Christina Graham Photography

Sugar Skull Inspired Shoot

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:48:00 -0700

I have been fascinated recently by sugar skull makeup, and I wanted to try my hand at it. I have to say that the makeup did not turn out that bad considering that I hardly ever apply makeup to anyone else…not counting myself! As always whenever I want to do something a little “weird,” I turned to my little sister, Allison, to be my model. She loves shoots, will do just about anything I ask, and it is a great way for us to hang out and bond!

I wanted her to be an “innocent” kind of creepy, and I wanted to utilize her beautiful blue eyes. She got so sick of me telling her to open her eyes wider! All in all, this sugar skull inspired session was a success!

Taylor Swift Inspired Photo Shoot: What I Want to be When I Grow Up

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 11:40:34 -0800

This shoot is hopefully going to be the first in a long series of “What I Want to be When I Grow Up” themed shoots. Wouldn’t it be so precious to capture their dream for them, and have it to remind you years later when they were off to college that they wanted to be Superman when they were five? I thought so, and I did not want to pass up the chance to document Allison’s dream of being a Rock Star.

It is no secret that my little sister loves Taylor Swift and wants to be like her when she grews up. In order to capture this dream for when she gets older and cannot ‘remember’ it, I decided to do a Taylor Swift inspired photo shoot.

I noticed that for her Red album, Taylor was going for a more retro feel. So I attempted to capture this in my images.

I love it, and Allison did such a great job! We had a blast singing Taylor Swift songs and dancing around!

Self Portraits of Lives Thru Lenses: Part 2

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:28:00 -0800

As I shared in the last blog post, I have given myself the challenge this winter to get better at self portraits. It can really be hard to get in front of the camera, but it has really opened me up creatively. I have enjoyed sharing who I am (and my strangeness) with others through these images. I have also enjoyed being able to try things without worrying about failing.

For those of you who missed part one, you can find it here.

I hope you enjoy these images. I know that I really loved creating them!

This image was inspired by a quote from Georg Buchner. This one was really fun to make, and I even got to put some of my clothes from my wedding back on. What girl doesn’t like dress up? :)

“We are only puppets, our strings are being pulled by unknown forces.”

This one is inspired from my own life. I won’t go into too much detail but this image holds a very private message for me, and I was glad that I was able to create this image. It’s almost like a form of therapy for me.

As an amatuer historian (who graduates with a bachelor degree in History this year!), I am an avid believer that everyone should be able to share history from their own point of view. I wanted to express that through this picture entitled “History is within all of us.” Below are the thoughts I wrote when I first posted the image.

”History is a collection of humanity regardless of gender, class, or race. Unfortunately, history is often told by white, upper class men. Their thoughts and perceptions are the only side of history that most of the general public hears.

This is wrong. These groups that are often left without a voice in our historical record are a part of the human experience. A part of history. They deserve to be heard and their stories recorded for future generations.

Our story will not be complete unless we do this.”

Thank you for taking the time to check out my self portraits. The challenge is not done yet, and there will be more to come!

*some stock images have been used in the making of these portraits*

Self Portraits of Lives Thru Lenses

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 17:26:22 -0800

While I love the cooler weather and the chance for snow, I hate that winter usually means less light and less opportunity for photo shoots. In order to satisfy my craving for photography, I have decided to give myself a challenge. My challenge this winter is to get better at self portraits.

Normally I shy away from being in front of the camera, and that has made this exercise a little difficult. However, I have found that I have been able to be more creative without worrying about ideas not working out. If I don’t like it then I haven’t wasted anyone’s time but my own. The creative freedom is exhilarating, and I have been able to capture my personality in these portraits.

These images are the first of several to come, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them!

I am a serious bookworm! I read all the time, and I wanted an image that reflected that. This image is entitled “A World of Books” which is a place I wish really existed.

This image was inspired by the song, Mad World. The idea of wearing a smile for the world while hiding the deep pain you really feel inside is something that really struck a cord with me.

Here are the lines I think of when I see this image:

“I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are
the best I’ve ever had.”

This image was taken with my new speedlight, and it was a technique I wanted to try. I really enjoy the dramatic lighting.

And even though this is not a self portrait, I wanted to show the shot I took of my husband, Kevin, using the same technique.

*Some stock images have been used during the making of these portraits.

Alice in Wonderland: A Different Kind of Tale

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 10:56:15 -0800

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped at the book she was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it.

Giving into her boredom, Alice put her book down. “What is the use of a book,” she thought, “without pictures or conversation?”

So she was considering in her own mind what to do about her boredom when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out of the way until she heard the Rabbit say to itself, `Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!’ When he peered at his watch, and then hurried on, Alice started to her feet after him.

She followed the rabbit down a tunnel before it dipped straight down into a rabbit hole. She fell, and time seemed to slow around her.

Down
Down
Down!

The fall seemed as if it would never end! As she continued to fall, she thought, “I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?. I must be getting somewhere near the center of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I should think!”

When she finally landed, she found that she was not hurt. Brushing herself off, she stood and took in her surroundings. Before her lay a long dirt path, and she could barely see the disappearing shape of the rabbit. Without hesitation, she set off down the path. “I have nothing to lose now,” she said aloud to herself.

Walking along the path, Alice came upon a unusual sight. There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it.The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it.

“No room! No room,” they cried out when they saw Alice coming.

“There’s PLENTY of room,” said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.

“Have some wine,” the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. “I don’t see any wine,” she remarked.

“There isn’t any,” said the March Hare.

“Then it wasn’t very civil of you to offer it,” said Alice angrily.

“It wasn’t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,” said the Mad Hatter. “But since you are here have a glass of tea.” Alice watched as he poured her a cup and pushed it across the table.

Alice picked up her cup and took a sip. She was opening her mouth to say thank you but stopped. She was beginning to feel very strange. Very strange indeed! Her distress was written clearly on her face, and the Mad Hatter and the March Hare began to giggle.

However, they began to literally shake from laughter when Alice began to shrink! She grew so tiny that she was engulfed in the chair.

“What have you DONE,” she roared (well as much as a tiny person can roar).

Alas, screaming in rage did nothing to stop their laughter.

“We have made you tiny,” the March Hare replied matter-of-factly.

Alice threw her tiny arms up in exasperation. “Well then undo it!”

The Mad Hatter wiped his eyes; his face beet red from all the giggling. “Can’t have a bit of fun, I suppose,” he said breathlessly, and he broke off a crumb of a cookie. “Here, eat this. Then you shall be right again. Just take this as a lesson. Don’t take a seat at a tea party when you are clearly not invited.”

Alice left the tea party still fuming. “Well, I never,” she thought. “What a terrible thing to do making me so small.”

She continued on not paying any particular attention to her path until she ran smack into a door.

“How strange,” she said aloud. “A door out in the middle of nowhere.” Without a second thought she pushed it open and stumbled into a room. On a glass table there was a bottle that had a tag attached to it.

“Drink me,” Alice read. She took another glance around the room, and then she brought the bottle up to her lips. At first nothing happened but then, again, Alice began to feel the same feeling she had experienced at the tea party.

“Oh, no,” she said as she began to grow bigger and bigger and bigger.

After crying for what felt like hours, Alice eventually began to look around. That was when she spotted a cookie that looked suspiciously like the one the Mad Hatter had given her. She took a bite, and she immediately began to shrink.

Once she was back to her appropriate size, she began to take stock of her situation. Finally, she noticed that one of the doors was cracked open. Pushing her way through it, she came out into a beautiful forest.

She began walking, hoping to find her way back to her sister. After a couple of miles, she found a giant mirror. However, she did not see her reflection but a rose garden with a woman standing in a red dress.

“Maybe she will know a way out,” Alice thought. Without hesitation, Alice went through the looking glass to her next great adventure.

A few snapshots of Alice while she was in Wonderland:

The Meaning Behind the Picture: Part Two

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 17:51:00 -0800

For those who haven’t been following the blog recently, I have started a blog series discussing the emotional meaning behind some of the pictures I have taken.

For those who missed post one, you can find it here.

This week’s image is very special to me for more than one reason. It was taken at 30mm f/4.5 1/125 sec.

This shot was another one from one of my early shoots. It is special because this was my first shoot with my cousin, Taryn. This was also one of the first times I met Taryn’s son, Matthew. Getting to see him for the first time was so amazing. I grew up with Taryn and seeing her as a mother was a little strange. She is a awesome mom, and Matthew is such a great kid. I am so glad that I was able to capture these moments. He does not even look like the same baby!

Another reason this image is so special is because of the chair. It belongs to my cousin, Jennifer, and her husband, Robby. They were kind enough to entrust me with it’s care. It has been in Robby’s family forever, and it is about a hundred years old!

The Meaning Behind the Picture: Part One

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:54:47 -0800

I have so many pictures that mean something special to me. These shots are my favorite, and they all have significance to them. Even if they are not perfect, they are perfect to me. I wanted to share these pictures with you in a blog series. There was no way I could pick just one!

Tonight’s photo is my beautiful sister, Allison. If you have been on my blog before then you know how much she means to me. When I got my camera, she was one of the first people that I took pictures of. She loves photo shoots and being my little model. I have found that shoots really reinforce our connection as sisters, and I love the time we get to spend together.

This shot was taken at 70mm f/4.0 1/60 sec.

Now I have to admit that this shot was pure luck. This was one of the first shoots that I ever did, and I was still getting a feel for the camera. This photo still holds a special spot in my heart, however. I believe that this shot really represents Allison. She is a bright, vibrant girl who is absolutely stunning. Her eyes are so clear and so blue in this picture. This was also one of the first times that Allison and I did a photo shoot together, and we had a blast. This image is priceless, and it will mean so much more when she is older.

Taryn and Eli: Be My Little Baby

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:12:55 -0800

I recently had the honor of shooting maternity shots for the beautiful Taryn. Familar face? I shot Taryn during the Vintage Chair shoot. This type of shoot was a little different for me but I loved it! Taryn was great, and I really enjoyed working with her again. She is an awesome model, and she is so cute!

Congrats to Taryn and Steven on their second child!

Jeff, Katie, and Natallie: Natallie is Finally Here!

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:32:00 -0800

Last Sunday I had the honor of shooting Jeff and Katie again. This time, however, Natallie made her first appearence in front of my lens! I have to say that she is one of the cutest babies that I have ever laid eyes on, and she was an excellent little model.

This shoot also represented a first for me. I had never done a photo shoot in someone’s home before. It was a different kind of experience but I still loved it.

I am so glad that Natallie is finally here!

My Baby Sister's Big 10

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 23:54:00 -0700

Last week my amazing sister turned ten years old. It is crazy how time has flown by so quickly. I can still remember her head full of brown short curls and her big blue eyes that almost popped out of her head. Sigh…

To commemorate this momentous occasion, I took Alli out to Percy Priest Lake and took a few shots of her. These images will be priceless when she is all grown up and not such a little baby anymore.

I love you, Allison. You have grown into a beautiful, kind, and amazing young woman, and I am very proud of you.

Love,

Your Sissy