to be a quick shoot to grab a couple of the two together. Oh and one of Albert in a Santa's hat. Now that really was a tricky situation. Putting a hat on a dog is only going to work if the dog doesn't mind the hat. Otherwise they will always try to get it off pretty much instantly, which Albert did. So unfortunately we have a choice of one here. This definitely could have gone better.

While we were at it we took the opportunity to create a portrait of Albert's big sister too. I'll admit this was a little more difficult than Albert's, which was a good reminder to me that not all pet shoots are going to be as easy as Albert's. But it didn't take much to get exactly what I wanted either. This portrait below is one I keep coming back to admire again and again. I adore it.

If you would like portraits of your cherished furry family members then please get in touch. To contact us or book a session you can either ring us on 01455 611069, follow this link to our contact us page on our website, or send us a message via our Facebook page here. We look forward to hearing from you.

Comments

Connecticut Packers said…

Nice ppost thanks for sharing

26 September 2022 at 05:37

Portraits Even a Teenager Boy Loves

Finally I've had the opportunity to photograph a young man in my studio again. And funnily enough this was the second time that week which is absolutely superb. In both cases these young men were just as enthusiastic to be involved as I was, which is something I don't often get when I'm working with very young children, my usual subjects. With young children I find my energy in their cuteness. But with young adults I get energy from their excitement over how the portraits are working out. I get such a buzz from the experience and that can keep me going for hours, often editing the photos straight after the shoot for hours more. Shoots for teenagers is something I've been wanting to focus on for some time. Its not something that I often get asked for though unfortunately. It tends to be parents of very young children who want to capture moments that are slipping through their fingers at lightening speed. Maybe its teenage moodiness that means these moments don...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well again it has been a while since I last updated the blog. It was just crazy busy in the lead up to Christmas, with completing all outstanding orders and completing work on the studio. It is yet another New Year's resolution that I maintain this blog on a more regular basis. It is my goal that this year there will be no need for apologies for any lengthy absences. Since the completion of the studio I can already feel my life turning around. I feel happier, less stressed and much more organised, both personally and professionally. Our home is becoming a home again, now that all the photography gear has been moved out. And now I am able to store all my photography gear in one place it is making my life much simpler. I now know exactly where everything is and it is at my finger tips. What a difference this is making to my life. As I read the Facebook statuses of friends moaning about Mondays and getting back to work I actually find myself looking forward to going to work. Especial...

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...

Its a Dog's Life

When life gets tough I always look at dogs or my cats and think how lucky they are. I know not all are treated well but those lucky enough to be in a good home, like the ones who come into my studio, have a really great life. They look so happy and its a wonderful thing to see. I honestly love photographing dogs. They are a joy to work with and its almost impossible to produce a bad portrait of a dog which does of course make my life a little easier. I am someone who really needs to love the work I create. I can't help but love the portraits I've created of all the dogs I've photographed over the years. And this shoot was certainly no exception. I found it a real pleasure using a lighter background this time too. I do often gravitate towards darker looks but seeing as this dog had a light coloured coat I thought I'd produce lighter images. This gave me the chance to use a canvas I painted a couple of years ago but never really used and I absolutely love it...

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...

Christina Lauder Portraits

Search This Blog