The Artist
The Artist
Christina (Stranger) Ward began her interest in photography at an early age, receiving her first camera from her parents (the Pentax K1000) at the age of 9. She spent countless days documenting family birthdays, holidays, vacations, along with photographing anyone she managed to convince to model for her for a few hours. She learned the fundamentals of photography from any book she could get her hands on, along with many hours in a friend’s darkroom learning about developing and printing film. She spent high school afternoons working in a 1-hour photo store, mostly for the generous employee discount, and went on to work part-time for a wedding photographer while attending UNC-Chapel Hill. Though her career path took a few unexpected turns, she eventually found her way back to photography and has truly found her home. She has been photographing children, families and babies since 2007 and opened Copperlight Photographic Art in early 2009.
Christina is an active member of both the Professional Photographers of North Carolina and the Professional Photographers of America and enjoys participating in educational opportunities throughout the year with both groups. She strives to make every portrait session a memorable and enjoyable experience for her clients, and helps them create a portrait their family will treasure for generations. Christina lives in Durham, NC with her husband, James, their two children, Jillian and Zander, and the family dog, Java.
Photographic Style (by Christina)
I think it’s easier to describe my style of photography with images instead of words, but I’ll give it a try. My favorite images, the ones that make me stop and look, or look again, are the ones that tell a story. Not an obvious, in-your-face story, but more of the “look closer, I have a secret to share” kind. Portraits should reveal something about a person that might not be so apparent in their everyday life, even to those closest to them. That’s not to say family and friends shouldn’t recognize you, just that they should be intrigued with the image in some way, as if it looks just like you, but there is something there they’ve never noticed before – even if they don’t know what that “something” is. I love connecting with people through my lens, and creating a sense of timelessness and emotion are what I strive for with every finished piece. I care about my clients and the image they have of themselves, the image they want to show others, and what they think is most special about the moment they are allowing me to photograph. I want every image that leaves my studio to become a treasured part of that family’s home for generations to come. I absolutely, without a doubt, love what I do and can’t imagine spending my days doing anything else.
