So Much to Say About Me…

I Love my Camera Action Shot
Photos by Sarah Alston of Seattle, Washington. Used with permission.
 

Hi, my name is Christine. I love to take pictures. I would love to take pictures of you.

For me, boudoir photography is all about celebrating the beauty of EVERY woman. That is my goal with every photograph I take.

I want you to be comfortable with me, because I know people are nervous sometimes going into a boudoir session. Often I hear, “I’ve never done this before.” That is ok. You just need to be, well, YOU. That is exactly what I want to capture, in the most beautiful way possible. Together, we will make magical photographs that you will cherish – whether you are doing this for yourself, for your soon-to-be husband, for an anniversary gift, to capture what you looked like before your first baby – whatever the case may be.

Below is a bit about who I am. Including a topless photo for you. (Uhm, ok, so I don’t look like this now. But at least you’ve seen me topless.)

I've Always been a Photographer.I have done this all my life. I remember being on vacation when I was about 10 years old, and my mom handed me the camera and told me to take the photos because my pictures always came out better. At the time, it might have been with a Polaroid, or maybe the Kodak Disc camera.

I spent the first money I earned from my summer babysitting job when I was 13 on a point & shoot 35mm camera because I wanted better pictures, and I had learned thanks to my science fair project research that 35mm film would give me the best quality. (My second purchase was a cordless phone – it was the early 80s, none of my friends had one, the people I babysat for owned an electronics store, and I love gadgets. To be honest, that hasn’t changed in 25 years.) I made it to State Science Fair in Illinois in both 1982 and 1983 with photography related projects. In case you’re curious, made photograms.

I didn’t get to take photography in high school until my senior year. I fell in love with using a SLR, a Minolta x370 that I still own, and working in the dark room. I have been blessed with parents that have always supported my photography dreams. However, when I was young, I never believed I could make a career out of it – I was convinced that all artists were starving artists.

In college, I considered changing my major and switching schools so I could get a degree in journalism and photography. (I went to Texas A&M in College Station, and in the late ’80s I don’t think it was offered.) Instead, I got married and moved to Germany (my ex-husband is in the Army). While I traveled around Germany and Europe, I took as many photos as I could – but film and developing was expensive! $15-20 per roll between the two. My best “souvenir” from my time in Germany? My son, who was born 2 months after I returned to the US.

I kept taking photos. I started blogging in 2000 over at what is now BigPinkCookie, and I also had a photoblog that was nominated for a SXSW award in 2003 and featured in a book on blogging. Thanks to blogging and the H-Town Blogs group, I met the most awesome man ever in 2002. Our first conversation was about our cameras – he had the newer version of the same Olympus digital point & shoot that I had. If that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is. Mike & I got married in May, 2004.

A Crown to Visit the PrincessI *heart* the Eiffel TowerAt the Top
On our honeymoon: at Kensington Palace in London, wearing my wedding tiara; with the Eiffel Tower that I adore so much;
and at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

In 2006, I sold my blog hosting company. I had since gone purchased a digital SLR and loved the freedom (and the savings!) and when my friend Elaine approached me to sell prints with her at the Yale Street Market, I told her I wanted to shoot weddings too, and I wanted her to work with me. We had both photographed them over the years for friends, and since my own wedding, I wanted to do more. With my husband’s support, I shook off that starving artist mentality, and I took the 20+ years worth of skills that I had developed and devoted them to my lifelong passion.

In 2008, I added boudoir sessions to my list of things that I offer, and I love doing them.

Now? Now I can’t imagine doing anything else. At last, I am living the DREAM. I have the best job in the WORLD. Is it really a job if you’re doing what you love? I am blessed to have such a supportive family, including a husband that lifts up my dreams and lets me soar, and a son who seems to have been blessed with his mother’s eye and love for photography. (And gets to lug around a 30D with a 24-70 f/2.8L lens on vacation.)

I am now accepting select events for 2009 and 2010. Please contact me immediately to secure your date on the calendar! (They go quick!)

Want more details?

Destination Wedding and portrait session commissions are always welcomed, as I love to travel. Don’t live in Houston, but you would love to have a boudoir session? Gather together a friend or two, split the cost of getting me there, and we’ll get it all set up! To date, I have completed assignments in:

My work has been featured in the New York Times, the Houston Chronicle, Schmap Guides for London and Paris, BarStool Magazine – Houston, My Table magazine, Wikipedia, Houstonist and more. I have also completed assignments for Success Magazine and Success for Women Magazine.

 


Proud member of the Professional Photographers of America and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International. 

Find me also listed on the following sites:

There is nothing I enjoy more than creating photographs that bring joy to people’s lives. I hope to have the opportunity to create images someday just for you – please contact me and we’ll work out all the details! Be sure to take a moment to view my portfolio! And if you have time, you might want to read this posts about one of the defining moments in my professional wedding photographer career.

My photographic work has included the following:



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