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by Christina Lauder Published 01/06/2015
Six years ago she and her husband committed £35,000 to the construction of a high-quality 28ft x 14ft studio in her back garden - fitted it with Bowens equipment and has never looked back.
"I had been using Bowens' lighting gear from the start - after a friend had recommended it," she notes. "I just had a couple of Gemini 250s - I never really needed more power than that for the way I light my studio. Incredibly, I've had these lights for nine years now and nothing has ever gone wrong with them. I bought a spare flash tube at the same time because I didn't want to get caught out if anything failed - and I have yet to use it!
All I have ever changed is fuses - and that's generally when a modelling lamp goes. That's not bad in terms of reliability over the best part of a decade."
She adds: "For me Bowens just need to carry on developing their light modifier programme because that is where I intend to spend more money. I have the standard barn doors, snoots, softboxes and a beauty dish.... and now I am poised to expand on what I can do and the variety of lighting effects I can generate with different modifiers.
I don't have ring flash yet but it's on my wish list. I have been used to photographing a lot of babies and small children and wouldn't probably use it in those sessions - but now I intend to shoot more teenagers and the ring flash option will enable me to concentrate more on appropriate fashion-style shoots with them."
"A new Lumiair Octobank softbox set-up is on the cards too. I love the pool of wrap-around light it produces and its excellent catch-light and vignette possibilities."
Christina is predominantly studio-based. "I don't shoot outside if I can help it," she says. "I want to have complete lighting control and I don't want to have to worry about sunlight."
A Canon 5D MK111 is her capture weapon of choice - but she's not shooting video with it.
At least not yet.
"I am sure I will be adding video to the equation but the truth is none of my clients has yet asked for it," she confirms.
Christina embraces an 'unhurried' shooting style, does not run 'back-toback production line' shoots at her home studio and always engages with clients on pre-shoot exchanges of ideas.
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