Christina's Blog

I have been dying to share a few of my favorites from baby Ben’s 3 month session, but I wanted to wait until Mom and Dad had seen them first.  Please bear with me while I gush over these images and tell you how much I love this family!

Last year I had the pleasure of photographing the lovely Miss Abigail at Duke Gardens (see portrait below) and creating a keepsake coffee table book for her family, along with a wall portrait of one of my most-favorite  photographs to date.  She recently became a big sister and I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to photograph baby Ben ever since.

Not about to be out-done by his sister, Ben turned on the baby charm full blast during his session with me and I honestly don’t think I’ve seen a 3 month old with quite this many different expressions!  Looking at his portraits just makes me happy and I hope his family feels the same way.  I’m looking forward to photographing Abigail and Ben together  soon and I know there will be lots of smiles and laughter then, too… and not just from the kiddos, either.

Copperlight Art is participating in the International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Kid and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org)  Many of you know that this is a favorite charity of mine and that I hope to be joining on as a volunteer later this year.  The gift these photographers are able to provide is immeasurable and I am happy to be able to support this Foundation in any way I can.  Read on for more details about how this works.  Important note: Images must be submitted to the gallery by the end of March, so if you’re interested in participating, please call the studio or shoot me an email today!

Is your child North America’s Cutest Kid?  We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it!  The grand prize winner will win a $2500 savings bond, a $2500 travel package, and a $100 Target gift card.  The second and third place runners-up each will win a $500 savings bond and a $100 Target gift card.

Model Search Special:

$30 entry fee includes a 30-minute model mini-session and one image submitted to the international gallery.  If you are currently a client of mine and have had a session this year (2011), please let me know if you would like to choose an image from your session to submit (at no additional charge!)

Finalists will be determined by online votes.  Here is where you’ll need to get friends and family involved!  Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org).   Every family member/friend who registers their information on the Charity Model Search website will also receive 5 complimentary votes to cast as they please. The top 5 paid votes and the top 5 complimentary votes in each region will move on to the final judging round for a total of 50 finalists.

Grand prize international winner and runners up will be determined from the 50 regional finalists. The winner and runners up are selected by photography experts.

Call 919-597-0259 now to enter your “Cutest Kid” in this exciting contest – images must be submitted by March 31, 2011!

I was recently asked to visit Duke Hospital to photograph a family who’s son was undergoing treatment for a serious illness.  I was excited about the chance to do this, especially as it was a surprise gift from a friend of the family and I know just how much a portrait can mean to someone during difficult times.

When I arrived at the hospital, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I always try to be sensitive to the fact that these are stressful circumstances and it’s natural that people may not feel particularly open to photographs or strangers.  Imagine my surprise though, when I was welcomed into their hospital room as if I were an old friend.  It wasn’t until several minutes had passed, along with a little conversation, that I realized that they didn’t even know what I was there!  Well, they knew a friend was sending a surprise, but had no idea what it was.  Mom mentioned she was hoping for a massage, but I convinced her I’m a much better photographer than masseuse. 

After I recovered from my embarrassment over not having properly introduced myself, we chatted a while… about their family and Chase, his recent diagnosis, and his upcoming treatments.  Chase offered me snacks and drinks, which I politely declined, but he was persistent.  In the end, he got me with his offer of a piece of chocolate – who can turn down chocolate??  We then set about trying to capture a few good portraits of both Chase and his family (minus one sibling who unfortunately hadn’t arrived in town yet.)

I cannot imagine having someone show up at my front door, tell me they were there to take my portrait and then give me 5 minutes to “get ready” …but that’s kind of exactly what I did to the Rudisill family.  They were kind and warm and welcoming to me, and I only hope I was able to capture a bit of the hope and love permeating the room that day.  Chase is continuing his battle with cancer and I wanted to send out a wish of hope and share this story, along with a few of the beautiful images I was able to create for them.  Keep fighting, Chase!