Christina Lauder Portraits

For the past several months I've been having one of my clients come in with her recent addition to the family.  We started at 4 weeks.  We continued at 4 months and then again at 9 months.  And we have another planned for 12 months this April. Its been an interesting project, being able to see the changes that occur in a baby's first year.  Thats been useful as well in developing various sets for the various stages that a baby goes through, useful poses for the wobbly head stage, the lying on their belly stage, sitting up and eventually standing/walking.  Although that last one is clearly going to be the most difficult.  We'll have to see how that goes in April.  This all started when Dawn made the request nearly a year ago as this was something she did with Olan Mills with her first child. Now although I have no desire to be another Olan Mills this project has got me thinking about what I could provide my clients along these lines. So we now have a

My new studio is changing my life and really been a dream come true. Its not the large, high street studio that many photographers dream about, but it is all that I've ever wanted and certainly all that I need. But I wouldn't have it without the help of two families in particular, the Lewis's and the Hall-McNair's. Both Rob and Adrian (of Quest Design & Build ) have spent many hours helping build our studio, providing labour and skill on a number of occasions and not expecting or accepting payment for it either. Its at times like these that you realise you really do have friends you can count on. Without them the studio wouldn't have been complete by our deadline.  It would have cost us considerably more as well. And my husband and I would have gone through considerably more stress. So to thank them I photographed their children in the new studio without telling them what we were up to. I had the girls choose the portrait they wanted for their parents and

I always love having existing clients return.  It feels a more like friends coming over for a visit and a lot less like work.  Even though there is always work involved in photographing young children.  But compared to the last time we photographed Lily this was easy.  She is that much older and more comfortable that I was able to give her instructions and she was happy enough to oblige.  And thankfully Riley was young enough that he couldn't run away, as I am sure thats what he would have liked to have done he was that excited.  Having found his feet recently he took great pleasure in raising them over his head on a number of occasions, often pulling the blanket over his head at the same time.    But he is a happy and easy going child so I was able to get some great photos that I am really quite proud of.  The colours in these images are so vibrant and really bring out the blue in Riley's eyes.  And I love the expressions we were able to get too.