by Cristina Stoian

A mother’s love knows no bounds: spending time with my daughter making memories

A daughter’s love knows no bounds as well, but few can match the love of a mother’s heart. This unbreakable bond between mother and daughter often grows even stronger as the years go by, and no matter how old your child becomes, it will always be one of the strongest relationships in your life. Here are some ideas on how to spend quality time with your mom this weekend, strengthening your bond together while making memories that will last forever.

People are busier than ever before. In today’s society, it seems that families are getting smaller, and parents don’t have as much time to spend with their children as they would like.

It’s not about how much time you spend, but what you do while you are together. Rather than taking your daughter shopping or to a restaurant, go on a hike or camping trip together and make it into an adventure. You’ll both enjoy yourselves far more, and create some great new memories as well.

The joy of spending time with mum while getting your portrait taken.

in Feminine Energy / Mom-Daughter / My muses 0 comments
 by Cristina Stoian

Celebrate your relationships

The last couple of years was hard for parents and their children that live far away from each other. They have not seen each other for a long time and spending time together seemed like a luxury. I was overjoyed to hear when grandparents managed to visit their kids and grandkids. Finally, mothers were reunited with their daughters.
When I created these photoshoot experiences, for moms and daughters, I did not imagine how important time spent together is. I took it all for granted… and after doing a couple of these shoots, I realised what an amazing thing it is to spend time with mum, get pampered with lovely hair and makeup done up – together, and make memories. To hold your portraits in your hands, portraits that will outlive you and will be the most cherished thing to have in the years to come.

 

Dear mum, I cherish you in my heart forever and I want to spend time with you. Will you join me in a photoshoot that we will enjoy in the years to come?

 

 

in Mom-Daughter 0 comments
 by Cristina Stoian

Motherhood

As you know, last year I have become a mother.

 

It was indeed the most remarkable and unforgettable year, becoming a mother, having a daughter.

 

It’s been a time of growth, acceptance and much-needed self-love.

 

It’s incredible to see a new story come to life, to witness it from the early stages, my daughter’s story, to be part of it intimately and also an active role as a parent. It’s a thrilling experience.

 

I’ve learned so much about life, again and again, it is like getting a new understanding of the world.

 

While I love my baby immensely and spending time with her has been the main pass of time in the last year, it is time to go back to work.

 

It is calling me, to be fully fulfilled, there is a side of me which aches to create again. Doing my life’s work, creating with a camera is essential to me.

 

Of course, my mission feels even more important now, having a daughter. I want every woman to realise her beauty is unmistakable and to understand that her role in the world is both irreplaceable and imperative.

 

My promise to you is that once you step in front of my camera, this will happen.

 

Leaving a legacy behind has become to me more important than before, knowing there’s someone to leave it behind to. I will make it a priority to get behind the camera more.

 

Returning to work will be a balancing act, and I will probably fail a couple of times in the beginning, and that’s ok, I’m new to all this. I hope you’re going to understand my clumsiness. It will all take time.

 

Anna allows me to play on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for now, and those are my studio days dedicated to you.

Are you ready to book your shoot

Book your shoot

Book now
I can’t wait to see your comments, bookings as I am ready.
in Confidence / Empowerment / Feminine Energy / Mom-Daughter 0 comments
 by Cristina Stoian

MOMMY mode ON

Photo by GENEVIÈVE CHASSÉ

I have been quiet lately, focusing on my next big lifetime adventure.  This is the result.

I am proud to go through this transformation, becoming a mum, embracing life with life, bringing up in my womb a miracle, the touch of divine creation.

I have wanted this for a long time, ever since I can remember, and I am finally in the right place and time for this.

I made space for it in my life and arranged it in such a way that a kid could fit right in.

I found a photography studio close to home, with daycare on the ground floor, so I’d always be close by, I modeled my business so it would fit my mummy life. I learned about healthy eating, taking breaks and caring for myself. Learned how to care for my partner and communicate effectively so both our needs are met.

And then … she arrived. can’t be more proud and happy to carry her in my belly.

I am now expecting her arrival any minute, and she kicks in my belly as I am writing this. :)

I will be taking six months of maternity leave to enjoy this new life and be close to her and give her all the love and nurture she needs to adapt to this new world.

I will be back to work early next year, February 2020 is when I plan to continue my portrait practice.

 

JOIN OUR VIP LIST

 

Looking towards the future, 2020 seems to be the year of new endeavours (such a cool number, isn’t it?) and I want to be the one that brings out the beautiful and confident, amazing person that you are.

Therefore I would like to invite you to join my VIP list personally. You will be the first to know about:

  • My new ideas for portrait photoshoots
  • Inspiring new tips for self-care, confidence, ageing
  • By enlisting in the VIP list, you will secure the same prices as shown today on my website for a new shooting. Because also prices grow up ;)

 

in Empowerment / Feminine Energy / Mom-Daughter 0 comments
 by Cristina Stoian

You and Your Daughter

 On October 9th, I’m hosting a fundraiser for The Malala Foundation.

I am bringing you 6 coaches (including myself) who are all donating their time to create a memorable, enriching, and fun day to celebrate the mother-daughter bond.

The project is in partnership with our beautiful location, The Hoxton Amsterdam.

If you are lucky enough to be a mother to a teen daughter, join us!

If not, I hope you will share this with your friends who are mothers or grandmothers.

 

 All proceeds go to Malala!

in Events / Mom-Daughter 0 comments
 by Cristina Stoian

Mother Daughter

Portraits for me, speak about self- love and loving your body.

 

So many women struggle with their image, as we are judged on impossible standards of appearance.

 

This insecurity is passed from generation to generation. This is why it is so important to teach your daughter to love herself now, the way she is. The message is: “I love myself, therefore my daughter loves herself.”

 

In my practice as a photographer, I offer a ‘mother-daughter day’, so when Allison asked me to be a ‘selfie advisor’ for this event for mothers-and daughters, it felt that I should be part of it. I knew I could pass on some fun tips about photography and also help mothers start a conversation about self-love with their teens.

 

A new study says that girls (65%) feel increasing pressures from advertising and media to reach an unrealistic standard of beauty. This is the key force in driving their appearance anxiety.

 

Low body-esteem is causing the majority of women (85%) and girls (79%) to opt out of important life activities – such as trying out for a team or club, and engaging with family or loved ones – when they don’t feel good about the way they look.

 

Additionally, 7 in 10 girls with low body-esteem say they won’t be assertive in their opinion or stick to their decision if they aren’t happy with the way they look, while 9 out of 10! (87%) women will stop themselves from eating or will otherwise put their health at risk.

 

“This latest research shows that low body confidence is a global issue,” says Dr Nancy Etcoff of Harvard Medical School.

 

This is why we need to empower our girls now, increasing body – confidence education.

We can start by having meaningful conversations around the body – image, how they perceive their own appearance.

I had a girl in my studio the other day, she was so beautiful, my heart was melting, but she stayed so serious the whole shoot. I realized while photographing her, she was uncomfortable with her teeth, so she avoided smiling. It took a lot to make her smile and she was only 7!!

Our own perceptions of ourselves start so early, it is important to educate our girls in the right direction. Make the first step. Come to our shoot and we’ll start a conversation while taking portraits.

 

Enjoy this mother-daughter day and portrait reveal of this beautiful mother-daughter pair.

 

 

 

Start a meaningful conversations around body-image

You're so beautiful

Schedule a chat

 

in Mom-Daughter / Photo Reveal 0 comments
 by Cristina Stoian

Raise your daughter’s self esteem

What would you say to your younger self, the insecure teen girl that is complexed by her looks and lets that affect her life experience. Would you have found a way to let her know how beautiful she is ? To stop worrying about her appearance ? How would you raise your daughter’s self esteem?
In a world dominated by media, fashion and stereotypes, our teens grow up with the wrong belief about themselves, that they are not beautiful.

When I first talked to this girl, all I could notice was how beautiful she is. Yet to my surprise, her opinion about herself was completely different.

What would you say to this cute, pretty girl that spent half of her life hating her appearance and considering her freckles to be her greatest disadvantage?

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 Well, there was nothing I could have told her to change a life worth of negativity towards herself, and I decided I have to show her instead. I invited her to a photoshoot and she finally accepted.

This is Olia, 23 years old, daughter, girlfriend, best friend, linguistics student, passionate about languages, history, neurobiology, piano but also makeup, fashion and beauty in general.

“From childhood age I seemed to be a natural extrovert, who all the time shared ideas, emotions and feelings with her world around. However, under the outer happiness, there was always hiding an enormously sensitive person with crooked perception about her appearance. Years of underestimating myself passed until I realised, that my freckles are my gift, that feature that will always make me unique.
During my experience with Cristina, I was a bit shy in the beginning and felt quite insecure, but she created a very relaxing and friendly atmosphere so that I could just be myself without any artificial postures and facial expressions. She admired my face, my behaviour and I totally relaxed and acted like a real model. Throughout our photo shoot I revealed my inner beauty and forgot about all the diffidence and fears about my appearance and I guess the main thing is that after our creative experiment I understood that the more you accept your appearance and remove all stereotypes imposed by society, media, especially fashion, the more harmonic you feel with your outer and inner spaces.”

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The greatest gift your daughter can get

Show her how beautiful she is

Schedule a chat
in Amsterdam / Mom-Daughter / Photo Reveal 0 comments
 by Cristina Stoian

Mother and Daughter Day

The mother and daughter relationship is the biggest there is, the biggest bond. It has a powerful connection that goes beyond words and physics.
Scientists say: “Each of us takes in at a cellular level how our mother feels about being female, what she believes about her body, how she takes care of her health, and what she believes is possible in life.” (Dr. Christiane Northrup).

 

Spending time with your daughter, creating memories together, will impact the rest of your daughter’s life. “I’m a big believer in mother-daughter time,” Anglicare WA’s Jennie Hannan says. “I think we underestimate how important it is for mums and daughters to do things together in those early years. Doing that builds a foundation that will help you get through adolescence.”  (Karen Fingerman)

 

If there’s something I miss the most while moving to another country to live, is spending quality time with my mother. Even thinking about it now, makes me feel peaceful and full of joy. I can remember her smell and I can feel the way she plays with my hair, the stories she tells me and how mesmerised I am, looking at her. My mum is the most beautiful woman there is, for me.

 

This is why, this year, launching on Mother’s Day, I have designed a session called the Mother and Daughter Day, which allows you to spend time with your loved one, getting pampered in my studio and creating a memory that lasts a lifetime.  You both come in and get your hair and makeup done, while you chat over coffee and snacks. Then, the photoshoot session starts and you get to be yourself and cuddle, kiss, hug in front of the camera. Mother hugs are the best ! At the end, you will both look so gorgeous, that you will want to go out, dining at your favourite restaurant. The photos of yourself will be printed and presented to you on a wall, like an exposition of yourselves. You get to pick the ones you love, these will stay in your family for 100 years.

 

Celebrate your relationships. Create memories that will last. Exist in photos for people who love you.
Bookings and enquiries info@cristinastoian.nl

 

 

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in Amsterdam / Empowerment / Feminine Energy / Mom-Daughter / Photo Reveal / Shoot with Cris 0 comments