Just a quick look before holidays, more when I am back! She was the sweetest little thing 
Archive for the ‘Babies and children’ Category
You must remember my beautiful customers from Hämeenlinna. They must have been really satisfied with their images, because they booked me for another shoot. 
This time the whole extended family was going to be in the spot light. Everyone, Janne and his sister with family and their parents. We photographed near Lohja at their parents’s house and it was a fantastic spot, right in the middle of nowhere. Despite many warnings I didn’t get lost. And I don’t use GPS! Just old fashioned map. I found Lohja. Then the smaller town. Then the road. The the mail box with number 79. The only problem appeared when I drove into the yard. There was a lady, smoking, clearly confused with having a photographer driving up to her front door.
“Are you Janne’s mother?” I asked.
“Yes, yes, that’s me,” came the answer.
“Do you know I am going to photograph you today?”
long confused look
Me: “Janne is joining us soon, right?
I could feel her confusion growing. So she called her husband. I asked again if they were Janne’s parents. Yes, yes… without a doubt.
“Janne Mycustomer’s parents?”
And then the light shone and we discovered that no, not Janne’s Mycustomer but Janne’s Somethingelse indeed. Mycustomers live just up the road. They have their mailbox here, but that’s all …
Luckily I had enough time. Mycustomers were waiting for me. We visited a nearby swamp that had a very particular, very subtle smell. It was really dangerous in certain spots and Janne’s father of course had to go right there to pick up some rare plant for Janne’s mother. We were happy when he got back, safe and sound. The we took off the rubber boots and took some images around their garden. At the little pond, at savusauna, in a small apple tree orchard… We had much fun and then Janne and his family arrived and we had more fun and then we got tired and the light was gone and there was excellent pizza and then I had to say good-bye, but got a bag full of fresh lettuce pressed in my hands before I was able to disappear in my car. I didn’t object and made a delicious salad later.
These are just few. A quick sneak peek. The problem with you guys is that there are just too many good ones. I can’t choose!
Cheers to all Jannes and their mothers … I am curious, how many Jannes do you know? And is that the most common Finnish male name? Because it sure does look like it!
Back to school – Niki Strbian Valokuvaus
August 12, 2010I can’t believe it’s the time of the year again when the freedom ends and the slavery starts. Yes, I am talking about school. Actually I liked going to school. But H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S are something completely else. Just taste the word on your tongue and you will know – it promises freedom, no shoes, no nice clothes, no need to learn things that you don’t find interesting, no need to get up every morning so early, no need to go to bed early too… and the list just goes on and on. Holidays … that’s a promise of an adventure.
But even adventure gets boring and that’s why your kids are actually looking forward to going back to school now. Aren’t they? 
Because now they can put nice clothes on and will see friends every day and some of them might, actually, enjoy learning new things.
Wether they are loving it or dreading it, it’s the start of a new school year and that’s worth remembering. You never know what it might bring to you or your kids.
I am taking bookings for back to school sessions for September and the first half of October. With each session you get gifted a school calendar with images of your little one(s). Oh and there is a competition on my Facebook page, so if you want to win a free back to school portrait of your child, I guess you should participate…
Forever honeymoon – Niki Strbian Lapsikuvaus
August 7, 2010This is a blog post #100. I guess, it better be a good one. Except that I am sleep deprived and it’s after midnight and I can just about SEE the viruses marching across my keyboard every time I sneeze. I will do my best.
Actually, I don’t have to. This post is going to be great no matter what I write or do. It’s because of them. My awesome clients. A little girl, who was also sleep deprived and tired but unlike me calm and pleasant. Her mother, beautiful, sexy , elegant and smart and much adoring her little treasure. The father, clearly belonging to rare species of Padre Fantastico and he was funny too!
You said you have been together for eons. But your love was as radiant and your comfort in each other’s presence as clear as if you were together mere months. Perhaps it’s been eons, but you are still in the honeymoon phase. You must have found the much-sought-after spell – a recipe for happiness. Admit it!
Actually, you don’t have to. You already showed me and I was there to capture it forever or at least until you loose the cd with your pics. So you better frame them! Enjoy your sneak peek. I am blessed to have met you…
And the little star of the day… Happy 1st birthday!
Leo Tolstoy is best known for his literary works, of which I was utterly bored by his masterpiece Anna Karenina and though I have never read War and Peace, my dear husband loves it so much he can quote long passages from memory, so I have a good grasp of the book’s many fine details. But besides his world-known novels, Tolstoy also wrote a number of essays on art, history and religion. Recently I have stumbled upon excerpts of his essay “What is art?”, originally published in 1896. Now, let me show you, why every baby is an art. Here is a proof from Tolstoy’s essay … and I dared to include a few more.
#1 In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man woman.
While Wikipedia claims that the definition and evaluation of art has become especially problematic since the early 20th century, we all know that art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the senses or emotions.
#2 (emotions) My favorite quote about babies is from the book “Our babies, ourselves” by Meredith Small: “Babies emit cuteness so adults emit love.”
#3 (senses) Babies smells good, their skin is smooth and perfect, they make funny noises (even when crying), they look adorable and they probably taste good, but I have never tried that… (oh and sometimes babies look like miniature old men, too)
Various people have been answering the question “What is art?” and these are some of the answers (apply them freely to babies):
#4 Art has the facility to actually enrich and empower your life and make you happy.
#5 Art is anything that requires a maker; it cannot make itself, said Aristotle.
#6 Art is the opposite of war.
If you want to have your own newborn miracle photographed outdoors, book me quickly, before the heat wave (and summer) is over. There is not much time left, so call 0400-358990 or send email to niki@nikistrbian.com today. And, of course, I want to hear your own proof that every baby is an art!
How (not) to be radiant – Niki Strbian Perhekuvaus
July 23, 2010I believe that everyone has once in a while the urge to be glamorous, radiant and star-like. Even the most saint and self-decentered human beings I know sometimes want to be like that. Me too. (not saying that I am a saint or self-decentered…)
I, too, want to be classy and ravishing… Especially when my dear husband takes our kids to the ZOO by car and I have to walk to the photosession. It would be ok, I like walking, but it was far, it was +33 degrees Celsius, the sky was clear, there was no shade en route and there were no buses (Thank you, YTV, for a gap-free summer schedule. Not!). Add the heavy equipment in a black backpack. Finally I arrive. And start frantically running from one side of the lake to the other, because we have not agreed an exact spot. Sweat is dripping from my eyebrowes, my t-shirt is completely wet and, of course, I forgot the mosquito repellent at home, so now thousands of hungry mosquito ladies are dining on my skin.
And then my customers arrive. Fresh, smelling like a rose garden and all smiling and happy. Right there, that’s the moment when I want to be glamorous, radiant and star-like!
But then I take out my camera, end up on my stomach in the dirt and knee-deep in smelly water of the lake and I am thinking that it wouldn’t last long anyway. Though it could have saved the first impression I make. I hope to impress you with the photos at least. Because I was not there on Wednesday to show off, but to capture who you are. And you are…
Playful.
Acrobatic.
Cute.
Loving.
Sisters.
Family.
And very much in love.
It was a pleasure to meet you!
Oh and anyone knows a proved cure to mosquito bites that are itching so much it is driving me crazy? I want to know it!
Remember my whining posts about the neverending winter? Well, guess what, it’s over, officially and totally over. Finland, right now, is HOT! Of course that I am still whining, would you expect anything else from a person whose mood swings are totally dependent on the outside temperature and amount of sunlight per square meter per hour? I am on the phone with mum and all I can talk about is how fantastic it is right now but how it makes me depressed to know that it will be over. SOON. Yes, I am impossible, I agree.
But besides me being energetic, happy and in a good mood, there is another advantage to the heat that many of you might not realize. The newborns are not cold.
So here’s the thing. I am looking for newborns under two weeks old, boys or girls, to photograph outdoors. Babies of different than typical northern European looks most welcome . The photoshoot is for free and shall happen during next week (19.-23.7.2010). I intend to use the photos in my portfolio, so the condition is that you have to sign a model release allowing me to do that. In exchange for that you will get free 3 (three) digital files (value of 350€) of your favorite images from the shoot.
xx
Please read about how the newborn shoots are done in the info section on my webpage and get inspired by images in my newborn/maternity gallery.
If interested, contact me immediately via email niki@nikistrbian.com or call 0400-358990.