My Images Used at Focus at the NEC!

I was very lucky this year at the SWPP convention. I met a number of suppliers and a few of which have turned out to be great contacts. Two of which have chosen to use my images for their samples for display at Focus at the NEC for this years event. And I must say it was an honour as well as great fun to see my images on display in such lovely products.

The first company is Artvue Canvas who chose to use one of my images as a cushion canvas, one of their new products. The image looked stunning if I do say so myself. I've been planning to use their services for my next canvas order as I've recently been looking at changing suppliers.

The second company is an album manufacturer called nphoto. I had already planned on using this company for the portrait albums I am adding to my offering when I received a phone call asking if they could use my images in two of their sample albums. In return they are giving me some samples for my studio. I can't wait to receive them.

I have been searching for the right album to fit in with my product range for years and it is so wonderful to finally find the perfect product. These are albums that look contemporary without looking like this weeks fashion statement. They have a timeless quality without looking boring. They have a feel of quality without looking like they need to be wrapped in tissue paper, never to be looked at. And finally, they look nothing like a typical wedding album which is very important to me since I won't be displaying wedding photos in them but portraits instead.

When I first started out, just 5 years ago, I attended many events such as the SWPP convention and Focus and only dreamed of being one of the photographers who had images on display with the various suppliers. Well now finally I am one of those photographers and it feels great. So thank you so much to Artvue Canvas and nphoto for the privillege of appearing on your stand this year.

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...

Family Portraits - With the Entire Family

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Mum and Dad, their Son and Daughter and their Son and Daughter's families. It made for a portrait of 10 people altogether which of course comes with its challenges. But we got their in the end and I'm thrilled with the results. The hardest part of course is getting everyone looking their best in the same photo. It rarely works out in such a large group but I managed to get several with only a couple of Photoshopping, head swapping requirements. But my skills are up to that challenge quite well these days so I'm almost always quite confident that everyone will be happy with themselves in the final family portrait chosen. And I have to admit I love the challenge of taking a great face from one image and making it fit so no one notices in another image. As is usually the case, I also photograph the large group in smaller subsections as its a good opportunity, while everyone is d...

Playing Dress-ups and Creating Fine Art Portraits with These Lovely Young Ladies

Now this is exactly what I like to do. This was not only a fun and creative session but it was also quite relaxed and low stress as each of these girls were old enough to both be patient with me and follow instructions. This allowed me to use my skills to pose and direct as needed, rather than what can happen with very young children who either don't understand the instructions or who really just want to do their own thing. Although the very young bring their own magic to a shoot, like a cuteness factor that can't be beat, being able to take my time and direct my subjects means I can create the vision that is in my head. Probably what is most frustrating about the very young is that I can often see exactly what I want to create but without a little help from the child its not always possible. In this case all four girls worked very well and I think they all enjoyed themselves too, even the youngest performed beautifully and I couldn't be happier with all their portra...

Christmas Mini Sessions are Coming Soon...

Dates: Thursday November 19th ~ 2pm to 7pm & Saturday November 21st 10am to 4pm 30 Minute Session for just £99 which includes 4 full resolution digital files. These sessions are ideal for capturing a special holiday memory which can be used in calendars, on Christmas cards or for variety of gifts great for Christmas. Ring us on 01455611069 or email us at christina@christinalauderportraits.com to book an appointment. And as an added bonus we are going to use these sessions to scout out our next model for one of our original signature sessions which will include a complimentary fine art canvas print. We'll be looking for character and that something special that sets them apart.

Christina Lauder Portraits

Search This Blog