I’ve always felt that being asked to photograph someone is an honor and something I take great pride in.  Being asked and trusted to photograph a newborn baby is especially special and something that makes me feel privileged to do no matter how often I’m asked.  So when I was asked to photograph a newborn baby of a special friend I felt especially lucky. 

I’ve known Brooke for years, probably close to a decade, way before she moved to Seattle from California.  Her friendship has always meant so much to me and it’s been especially good to watch her meet the love of her life, Andrew - a fellow Brit I might add so at least we talk the same language! 

Less than two weeks ago they gave birth to a beautiful newborn baby girl called Shelby May. Lucky me got to hang out with Shelby when she was just a week old and that has to be one of the best ways to spend a Sunday morning.  She was a complete babe, never cried for the two hours that we spent working with her, never complained about the outfit changes and all she asked for was a little food halfway through.  I know Brooke really wanted to see some of the proofs so here’s a quick photo-show preview of a few of them for Mum before they come into our photography studio here in Seattle to see the rest of them. 

Just click on the thumbnail above to start the photo-show. 

Over the last few months as we have spent more and more time working with clients that are either expecting or have newborn babies we have spent a lot of time listening to them on what they want from us as a Seattle based photography studio. 

As a result of that we have just re-launched our newborn and maternity photography sessions.  These packages are designed to capture those watershed moments from the very first days of your babies life all the way up to 18 months when they aren’t a baby anymore but a toddler. Each package includes a photography session and then we have bundled one or more of our beautiful wall art frames;  either classic museum quality frames or our beautiful canvas wraps - all framed here in the studio. 

One of the main changes we have made is to provide more flexibility and choice in the frames because we know clients all have different tastes and styles.  Before I felt we were just too rigid in what frames were available in each package. We now also offer a home based newborn session in addition to our regular studio ones.  We know that getting out of the house in those first few weeks is tough so doing them at your home might make better sense assuming you have the room for us to setup lighting etc.  We will also arrange a complimentary consultation before your first session to allow us to get to know you and where we can discuss creative ideas. 

If you are expecting or have already had a baby and you might be interested in leaning more about these special photography sessions please check out our newborn area on our web site, here.  

We hope to hear from you soon.  Cheers, Phil

Newborn Photography | The Fine Art Photography Studio Seattle | Presented by Phil Holden

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of working with Evie for the first time.  She dragged along Mum & Dad as she insisted she wanted some fresh photographs of her on that important milestone - her first birthday!  A completely adorable young lady who was fun or energy and life, we all had a blast.

Towards the end of her session we brought out her special surprise - a birthday cake. Mum stripped her down and we sat her next to the cake and we waited to see what would happen.  Initially she wasn’t too sure what it was but that didn’t last long as she started to taste the yummy cake.  As you can imagine instinct kicked in and what only was a tasty treat also became a great game.

I’m excited to get Mum back into the studio to review all of the proofs, until then Mum here’s a little preview. 

Hope Starts With Me!

Recently we had the complete pleasure of meeting and working with Andy who came into our photography studio here in Seattle to have her photograph made.  She is an amazing lady that has been fighting cancer this year yet has remained strong, energetic and positive throughout the experience.  Her girlfriend came up with the other to have to celebrate the experience and you can see some of the initial proofs here. 

As a believer in giving back to the community Andy is about to start a walk with American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event.  To read more about Andy and her team please visit her page and while you are there maybe donate as well for this very worthy cause.  Good luck Andy and Team!

It’s been a little busy recently.  I’ve been catching up on a bunch of print and framing orders these last few days and I fell in love with this little guy’s photograph and thought I would post it quickly.  Such a happy man it makes me smile!

OK, I’ll get back to work now!

I’m still working through reviewing a number of recent photography sessions and catching up.  These three adorable folks came into the studio the week before last, with Steve’s parents that were also visiting.  You might recognize Jenny and Noah from another recent session that took place last month.  This time Dad Steve was able to get some time away and join them all.   

There were a lot of photographs from the most recent session that I think they are going to like.  Here’s three of my favorites of this young family that I toned with a traditional Sepia look. 

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Andy for the first time and working with her when she came into our photography studio here in Seattle.  She has recently been through an ordeal that most people would fear and dread, yet has remained incredibly positive throughout even when things were very tough going.  Her long time friend Cheri had suggested that Andy have some professional photographs taken of her to commemorate her winning battle with cancer and they both came in for a really fun photography session with us. 

In advance of her coming back into the studio to look at all her proofs I thought I would post a few previews for her and Cheri to see you.  I feel so lucky that I get to spend time with people like Andy who’s determination and strength shine through and reflects a true celebration of life.  To me this is a good reminder that everyone needs to get professional photographs taken every few years to capture ones’s life in all its forms and memorize that particular stage.  

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Eli’s and George’s wedding at the Pravda Studio’s on Capital Hill in Seattle. With it’s open windows and the bright sunlight streaming through it made quite the backdrop to the service. Depending on your angle at times the photographs were framed with this brilliant bright halo that completely backlit the subjects making for some exquisite shots. Yesterday I had the help of David Streams my good friend and fellow photographer, plus Miss Nicole who was assisting with lighting and such.  Both made the day a whole lot easier - thankyou!

For the friends and family that know Eli and George well it’s probably not a surprise for them at how wonderful the day’s events were.  It was a day filled with humor, laughter, compassion, love and many tears. At times I’m not sure if there was a dry eye in house, even the catering staff were in tears. For myself who only recently gotten to know them as a couple I felt privileged and honored to be part of their very special day - thankyou!!     

They leave soon for a trip to Africa and I wanted to post a few previews before they jet off. Have an amazing trip Eli & George and see you when you return as we have lots more photographs for you to see.  

A few week’s ago we got the chance to work with Lexi’s on some high school senior photographs.  She recently graduated and is preparing for college in California which starts later this summer.  The session started out in our photography studio here in Seattle with make-up and a quick review of outfits and then we went out into the city to capture her outside.  I’m just finishing reviewing the first selection of photographs and thought I would post some preview here.  She was a dream to work with, lots of energy, relaxed and very willing to work on some creative shots with us.

If you want to see more photographs of Lexi I put together this quick slide show which contains some short video footage of the session with her getting made up, our session in Seattle along with lots more photographs.  It’s set to music so if you are in the office maybe mute or lower the volume! 

Click on the thumbnail image below to see video.