Connection

cristina-stoian-lara jade - blog-lara photo by monique shaw

photo by Monique Shaw

Today I met international photographer Lara Jade at Shoot Amsterdam. I was waiting for this event, mainly to see her speak live. She’s a good friend of Sue Bryce, my new role model, so seeing her and talking to her in real life made me feel a bit closer to Sue. :) I told her I am starting Glamour Photography in Amsterdam and she said, “oh yeah, I think it’s a great market here”. She encouraged me to do it.

It was refreshing to see how she was interacting with the model, she is using a familiar special posing language, using her hands and key words, language that I learned as well through doing the CREATIVELIVE courses with Sue.

Her keynote/demo was all about ‘mastering one light’. It was sponsored by  so the stage was decorated with Giant Parabolic reflectors, the one she was using was really huge, a third of the stage. She was controlling the lights via her iPad, with the bronControl app, cool gimmick that raised some eye brows in the audience.

But one thing that stuck to me from everything else that she taught. To her, more important than all the lighting techniques in the world, is the connection with your subject. When you take your time and have have a coffee and a chat with your models before the shoot, connecting on a human level, it makes a huge difference, your portraits will be showing more the emotional side, which is one of Lara’s most compelling quality.

cristina-stoian-blog-lara jade photo by monique shaw

Photo by Monique Shaw

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cristina-stoian- lara jade- blog-lara2photo by monique shaw

Photo by Monique Shaw

 

Hi Beautiful

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How many times are you looking for that “wonderful you” picture? A picture that you like and that you think it is really who you are.

The beautiful YOU – personal glamour photo shoots, blended with hair styling and make up is my new venture. I’ll launch this early year to celebrate women and their true beauty. So yes, YOU too!

After a half decade of photographing women, I realise that we all have something in common. I’ve heard it so many times during my photoshoots: ‘oh, I never look good in my photos’, ‘oh, I don’t like how I look’, ‘I’m not photogenic’ that made me want to prove it wrong. :) I want to dedicate the year of 2015 to the beautiful women around me. They all deserve to be seen, they all deserve to shine, they all deserve to be celebrated.

Because you deserve it

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What is the last time you have taken time for yourself to really consider what you want and need.
When have you been paying attention to you in particular without being a mum, wife, sister or daughter.
We neglect ourselves in our daily routines and we don’t feel special anymore. When the kid is screaming in the house that he doesn’t want to get dressed while you are late for the meeting and also you need not to forget to put the washing on and feed the cat. Somehow, all at the same time. It’s easy to forget yourself in all this madness that is called motherhood. Who else but you has the guilt for it? Take the time to be with yourself for the sake of your sanity and also your family. Get yourself pampered and connect back with yourself. It’s the only thing which has outmost importance of keeping yourself balanced and on top of it all. Whether it’s a spa day or a refreshing day talking with your girlfriend, take time for yourself. Because you deserve it now.

 

In my photography I combine the two together and I offer you a way to get back to your real self through photography. My makeup artist and hair stylist will take care of you in the beginning of the day and then we’ll dress you up in pretty dresses that make your heart sing. I’ll photograph you afterwards in all your splendour and it will feel more like a conversation than a professional photoshoot. I will be your friend that listens and portrait you when you feel your best.
My mission is to empower women feel special again. Take the leap and connect back to yourself through photography.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman

The many sides of women

Many women become one-sided in their femininity. They’re used to showing only a certain person to the world. They may have opinions of themselves and their bodies that have grown over the years, often wrongly. They may be used to only being the mother, the career woman, the girlfriend, the daughter. In my shoots, we figure out what side is bursting to come through and, together, we’ll show it.

 

Sides of women

 

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