Part 1 – Who Are You?
So this will mark my first foray into the wonderful world of blogging.
Who are you??? What do you want??? Is your mind awhirl with questions? Hmmm, perhaps not. I mean, you’re not my prisoner or anything. You’re here because you were curious enough to click on my blog and check out this eye-catching article about photography. Eye-catching right? Dazzling, eh? Why thank you. Now that I have you caught in my spider’s web you have to read on right? Hold on hold on! Don’t go! I promise I won’t put any more words into your mouth, honestly! Now I’ve got you, mwahaha, well, not really, but sure.
Right about now you’re thinking, are you ever going to get the point? And to you I say, momentarily good sir, momentarily! No blog would be complete without some sort of introduction of sorts, or at least that’s how I see it. How about a stint of question time? I list some questions with my answers, you see what you think and maybe you’ll come back and hear me natter on another day. Let’s begin!
Who are you? What do you do?
So, my name is Laura, I am 33 years old and currently live in the Ballymena area. I am married and have three beautiful girls, aged 4, 7 and 8. I own a photography studio called Beyoutiful Moments, located on 2 Church Street, Balymena, Antrim, BT43 6DE. I am a photographer specialising in newborn children and families.
My style might be best described as personal. I am forever seeking moments of natural emotion, of the bond and tenderness that exists between families. (insert box of tissues here). Being serious though, for me, there is a beauty and excellence to what I do. My aim is to create impactful pictures with a timeless quality. I want families to look at their pictures with fresh eyes again and again, taken aback by the beauty of what they see, to have their pictures resonate with them emotionally.
Asked where I prefer to shoot, I would say that the outdoors is particularly close to my heart. I love taking pictures outside. The world is your canvas really, you can create a scene using all the natural colours available, the location can create atmosphere and mood and there is always natural light. This last can cause problems yes, but I like the challenge. If a different approach is required, if my camera settings require constant and manual adjustment, then so be it! I will prevail!
Why do you do it?
I love my…yes, that’s right, I can’t even call it a job. But honestly, for me, the work is great. When I was a small girl I spent countless hours going through my parents’ photo albums. Back then I didn’t even think that I was going to be a photographer but all of that changed with the arrival of my first born. Right at that moment I knew that I wanted to capture not only those little toes and tiny nose but every Beautiful Moment, and so the name for my studio was born, Beyoutiful Moments. My family became and continues to be to this day, my strength and source for inspiration.
Also, my clients are not really my clients, they are more like my extended family. I have goals with every picture and every shoot I take. Customer satisfaction is a large part of that, and a large part of why I enjoy my work as much as I do. I aim to produce something valuable, not just an image but memories of its creation.
The side-effect is often a bond or relationship between myself and my clients, something that can span years if not decades. I, the family photographer become just that, a member of the family. I am like the relative seen once a year, perhaps not the old gas bag they are forced to meet with, but rather the kindly aunt, always smiling.
And let’s not forget the creative process. Like I said, I consider photography an art form. There is something very satisfying and stimulating about the process. And because of the nature of my work, every day offers new and diverse challenges. I am always learning and growing, that for me, is how life should be.
View our photography gallery for more of our work.
