Posts Tagged ‘newborn’

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How I almost ended up dancing instead of photographing a newborn girl – Niki Strbian Vastasyntyneenkuvaus

September 9, 2010

I went to photograph a newborn girl in the center of Helsinki. There was no place to park the car on the street where my customers lived, so I called them and asked the husband to come and please help me carry all the stuff. It’s crazy actually, the smaller baby, the more stuff a photographer carries with. The other day I was bugging my hubby to buy a van soon so I could fit all props and stuff for a newborn shoot. :)

Anyways, I took all the stuff out of the car and displayed it neatly on the side-walk for everyone to see… heh. Customer-husband is a professional hockey player, so I was expecting someone of professional hockey player’s looks. Ah, there he is, I sighed with relief. “Jani?” I asked. He said: “Yeah, that’s me.” So I show him all the boxes and the beanbag and bags with blankets and I tell him: “This is my stuff, can you help me?” “Sure, no problem.”

So each of us grabs something and off he leads me to Tavastia night club. I am thinking – what a weird access to someone’s home, hmm, well to everyone’s taste, right? And then he asks:

“What are you doing here again?”

And I, the good-natured always-must-be-funny Niki, answered the same line what I usually tell all my newborn customers when they see all the stuff: “I am moving in with you.”

He didn’t even blink.

He is a little dense, but then again he is a professional hockey player (no offence, just prejudices ;) ), I thought and continued: “I am here to photograph your daughter, didn’t your wife tell you?”

“No, my daughter is in the daycare,” a swift answer came.

IT WAS A WRONG GUY AGAIN. So tell me what are the chances that at the exact minute when someone is supposed to turn up, a doppleganger comes and even has the same name? It’s a little weird, don’t you think… :D Whoever is playing these jokes on me, stop now! :)

Anyways, I asked him nicely to carry all my stuff out of the dance club again, thank you very much. And surely, my real customer showed up 2 mins later and he was looking like a professional hockey player and he was very nice and kind and not, not in one bit, dense. ;) Here is a photo of your beautiful daughter. Your gallery will be ready this week, thank you for being patient. :)

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Posted in Newborns | 4 Comments »

Absolutely sweet little girl (sneak peek) – Niki Strbian Vastasyntyneenkuvaus

August 21, 2010

Just a quick look before holidays, more when I am back! She was the sweetest little thing :)

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Posted in Babies and children, Families, Newborns | 6 Comments »

Why is every baby an art – Niki Strbian Vastasyntyneenkuvaus

July 27, 2010

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! :)

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Posted in Babies and children, Newborns | 7 Comments »

Looking for models … under 2 weeks old! – Niki Strbian Vastasyntyneenkuvaus

July 15, 2010

Remember my whining posts about the neverending winter? Well, guess what, it’s over, officially and totally over. Finland, right now, is HOT! :D 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. :D 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.

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Posted in Babies and children, Specials, no box suits this | 2 Comments »

The most sleepy newborn boy – Niki Strbian Vastasyntyneenkuvaus

June 28, 2010

Last Wednesday I was sitting on a pier of our lake, playing happily with kids and chatting away with our visitors from Slovakia, who to our great sadness flew back today in the morning. My phone rang and only happy star constellation helped me overhear it in all the noise (kids, dogs and wind – a killer combination). There was a lovely female voice asking to photograph their newborn son, who was already 16 days old. Hurry, I answered, we must hurry! Newborn babies loose that newborn characteristics look all too quickly. So we hurried and set up the shoot for the very next day. This was the fastest inquiry -> session time ever. :) I drove to Hyvinkää and met the happy couple and their tiny gentleman on a sunny Thursday morning in the appartment that one can only describe as “photogenic”.

The little baby boy slept throughout the entire time and he had a super clean and smooth skin, even for a newborn baby. The sun shone and I really, really, really very much enjoyed this session.

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Posted in Families, Newborns | 5 Comments »

BELOVED – celebrate your relationship – Niki Strbian Beloved Photography

June 2, 2010

A gigantic photography event. A huge auditorium. A delicate man. A vision. Jesh de Rox and his Experiential Photography.

I am a member of a few photography forums, dedicated to portrait photography and children portraiture. Jesh’s lecture has been discussed there more than once and people raved about it. I am the type who doesn’t go to see a movie if everyone raves about it. I am the type who doesn’t believe in mass happiness. (Yet I am a potterologist and avatarlogist. Go figure!) I missed the lecture anyway. One evening, after having a rather difficult day with my little angels (sometimes it happens even in the best of families), I was editing photos and thought to myself that I will give it a try. I listened to the recording of the lecture and it

CHANGED. MY. LIFE.

My life as a photographer. My life as a person. As a human being.

I knew instantly that I wanted to become a part of this movement. BELOVED movement. And one day a package arrived. The BELOVED field guide. Which changed my life still more. Ok, I know you want to know now what this photography voodoo is about. :) Bear with me a little longer.

Imagine that you decide to have your photos taken. Any given occasion will do. You got engaged. Married. Secretly married. Your wife is pregnant. You have a newborn baby. You have a family. You celebrate your wedding’s 50th anniversary. Any occasion will do. Even one as simple as: “it’s a beautiful day”. So what is it that you want to have captured?

Poses.

OR

Feelings. Laughter. Deep gazes into each other’s eyes. Hugs. And … do we dare … kisses.

I bet it’s the second one. And it damn well should be! BELOVED photography will empower just that. Through a number of small tasks (for a lack of a better word), you will experience real feelings in front of the camera. You will BE LOVED. And if you let me, I will capture the feelings in a timeless manner. Resulting in a true celebration of your relationship.

Oh common. Say it out loud! This is unheard of in Finland. This will never work with the Finnish nature. Finnish culture. Finnish personalities.

Really? Try me! Book your Beloved session now. (It’s also a perfect gift.)

Oh and not that it’s the most important thing. But I am officially qualified for the Experiential Photography. You can also find me listed as a photographer of the Beloved movement. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Your Beloved photographer,  Niki

PSHHH: The first three Beloved sessions will receive a special gift from me. :)

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Posted in Babies and children, Beloved, Engaged, Families, Newborns, Niki's this and that, Pregnancy, Specials, Weddings | 13 Comments »

Fairy tale about how little packages of joy make you forget all the misery – Niki Strbian Vastasyntyneenkuvaus

May 30, 2010

A newborn baby is a true miracle maker. They make you functional for hours, around the clock, and even at 4am because of their sweet scent and a little cry you produce all the shhh sounds and kissing and rocking and singing… As said before, babies emit cuteness, so adults emit love. And it was same with this tiny gentleman. I knew he was actually not going to be so tiny, since he postponed his grande arrival to the last possible moment (2+ weeks over the due date). But he is tiny compared to the normally sized gentlemen, isn’t he? ;)

Anyways, despite the difficulties his beautiful mom withstood during the birth, when the family arrived home, her thoughts were: “I want more children!” And that’s because this little bub is so stinking cute. :) But he slept well the night before and therefore didn’t have almost any interest in sleeping during my entire visit. But as it is, he fell asleep the minute I closed the door. I believe we still got some lovely shots, even of the older and slightly more hairy other child in the family.

May I introduce you to the hairy older brother, Vadim. A true aristocrat, greeted my camera with a little bow.

No baby is complete without a loving family.

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Posted in Families, Newborns | 4 Comments »

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