I am sitting at my computer with a hat on my head. Not the fancy one, the warm hat that I wear when skiing. We went swimming with the ducklings today and somehow I have felt really cold afterwards. Despite sauna, despite hot tea … I must look ridiculous, but I feel comfortable.

Not as ridiculous as a porcupine, though. This is a porcupine, the animal on the picture to the left, and I am Niki, the person who thinks porcupines look funny. In Czech language it’s a DIKOBRAZ. Dikobraz used to be a magazine during the times of communistic Czechoslovakia. It had a column called: Your questions on our quills. (Yep, it does sound a lot better in Czech. ) Basically, answers to any kind of serious or ridiculous questions. Nothing revolutionary.

Are you sensing the direction of this post yet?

Couple of days ago, I asked on Facebook from my wonderful fans (785 and growing, thank you …) what would be their one and only one question about photography. I got some interesting Qs and because I am so busy swimming with the kids, my friend DIKOBRAZ sneaked in to answer …

Nea B: What setting u use the most often at ur camera?

Dikobraz: Right now indoors probably ISO 1600-3200, f 1.8-2.2 and shutter speed 1/125-1/160. Have you noticed how dark it is inside? Getting slowly better, I know!

Mishka K: What is your best tip for shooting in low-light conditions when you only want to use natural light?

Dikobraz: Either of or a combination of the following – steady hands, good tripod, good camera and fast lens. (Unless you are out to shoot a black cashmere sweater in a black tunnel at night. Then it doesn’t matter.)

Kate C: What do I need to improve on to take it to the next level?

Dikobraz: Shoot every day. Practice, practice, practice. Never give up. Get inspiration from art and music. Go shooting with other photographers. Second shoot a hero photog. And the most important of all – ENJOY IT.

Now, don’t you agree, curiosity is such a wonderful quality. If you have anything more to ask, about photography, the best recipe for tiramisu or anything else, ask away, either here in the comment section or via my Facebook fan page. ♥♥♥

PS: And now it’s my turn. Which of the children book’s heroines is the most curious? Hint hint…

My father said about this image: “I think you didn’t do a very good job with the freckles, honey. They seem so fake.”

Ehm …

I am walking into the sushi place thinking once again: “She is pregnant and should be easy to spot in this small restaurant.” Coincidently, my client was thinking the same: “How will I recognize Niki?” She even discussed it with her colleague, who answered: “Pregnancy and baby photographer? I think I might know how she looks.” Regards to Eva! Finland is such a small and cosy place…

And so I walk in, hat and all, and of course we recognize each other immediately. My troll Finnish kicks in, after almost 15 years of living here I think I can get along quite well. It’s the same kind of feeling when one goes for a run. You think you look like a supermodel from Nike ad, slender and graceful. People around think that you move like a gorilla escaping from a ZOO… Same thing with the language. I feel like I can get along. All I get is the wondering looks… Like this time. Again.

And my client says: “But I am Australian! I don’t speak Finnish almost at all.” Yes, an Australian with a Finnish name, I might add. It got me puzzled.

The day of the shoot comes not too long after the snow fell. We agreed on a belly painting and it was to be something related to the natural and earthy way of living that my client loves and enjoys. Laura, my talented and beautiful stylist, did a tremendous job again. About half way through the shoot we agreed to take the painting off to get some images with just “naked” belly. Shower, rubbing, soap, nothing helped! Now we had a huge belly with a spoiled painting on it. Laura did a tremendous and thorough job. And also instructed us that if the paint would not come off, we should try some baby oil. But there was no baby and so no baby oil in the appartment of my client’s Italian friend.

Italian, did you notice?

Olive oil.

Yes. The highest quality and freshly imported.

My big thanx to all the ladies that participated on the success of this shoot. I can’t wait to photograph the little baby! ♥♥♥

PS: The vegeterian sushi was excellent there. It’s difficult to find a good sushi place though. Do you know one? Care to recommend it to a sushi-lover?

PS2: Still in time for the pinning contest – it’s fun and easy - participate!

There is nothing like a wedding client coming back for a newborn shoot. It’s always enriching to watch the shift in the mood of the shoot. Tenderness replaces wilderness… Peace replaces energy… I especially enjoy witnessing how the new responsibility makes all of the weddings clients more mature, regardless their age and previous experience. There is something about the saying that people with children and people without children feel sorry for each other. Those truly are two completely different worlds… I hope you will like today’s image load created in the comfortable and soft grey environment of my clients’ home. Happy Monday! ♥♥♥

PS: Don’t forget about the Pin to Win contest – still running for 2 weeks – you have a chance to win a free session with a gift of digital files on top (go for it now!). You can start pinning simply by using the cute little button on top of this post

(ask me for invitation if you are not a Pinner yet)

The day when we learn to read, we lose a huge part of fantasy. Because what used to be Prince’s Palace is now Obst & Gemuese… plain plain plain. Enjoy reading to your kids, at least while your ability to read makes you a half-deity in their eyes.

Today’s story is a tribute to all parents, who will stop in a bookstore before buying a new Barbie/Lego/insert the last must-have on your kids’ list. With books, there is fantasy. Do you notice the moment when this little lady falls through the pages of her fairy tale book and to the rabbit hole? And with another book opened, there is the what-will-I-become-when-I-grow-up world. Reading, my friends, is ALWAYS going to be awesome. ♥♥♥

This is the new part of the Life Stories serie (if you missed it, check out part 1 – The Flu and part 2 – The Monster Class). You see, me and some amazing friends photographers from around the globe have taken the vows to photograph more often normal daily situations. And we shall post these life stories on our blogs – last Friday of each month. I am adding a link to another photographer who participated and she’ll be linking to someone else. It’s a whole big circle of stories in pictures.

Life Stories January 2012 – next in the chain is the much talented Amy Siggelkow Duffing of 3 Peas Photography. Click through and enjoy! Let’s see if you can make it through the entire circle.

PS: What is your favorite childhood memory related to books? Mine is my Dad reading us Moomin stories. Yes. I have always loved the books more so that my Dad had introduced them to us. Recently we spoke about it and my Dad told me that he actually never really liked the stories, that he finds them too depressing and somehow dark. And I always thought he loves them too. Go figure!

I want to photograph moments like this every day of my life. There is nothing more truthful. And beautiful! Don’t you agree?

These are the times when it’s enough to just pick up your child and rock her and kiss her and tell her all will be fine. But it doesn’t take long and such moments are gone for good. To be reminded daily, to enjoy more the togetherness and the now, I recommend listening to Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried… Happy Monday everyone! ♥♥♥

A few from the very lovely summer 2011 in Finland. ♥♥♥ (Don’t miss the Pin to Win contest, get addicted, start pinning!)

PS: I am planning to exhibit in Lapsimessut 2012. Anyone has been or knows anything about it? Is it a fabulous experience?

From one of my recent newborn sessions. What an adorable little bunny… Despite the darkest times of the year, we got very lovely results! Many thanks for her invaluable help to Irene (my right and left hand and my consciousness!). ♥♥♥

PS: Don’t forget, to win a free session with me, read the do’s and don’t of my new contest Pin to Win!

I have promised you a contest – here it is…

I’m excited to launch a fun contest on Pinterest! All you have to do is create a board on Pinterest that features some of your favorite among Niki Strbian photographs (e.g. from my blog, www.nikistrbian.com/blog). You can name this board anything you want, I am looking for creativity! Show off photos of mine that inspire you. You can also pin photographs that don’t belong to Niki Strbian (as long as they are not the work of another wedding or portrait photographer). Show off locations where you’d love to have a session at. Pin photographs that contain wardrobes, props, or other unique item that inspire you! Post pictures of yourself and anyone that you’d like to include in your session (boyfriend, girlfriend, family, pet moose). Important: All photos and the board should be tagged using #nikistrbian (so the name of your board/image should look like this “here’s to winning #nikistrbian“).

The contest will end in (almost exactly) 1 month on Valentine’s Day 14th of February. The winner will receive a free portrait session + 7 high res. digital files with Niki Strbian! This portrait session can be an engagement session, family session, newborn session, boudoir session, or wedding portraits session.

So, to recap:

1. Create a pinboard. Call it anything you like, but be creative. I will consider creativity when judging the contest. Include the tag #nikistrbian in the name of your board.

2. Post images from www.nikistrbian.com that inspire you in this pinboard. Post as many as you like, I love to be flattered Type what you love about the image, and be sure to tag it #nikistrbian

3. Also post images that inspire your idea of a portrait session. You can post images from other companies (please don’t post the work of other portrait photographers or wedding photographers). For example, if you love Marimekko, post some wardrobe ideas from there. If you want to shoot in the Turku castle, post some images from www.turunlinna.fi. If you want a circus themed portrait session- post some circus images. Again, describe what inspires you about this photo – and remember to tag it #nikistrbian

4. I will search tags to view pinboards, but feel free to to post a link to your pinboard on my Facebook wall so I can make sure to see it! (www.facebook.com/nikistrbianvalokuvaus)

5. The deadline is 14.2.2012. I will announce a winner by 29.2.2012. The winner will receive a portrait session + 7 digital high res. photos with Niki Strbian anywhere in Uusimaa. (I will give the winner a list of available times for them to choose from, based on location and my availability).

Start Pinning! ♥♥♥

PS: If you are not on Pintrest, you will need an invitation. Instead of getting on the Pintrest waiting list, send me an email, I will provide the invitation. (Beware, Pintrest is HIGHLY addictive. )

PS 2: And the bonus? Follow me on Pintrest and you will get to see what inspires me!

I am both a bookworm and a barbarian. Yes, I admit, I scribble to books when I find an interesting passage (thank you, Apple, for iPad, in our household it literally saved a smallish forest). Quotes inspire me. I have always searched for new ones. Today I would like to share the five that made it to my January Words of Inspiration list.

I am currently reading the biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I consider it a very well written book that makes me want to change the world. I have a distant feeling that I know on which side of the black&white world division of Mr. Jobs I would fall, but I don’t care. So the first quote must be the one he and I share a passion for. Originally attributed to Leonardo da Vinci (though I suspect already the artists of Altamira knew it’s meaning): Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Recently I searched for a piece of good advice from famous female business leaders. Sadly, after the departure of Sari Baldauf, there are not that many on the high tec side of the world, and so I turned to the good old paradise of cosmetics. Coco Channel once said: There is time for work and time for love. That leaves no other time.

One that floated on FB couple of days ago (and just when I needed it!): For every sixty seconds of anger you loose one minute of happiness.

Should I have a bad day, I always rely on Mr. Churchill. There is plenty to choose from, but recently I keep returning to: Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. If I may boldly add, I believe you need to learn from your previous failures as well. Simply springing up back on your feet with a broad dumm smile on your face seems not to be enough anymore…

And since I am reading the biography, few words from Steve Jobs. Now, you would expect me to quote something technology or visionary related. I must disappoint you. The following words are from a note that Mr. Jobs wrote for his wife Laureen at the occassion of their 20th wedding anniversary: Years passed, kids came, good times, hard times, but never bad times.

This is something we all wish to have written to us by our loved ones. And not just spouses, friends too! I am writing it now, though some years ahead of the 20th anniversary of our friendship, to one beautiful woman. During our (too short, always too short!) meeting over the Xmas holidays, we took a walk to create a little visual documentary of her ripe state. But we had so much to talk about after months of not seeing each other that I barely remembered to pull out the camera before sun started setting. The light was fading away quickly and it was getting really cold. But we made a few!

PS 1: May I add words of my late grandmother, a quote # 6 (cheers for the bonus!): A woman can’t wish for more than easy labors and an easy death. Good luck, my BFF, I hope the little one will come shooting right out of you with no pain involved at all! ♥♥♥

PS 2: Leave me a comment with your favorite quote, there is NEVER enough of the good ones.

“Who is she?” I kept following with my eyes a slender blond beauty who moved with the grace of a gazelle. I was in my client’s apartment ready to photograph a boudoir session and I was not ready to believe that this fine young supermodel lady is the same girl I met couple of weeks before. Though she did warn me upon our first meeting that it’s not her best day and that she had a long string of nights filled with work instead of sleep.

Oh how she laughed when she saw the bewilderment on my face. (I am honest! I am already Finnish!) And pointed it to her boyfriend, who also had a good laugh. Well, that time boyfriend, nowadays a fiance. I like to think that the status change has something to do with my boudoir photos. Btw. he is an awesome guy with a radiant smile and an inclination to naked-chefiness.

It was the darkest day of 2011, believe me. It was snowing and raining and it was +2 and the wind was blowing so hard that we didn’t believe we could photograph partially outdoors as planned. I crammed my client against a window in their boudoir-looking apartment and fired of at ISO 3200 (for the geeks). The light that resulted from the the lack of light was delicious (paradox #1), the model was stunning with huge heart and enormous sense of humor (paradox #2). At the ends she suggested that we should perhaps go out to take some photos of her new fur coat anyway. I said ok, but you must wear nothing but underwear and boots under the coat. And she said yes. The strong wind made for a fabulous Hollywood effect and despite the biting cold that even I felt with 6 termolayers, we spent good 15 minutes outside and took some of the most amazing boudoir images that I have ever had the honor to create.

The paradox #3 is that …

… I can’t share them with you.

So you will just have to believe me that the images are absolutely breathtaking. Here the ones that made it through the censorship. Congratulations on the engagement, I hope to be part of your all celebrations (and a friend). ♥♥♥

PS 1: My American friends told me that I am lucky to be able to mix boudoir and family photography on one webpage. I told them that after boudoir there are usually newborn sessions scheduled by the same couples.

PS 2: Shoes by the amazing Minna Parikka.