Images, Stories, and Notes from Behind the Lens
Posted by Christine On September 5, 2014
Baby Betsy slept soundly and looked oh so cute during her photo shoot at her grandmother’s house! After spending a pleasant late morning in the sunny guest bedroom, things got a little wilder as her brothers and cousins posed for a group shot. Congratulations David and Susanna!
Posted by Christine On September 2, 2014
Lillian is here! She was 13 days old when we photographed her–a little older than ideal for a sleepy newborn session. So we worked in a more fluid way. Less posing and more “going with the flow.” She looked around a lot, slept a tiny bit, and mostly wanted to cuddle and nurse with momma. Sweet moments, all.
Posted by Christine On August 27, 2014
Posted by Christine On July 24, 2014
It’s great to photograph a growing family, especially when you connect with a client every year or so to reconnect, share news and have some fun. Stella booked a maternity session nearly three years ago when she was pregnant with her oldest child Teddy. (And did some amazing yoga poses at nearly 9 months pregnant!) The following summer, we did a mother and son session when Teddy turned one. And now Teddy is about to become a big brother! Congrats on baby 2.0 Stella, and best wishes to Lee and Teddy too. I’m not going to spill the beans on the baby’s name just yet…
Posted by Christine On July 17, 2014
Family portraits can be a lot of fun, especially if you let the kids (and adults) wander and play. Here a train theme helped carry the day. The tracks made a great backdrop and the wooden playground trains kept Cooper and Parker happy as they explored and had fun! Thanks to Liz and Steven for sharing their lovely children on a late afternoon outing at Ross Bridge.
Posted by Christine On August 30, 2013
A sample from the headshot session in Hoover, Alabama with GSI, Inc. –both traditional headshots and personality shots; fun stuff!
Posted by Christine On August 15, 2013
Ashley + Bryant August 10, 2013
One thing to think about when shooting portraits of couples or individuals is the approach you are going to take; are you going to pose your sitters or are you going to capture them candidly? One of the great things about having a background as a photojournalist is that I’m comfortable with doing both and always shoot both candid and posed portraits at weddings.
As a photojournalist, I love capturing moments that show true spontenaety and emotion, without posing for the camera–it doesn’t get any better than this! But frequently, demands of the job include client requests, time constraints, location issues and more which require posing and directing the subject in order to pull of the shot.
Frankly, I like it both ways and encourage my photography students to experiment with both methods of capturing storytelling portraiture. Below you see the results of these two different approaches from a recent wedding I shot.
The Ashley and Bryant really wanted a photograph with the cross behind them and so we planned to photograph them in front of it accordingly. A nice shot with a little fill light in the late afternoon speaks to their faith. And yet, the spontaneous moment after they exited the sanctuary was priceless–and it was unplanned and unposed–no direction from the photographer at all–just a lot of hustle.
Take advantage of all such methods of capturing the essence of your subjects and you’ll gather a diverse portfolio that shows that you can capture many looks from the same shoot!
Posted by Christine On October 19, 2012
Four Chinese cardiologists who are training at Princeton Baptist Medical Center received custom tailored physicians coats commemorating their training at the hospital during a reception and fitting at Shaia’s in Homewood. After a bit of socializing, the physicians tried on their coats for the first time. Here are some images Christine captured from the after-hours fitting and festivities.
Posted by Christine On August 1, 2012
What can be better than a day at the farm, or the beach, or the mountains? Relaxing in the beauty of nature brings out the best in most of us and can set an ideal situation for a natural, relaxed, and beautiful photo shoot. And to top it off, the images captured represent the part of life we cherish the most: good times with friends and family. Thanks to Elizabeth Lasseter for the invite to the farm and to Ashley Dulaney for the great energy and music. The company and the blueberries were the best!
Posted by Christine On February 28, 2012
It’s always fun to get to revisit a person you’ve met and photographed before. It was my pleasure and honor to photograph Birmingham Southern College president General Charles Krulak nine months into his presidency. It had been nearly a year since I photographed him as his appointment was announced. This shoot, for The Chronicle of Higher Education story about how Birmingham Southern College is faring since Krulak began his duties, was a blend of candid shots and portraiture. General Krulak is a “people” person. He is upbeat and friendly to everyone he meets; deftly maneuvering through a crowd, yet genuine and immensely likable. He is very hands on, and has hit the ground running on campus, greeting prospective and current students with enthusiasm. He attends every school sporting event, lives in student housing and doesn’t take a salary for his work. Astounding and inspiring. Here are a few images from the couple of hours we spent together. Thanks to BSC’s Bill Wagnon and The Chronicle’s Erica Lusk for their support on this project!
