Portrait | Vivienne Laursen

PORTRAIT

CHILDREN’S FINE ART

PERSONAL BRANDING

GLAM THE DRESS

CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

INSIDE

FASHION PORTRAITS

Vogue-ish styled portraits

MOTHER & DAUGHTER

WILDEST DREAMS

A beautiful couture gown, your favourite place in the whole wide world, a stylist, makeup artist.. the works

CHILDREN’S FINE ART

PERSONAL BRANDING

STYLING & PREPARATION

Everything you need to know about how to look fabulous for your shoot

GLAM THE DRESS

Give a new lease of life to yor ball dresses

YOUR SHOOT

BEHIND THE CAMERA

Photographer, designer & lover of all things beautiful

PRODUCTS & PRICING

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years”

Audrey Hepburn

Having your portrait taken used to be something that everyone did. It was that one lasting memory that got passed down from generation to generation. Now we take snaps, keep them on our computer and as mothers, daughters or friends, we’re often not in the photos. It’s time to EXIST in beautiful photographs not just for yourself but for all those who love you.

Lots of women say they don’t like having their photo taken, but their response to a beautifully taken image of themselves shows a different reality. We just want to look the best version of our true selves. It’s my job to give you gorgeous images of yourself, images that you will truly love. I know what beautiful is... it’s how I see the world... the very essence of how I capture images... and it’s how I will photograph you.

VIVIENNE

“Butterflies can't see their wings. They can't see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.”

NAYA RIVERA

MAKE A DREAM COME TRUE

FASHION INSPIRED PORTRAITS

Star as a fashion model for a day. Get dressed up in a beautiful clothes with gorgeous hair and makeup. Get photographed just like a model but with all the tricks of professional posing to make you look your absolute best.

No one is naturally photogenic. It’s a learnt art and one that can be taught. Have you ever witnessed models being told to go home and practise there walk or their ‘angles’ in the mirror? On Viv’s portrait shoots, she guides you through poses with step by step instructions so you don‘t need to worry about how your going to sit or stand.

It’s a lot of fun and a little bit like being a young girl again and getting to play dress ups only with great photographs to show at the end. It’s also a perfect occasion to bring a friend, sister or mother with you and do it together.

You can’t frame your cell phone. Today people are passing away without even leaving one nice image of themselves behind. Our grandparents and parents often visited professional studios for portraits, it’s about time we did too.

A MOTHERS LOVE

“THE MOST PRECIOUS JEWELS YOU’LL EVER WEAR AROUND YOUR NECK ARE THE ARMS OF YOUR CHILDREN.”

A DAUGHTER MAY OUTGROW YOUR LAP, BUT SHE WILL NEVER OUTGROW YOUR HEART.

WILDEST DREAMS

Is having an extra dreamy out of this world photoshoot on your to do list? Bucket list items need to be ticked off. Maybe yours is a photoshoot on a old fashioned Paris street. Maybe it’s in the mountains or in a colourful ally in Argentina...

Lynn had been imagining a shoot for herself where her victorian gown she had made was blowing in the breeze. She would have her beautiful violin she practices for hours each day in her arms playing soulful music to the ocean’s waves, her hair would be piled up high. It would be epic...

We started in the studio on a Saturday morning about 9.00am. Hair first for which I had made a big hair piece. Then it was on to makeup. The light was so beautiful in the studio that we decided to do some shots first, before we headed off to the lighthouse and beach.

We had just about finished shooting when cloud cover gently rolled over and turned the light

“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

CHILDREN’S FINE ART

Check most Mum’s or Dad’s cellphones and you will find plenty of photographs of their children. Often they’re a bit blurry, the lighting isn’t great or there are distractions in the background. Taking the opportunity to have your child captured by a professional photographer is something that parents never regret taking the time to do, especially as our children grow up so quickly.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

Aaron Siskind

PERSONAL BRANDING

“All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” - Tom

Peters

Everyone wants to put their best foot forward when it comes to being noticed in the world of business and very often in today’s international market, the first

introduction someone has to your brand and ultimately you, is the images you have on your website.

What those images look like speaks volumes to the consumer or potential client about the type of business you are. ‘You’re old and dowdy looking; stuck in the 90’s; are fun, hip and contemporary; have class, style and great design flair.’

Why not have images that you absolutely love to represent you and your brand to really showcase you and what you bring to the market.

“Don’t be scared to present the real you to the world, authenticity is at the heart of success.”

LOOKING FABULOUS

PRE-SHOOT PREPARATION

GETTING READY FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT

Having glorious locks...

Make sure your hair is cut how you like it, but don’t get your hair cut the day before your shoot if you like to have a little bit of growth added on to your cut for your most comfortable look - plan a time line. If you need to get your roots done, or you usually have foils etc, make sure they are looking perfect.

Hands and nails...

Some of us are blessed with naturally elegant nails but some of us need a little work, so getting a manicure and making sure your hands are as soft as possible means they will look great in any photos. Your eye won’t be drawn to any imperfections such as a jagged nail that could otherwise stand out.

Creamy skin...

Obviously having skin that’s as good as possible is an absolute bonus for your shoot, so apart from really looking after your skin in the weeks leading up to your shoot, you may want to indulge is some pamper sessions with your trusted skin care specialist to get it looking as good as possible.

Straight off the catwalk...

Now if ever there was a perfect excuse to go clothes shopping, this is it! Think about what you might want to wear for your shoot. Think about what colours make your eyes ‘pop’. No matter what body type you have, fitted clothes always photograph better so make sure items you choose are not baggy and shapeless. You will want to have 4 to 5 different outfits ranging from casual jeans and t-shirt to pretty dresses. Sheers, lace, sparkles, diamanté, multi layered chiffons and delicate frills all look lovely when photographed. Try to bring items in a range of solid colours (not patterns unless it’s your must have, absolute favourite!) Don’t forget about your

underwear either and include shape-wear if you want to as well. If you have a bodice that fits you perfectly that you may have worn with a ball or wedding dress in the past this could be a perfect item to bring to team up with many other combinations of outfits.

Accessories with personality...

The perfect kinds of accessories to bring with you are belts, scarves and fascinator type clips for your hair. If you have favourite pieces of jewellery that you always wear then make sure you bring them with you too. If your photoshoot is going to be a little bit edgy then things like hats, bow-ties and braces are cool additions to include.

MAKEUP

Every girl likes to know how to do great makeup, so below are a few tips. If you have chosen to use your own makeup artist or are going to be doing your own makeup for a photoshoot, here are some things to remember...

• Make sure you have good foundation coverage all over, including your eyelids. Keep everything very matt. We don’t want you to have shiny spots on your face and this includes your eyeshadow. Avoid using shimmers.

• Don’t use any type of contouring on your cheeks. If you want to have anything, a soft dusting of the softest pink on the apples of your cheek is all you need.

• Make sure you have a very strong line across the top of your eye lid extended and tapering out the sides by about 5mm. This is the most important line to define the eye.

• Use half lashes on the top outside edge of your lids for super looking lashes!

CHECKLIST : THE DAY BEFORE YOUR SHOOT

Wash hair - the day before shoot (photoshoot day your hair is clean and dry ready to be styled)

Pack all clothes. Make sure you have all the pieces that go together

Pack all underwear pieces you may want to wear

Pack all accessories

Q & A

How far will you travel to take my photographs?

As far as you want me to! I travel all over NZ to complete photographic shoots, and international shoots are also an option. There are no travel charges for travel within the Timaru district, but anywhere beyond that will incur standard travel charges.

What about locations for our photographs?

Depending on what type of shoot you have, will depend on the location. If it’s a whimsical inspired shoot in the outdoors then it could be anywhere in the Timaru area, otherwise my portrait sessions are done in my studio in TImaru.

I feel awkward in front of the camera...

Most people do, so you are not alone. You don’t need to worry because I will guide you through posing so that you look natural and bring out your best features.

Oh no, I have a pimple, can you get rid of it?

Absolutely, and I do so regularly for clients.

When will my photos be ready?

It depends on what you order, with the likes of albums taking longer but initial viewing with an online gallery should be within 1-2 weeks of your shoot.

Do you take both black and white and colour photographs?

All photos are initially taken in colour but I select images in post production that I think would suit being black and white and your final gallery will have a selection of both.

“...She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people smile, even if she was sad. No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul. She is beautiful.”

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

GLAM THE DRESS

CELEBRATE FOREVER

We usually wear our ball dresses for only one evening before they get tucked away in a closest or on-sold to some other lucky recipient. They never really get their day to shine. Often the only record we have of them is the few snaps taken by the ball photographer which is more of factory line-up and certainly nothing unique to you.

Why not take the opportunity to wear that dress again. Have your hair and makeup done and have some portraits created that you’ll never forget. Turning eighteen, leaving school or graduatiing university... they’re all great reasons to celebrate with official portraits.

THREE DRESSES & A TOP HAT

SImone has been to many school balls over the last couple of years so when it came to her shoot, she had lots of dresses to choose from. She ended up bringing along three dresses and I thought a little fun could be had with a top hat too. The images are a far cry from the kind of images that usually get taken on your ball night, and definitely wall worthy.

A SHOOT TO SUIT

FASHION PORTRAITS

Bring you favourite outfits or borrow a gorgeous gown. Elegant hair and makeup, styling and beautiful boutique photography. You will be guided step by step through the whole shooting process so there’s no need to worry about ‘not knowing what to do’

Photoshoot Includes

• Pre-consultation to discuss the style of your shoot and what to bring

• Hair & makeup

• Clothes styling and posing

• Photoshoot 1-2 hours

• Post shoot revel of images with the opportunity to purchase

• $190 (products additional)

Portrait ‘Double Up’

There’s nothing quite as much fun as doing something with a friend or loved one. So why not bring them along and have your photoshoot together, sharing the experience. Both have your hair and makeup done, dress up and have photos created of you individually and together.

Portrait Double Up/Hair & Makeup | $90

WILDEST DREAMS

Are you a dreamer who loves to think epic, wild and maybe just a little bit crazy? Your special place in the world, Paris, Italy, or a spot that is your own treasured hideaway. Add it to a holiday. Go there especially. A free spirit or with those you love.

A dress and styling that truly makes you feel like a million dollars. A favourite outfit. An heirloom piece. A dress you’ve purchased or a hired couture gown. Styling, hair and makeup.

If you have a dream that you’d love to achieve let’s get together and design a shoot tailored just for you.

CHILDREN’S FINE ART

Blink, and your children are all grown up. Beautiful portraits of your children are something you get to keep for a lifetime, a nostalgic reminder of ‘the early days’, when your children were young. Don’t end up regretting a missed opportunity. Simple and elegant, creative and styled.

Photoshoot Includes

• Pre-consultation to discuss the style of your shoot and what to bring

• Hair Styling

• Clothes styling

• Photoshoot 1-2 hours

• Post shoot revel of images with the opportunity to purchase

• $150 (products additional)

PERSONAL BRANDING

A variety of professional looking headshots for you to use in promoting your business. They can be in the studio or potentially on location, whatever would work best in presenting the best you to your customers and clients.

Photoshoot Includes

• A pre-session consultation discussing your vision for the shoot, wardrobe, and staging

• Photoshoot 1-2 hours on location shooting images

• Post shoot revel of images with the opportunity to purchase

• Includes travel costs in the Timaru area

• Hair & Makeup if required

• $190 (products additional)

To learn more about the different products offered to complement your shoot, go to page 49

BEHIND THE CAMERA

Viv has been a professional photographer for over 20 years working across many different genres but her passion has always been portraiture. At twenty her very first photographic boss suggested she should go and do portraiture full time, but it took Viv a while to find that out for herself. Since 2010 she has had her own studio specialising in contemporary style portraits.

Viv is also a graphic designer which brings a strong design aesthetic to her portrait work. And, of course it’s great for making albums and large pieces of wall art.

Awards, Quals & Memberships

Viv has qualifications in both disciplines and she is an Accredited member of the NZIPP. Viv has won a number of competitions and awards over the years and most recently Silver and Bronze’s with the NZIPP’s Iris Awards.

Photography is a love Viv’s had since she was small with her Grandparents giving her, her first camera when she was only 12 years old; a passion that has run in the family for nearly 100 years!

PHOTOGRAPHER | DESIGNER | MAMA & WIFE

AL LA CARTE PRODUCTS

Digital Collection

All edited images | $800

A USB/DVD full of all your edited high resolution images from your shoot.

Three digital edited images | $275

Five digital edited images | $375

Luxury Folio Box

(matted 10 x 7’s)

10 | $850

15 | $915

20 | $975

A gorgeous bespoke box that comes with 10-20 of your favourite matted images. You can frame them, display them on an easel or keep them safe in their première box. Folios have ALL digital files accompanying their purchase.

Matted Storyboard

24 x 16 - 9 images | $525

Framing Additional

One large print with multiple images. A contemporary take on an old favourite. Comes matted in white/off white ready for framing. High Resolution files of purchased images are included with your order.

Wall Portraits - matted

7 x 10 | $125 - 20 x 30 | $725

Framing additional

Your chosen image comes in a white/off white matt, ready to frame. High resolution files of purchased images are included with your order.

Queensberry Studio Album

9 x 9 | $850

Contemporay hardcover album with thick pages. Professionally printed and bound by Award winning book makers.

Luxury Folio Box

Matted Storyboard