There are many reasons for having a portrait session, but a significant birthday is one of our favourites. This beautiful 16th birthday portraits session with one of our nicest clients turned out to be absolutely gorgeous both in and out of the studio.
A Busy Year
It’s been a while since writing much on our blog – that’s the thing about being busy, you kinda have to prioritise.
It’s been quite a year so far with working abroad for Crystal Cruises (not one but two trips so far), our new venture Mastering Portrait Photography (more on that in later posts), numerous weddings (Le Manoir Aux Quats’Saisons and The Crazy Bear seem to be our go-to venues this year) and, of course, the very essence of our business – portrait photography in all its guises. From head shots to families, babies to retirees, studio to location work, we’ve covered the full spectrum. One way or another, 2018 is already breaking all our records and has left little room for me to sit and type up the long list of blogs.
Still, as they say, better busy than quiet. I don’t know if I agree with them just now given I’m shattered, but I always dreamt of having a vibrant, busy photography business and here is the reality.
So here I am sitting with the studio dog, Rufus, at my feet and he smells terrible. Had a long walk up on the Chilterns which was gloriously beautiful, but the dog managed to find more mud than you’d think possibly to run through. Even a good hose-down hasn’t diminished the smell any.
16th Birthday Portraits – A Perfect Excuse
There are many reasons to have a portrait session, ranging from celebrations to commercial need. This shoot was very much of the former: it was Katie’s 16th and, as they had with her elder sister Lizzie, the family came to create some stunning birthday portraits and put together an album to celebrate this transition.
Katie and Lizzie are both photogenic, so the 16th birthday portraits session was always going to be a lot of fun. Abbie Ludlow was looking after hair and makeup (she’s a brilliant makeup artist), and we laughed our way through various location and studio setups.
One of the nice things about photographing just one person for a couple of hours is that we really get to play and finesse each image. We have the time and, in this particular instance, someone to help with making sure the hair and makeup always looked fantastic. That’s when portrait photography really shines – when you can focus on capturing genuine moments rather than rushing through a checklist.
Enjoy a few of my favourite images from the shoot.
