West Palm Beach Photography Studio - Holiday Baby Mini Sessions are here.

And the holidays are here!

In-studio holiday baby mini sessions will be offered every Wednesday through November AND on Saturday, November 26, 2016.

These are short and sweet, 15 minute sessions specifically for babies (3 months to sitting). Document your little one in a natural light, calm studio environment. Styling is simple and focused on your baby-just enough to know it's his or her first holiday season!

Some wonder, some smiles, maybe even a little cry - preserve, freeze and cherish these fleeting 1st year moments...

Sessions begin at 10:30am and end at 2:30pm. Each session is 15 minutes with a clean and simple set up. You have 2 options to choose from - a prop setup on the floor or on the fluffy, white bed. One (1) baby per session. Just bring your baby with the outfit of your choice. I do recommend keeping it simple with a solid color - a dress, a onesie (their little feet and legs are especially a nice thing to remember at this age). Props will be provided, however if you have a special item you'd like to use in their images, please feel free to bring.

Appointments are highly recommended, however walk-ins are welcome.

Bring your Mommy/Me group to the studio. Have a chat, a laugh, make some memories this holiday season. 

Location: The Studio | 421 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 (Metered parking along Gardenia Street)

Package 1: $175 - 15 minutes - 3 digital images 

Package 2: $200 - 15 minutes - 5 digital images 

 (Plus 6% FL sales tax)

20% off a la carte print/product items. Be sure to check out the professional products in the studio for your home, for gifts. I highly recommend tangible products - physically hold onto your memories. It's SO important!

Please allow 7 days to complete final edits. Files will be delivered via digital download.

Gift certificates are always available.

Any questions, please feel free to use the contact tab to communicate or feel free to call 561.951.5024.

XO-Christina

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep | October is infant & pregnancy loss awareness month | A photographer's perpsective.

October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance month. Have you heard of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS)? This organization is very close to my heart.

When I first began working in the hospital photographing the first 24-48 hours of brand new life, I quickly came to realize that not all were tears of joy and happiness.

I'll never forget the first time I was asked to photograph an early fetal demise of 18 weeks. Tears immediately filled my eyes. I had to step into the office to compose myself as the nurse explained the details. I had never done this before. How would I proceed if I said yes? After a few minutes of many thoughts rushing through my mind, I agreed. The only way I knew how to do this was to ask myself - if this were my baby how would I want to remember him or her? I proceeded down the hall to explain to this young Mom what I was about to do. She was in complete and utter shock with the unexpected passing of her daughter. Her family was much more aware of what was happening. The nurse opened the door and brought her baby in gently placing her in her mother's arms. I photographed and tried my best to lock in these very short moments with her baby as the tears streamed down my face behind my lens...

From that first experience plus many more, I decided to become a volunteer photographer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Their mission is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with a free gift of professional portraiture. "NILMDTS trains, educates, and mobilizes professional photographers to provide beautiful heirloom portraits to families facing the untimely death of an infant. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family's healing process by honoring the child's legacy."

(Permission was given by this family to share their sensitive story and images from my small perspective as their photographer.)

In early December 2014, I was contacted by this family's close friend explaining their unique situation and asked to photograph Katy & Benjamin Dyall's second son at St. Mary's Medical Center when he arrived. Baby Eli was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. HLHS is a rare congenital defect in which the left heart is severely underdeveloped. Eli was underweight and also had a hypo-plastic right lung, as well as other internal anatomic abnormalities. His combination of syndromes was literally less than one-in-a-million, with only 11 other babies diagnosed with his conditions ever. Unfortunately, their doctors told them that this combination of syndromes made Eli a nearly impossible candidate for life-saving surgical interventions following his delivery. 

I received a call early on December 29, 2014 stating Eli Dominic was born at 7:46 am - delivered via caesarean section and kindly asked to meet them at the NICU. I met and spoke to their point person, Daphne, who I was communicating with via phone/text and then sat in the labor/delivery waiting area that was full of visitors - there was one seat left on the opposite side where their extended family gathered. It was a couple of hours before I was able to get back into the NICU and meet this special family and their second baby. In that time, I couldn't help but listen to the various conversations going on around me - visitors getting texts that baby was born, who baby looked like, when they could go see baby - generally very pleasant conversations.

And in the same room, I watched this family with pure heart ache in their eyes, in their soul. No words. Simply could not imagine how they were feeling.

Around noon, Dad came out to introduce himself and bring me back to meet Mom and baby. Mom's bed was wheeled over close to her baby and we watched the nurses work on him in his isolette. She patiently awaited this moment to hold her baby for the very first time...

Family came in one at a time to meet, kiss, share their emotions and tell him how much he was loved. The parents and medical staff discussed the possibility to take him home - away from the hospital atmosphere and transition him to the Little Treasures Palliative Pediatric Care Program. I was not aware that palliative/hospice care was available to newborns/babies. I would stay in contact with Dad if the transition was successful.

I do my best to hold my composure through each of these sensitive sessions - always saying a prayer asking God to help me do the best job I can under the circumstances. It's always once I get into the car, when I break down and have myself a full on cry the entire drive home.

Two days later, I received a phone call from Dad that Eli was successfully transitioned home with 24 hour medical care. On January 2, 2015, I had the honor to photograph the Dyall family in the comfort of their warm and loving home. I stepped in and was welcomed by big brother, Caleb, and surrounded by their medical team & family. The atmosphere and emotions were a mix - the typical new Mom with 2 children, the full on love and gratefulness that Baby Eli was able to experience life in his home, yet also reminded of his fragile state when his Little Treasures nurse, Michael, periodically would come in to check his vitals as we were photographing. I had the beautiful privilege to watch Eli bond and nurse with his Mommy, hear his soft cries, watch his big newborn yawns, hold tightly with his tiny fingers to the adult hands that cared for him, watch his big brother play, kiss, cuddle and jump on the bed as big brothers do, sing their favorite lullaby to him "I See the Moon", observe his Daddy carefully hold his newborn son, smile and speak gentle, soft words of love.

On January 4, 2015, 7 days after birth, I received the news that Baby Eli's time on earth had ended and he had become a sweet angel in heaven...

These are some of their beautiful moments together at home-as a family of 4...

In October 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. "When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses his or her partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn't a word to describe them." This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience across the United States and around the world. It is also meant to inform and provide resources for parents who have lost children due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, stillbirths, birth defects, SIDS and other causes.

"I could only be grateful when I realized that I would rather have known you for a moment than never at all. I would rather endure this inexplicable pain of outliving you than to never have seen your face, spoken your name. I would rather be yours, and you be mine, regardless. Regardless of the sorrow, the sleepless nights and the years I will walk this earth, carrying you in my heart." - Scribbles & Crumbles

XO-Christina

The Magical Santa Experience in West Palm Beach is coming soon!

The Magical Santa Experience will be happening again this year! Last year was so fun for the children. Some were a bit shy, some were brave and bold, some cried, but most had fun, cherished moments with Santa Claus! The wonder, the curiosity is something you don't want your children to miss out on!

Why wait in long lines at the mall-and possibly your child having a tantrum just before it's your turn to sit and chat with Santa?

Come in during your scheduled appointment at the studio without the rush and let the magic unfold. Bring your child's most cherished items from this year to remember.

Come as your heart desires. Dress in your Christmas pajamas or your holiday best.

Bring your Christmas wish list, tell Santa your secrets, bring your favorite holiday book, throw some snow and share some milk and cookies.

There will be 2 setups this year. One will be special moments with Santa and the second will be a light and airy feel on the white bed.

Date: Saturday, November 19, 2016

30 minute session experience begins sharp at: 10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15, 1:00, 1:45, 2:15

*UPDATE: There is one time slot remaining at 11:30. Please contact me asap if you'd like this spot!*

Includes: ~ 10 digital images via digital download | Children only | $250.00 + 6% FL sales tax. A non-refundable $50 deposit is required to hold your time slot at the time of booking. Remaining balance due 1 week prior to shoot date.

Print and product samples will be available to see and touch.

Location: The Studio | 421 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

This unique holiday session books fast. Please use the Contact tab to email me or call 561.951.5024

Gift certificates are always available. (Hint* Grandparents love to purchase this as a gift)

Get your coffee. Come in and let's meet. Christina Lin Lifestyle | Portrait Photography is OPEN!

PSST. Share with your friends. The studio is OPEN!

A small delay with Hurricane Matthew last week, but the studio is ready to open tomorrow! It's been an amazing month of creating this space that speaks everything I have learned and loved up to this point in my life. It's been a month of professional development, continuous education/learning from the very best in the world. The Baby Summit, a 3 day conference in Atlanta, focused on business & photography for professionals specializing in maternity, birth and newborn photography was a whirlwind experience. To sit in intimate rooms with industry leaders-Sue Bryce, Kelly Brown, Luisa Dunn, Erin Hoskins and others was absolutely awe inspiring, not to mention a trade show to die for with the most beautiful products/props from vendors around the world. I brought a few back for my tiniest clients.

The studio is located in downtown West Palm Beach at 421 South Olive Avenue - about 3 blocks south of Clematis Street and a few blocks east of City Place.

Please come in, say hello and introduce yourself. I'd love to chat and meet my new community! (The studio is closed on Tuesdays for the month of October as I am photographing the first 24 hours of life in the hospital.)

The October Grand Opening special is here!

This is a great way for you to experience a shorter, 30 minute session, get to know me/understand my style and BEST of all freeze some life moments of today. The session includes maternity, baby/child, family (up to 6 people) and well behaved fur babies. It excludes newborn and cake smash sessions. Maternity sessions take place in studio only due to the Zika virus. In studio, natural light sessions take place on weekdays 10-5. On location/outdoor sessions will be completed in the downtown WPB/Palm Beach area. Outdoor sessions take place either just before sunrise or 2 hours before sunset. The session includes 10 digital files printable up to 8x10,  1 really cool 8x10 Canvas Mini of your image choice that is ready to display and 20% off a la carte items if you so wish for additional prints/products for gifts or your walls. When your final edits are completed, you will be contacted to come into the studio, view your gallery and choose your 8x10 Canvas Mini. Digital files will be delivered via download. Gift certificates are always available as well.

Benefits of completing your shoots in October: overall less stress before the holiday, more time to order your holiday cards, decide on gifts with enough time to order, longer days continue through Sunday November 6. Once daylight savings time ends, outdoor sessions must be completed before 5:30pm. We all know the day after Halloween-the holiday craze begins. Don't be that person that realizes after Thanksgiving you didn't complete your session! Get your date in the book.

If you'd like to book or have questions, please go to the Contact tab or email me directly at: christina@christinalinphotography.com. Please be sure to leave your best contact number.

XO-Christina

Christina Lin Photography | The Studio is opening | October Grand Opening Special!

Happy Fall! Although it feels nothing like it here. Every minute of the day seems to be accounted for. Just returned from an incredible photography workshop with Elena Shumilova (check out her work if you don't know who she is - you will be in pure AWE) hosted by Amy McDaniels of Dewdrops Photography - top photographers in the industry. These workshops are so invaluable to our business, to our inspiration, to our art. There are multiple take aways we gain, but the cool thing is you are still YOU - developing new, subtle skills that work within your own style.

The studio is coming along! Waiting for some inspections to clear and will officially open in early October after attending The Baby Summit conference in Atlanta.

I will be opening with full on motivation and excitement after these amazing conferences.

Please come in and introduce yourself if you're in the downtown area. Studio is located on 421 Olive Avenue between Gardenia and just before Fern Street. Best place to park is along Gardenia Street or the Evernia Street parking garage. If you get lucky, there is a spot right in front of the studio. Super excited to get to know the downtown West Palm Beach community.

The October Grand Opening special is here!

This is a great way for you to experience a shorter, 30 minute session, get to know me/understand my style and BEST of all freeze some life moments of today. The session includes maternity, baby/child and family (up to 6 people) photography. It excludes newborn and cake smash sessions. Maternity sessions take place in studio only due to the Zika virus. In studio, natural light sessions take place on weekdays 10-5. On location/outdoor sessions will be completed in the downtown WPB/Palm Beach area. Outdoor sessions take place either just before sunrise or 2 hours before sunset. The session includes 10 digital files printable up to 8x10,  1 really cool 8x10 Canvas Mini of your image choice that is ready to display and 20% off a la carte items if you so wish for additional prints/products for gifts or your walls. When your final edits are completed, you will be contacted to come into the studio, view your gallery and choose your 8x10 Canvas Mini. Digital files will be delivered via download. Gift certificates are always available as well.

Benefits of completing your shoots in October: overall less stress before the holidays, more time to order your holiday cards, decide on gifts with enough time to order, longer days continue through Sunday November 6. Once daylight savings time ends, outdoor sessions must be completed before 5:30pm. We all know the day after Halloween-the holiday craze begins. Don't be that person that realizes after Thanksgiving you didn't complete your session! Get your date in the book.

If you'd like to book or have questions, please go to the Contact tab or email me directly at: christina@christinalinphotography.com. Please be sure to leave your best contact number, so we can chat...

Christina Lin Photography | The Studio is coming to downtown West Palm Beach this October!

It's 12:05. Midnight. I have turned off work today to spend time with my 3 lovely crazies before they begin school on Monday. Jake was our DJ as we drove to our destinations. Finished up school shopping.  Played referee in breaking up their 11th argument. And fed them numerous times. I swear they eat all day in the summer. But trying to hold the sanity. For this will be the last summer I spend this much time with them. Bittersweet.

At 7:25 p.m. - I began my work day. I sit here, taking deep breaths and cannot believe how this summer is ending. A name change, a full re-brand and a new website...

What else could I take on?

In my 5 year plan, a studio space was always a dream - never thinking it would be a reality for this girl. A sacred little place that was my own to consult, to photograph, to show, to design, to host events, to bring community together. I began doing some research on local areas - read about the market and future growth in specific towns, visited and walked the areas to get a true feel of each possibility. I narrowed it down and knew I wanted and hoped to be in the artsy, historic downtown West Palm Beach area.

One Sunday morning, we headed downtown. The entire family got involved and we peeked into windows with lease signs, took pictures, wrote down phone numbers. We were dreamin'! The kids gave me their opinions on certain spaces. It was quite sweet to listen to their reasoning. They actually gave me great advice on things I hadn't even thought of. I loved hearing their perspective on tiny details.

Weeks went by, many thoughts going through my mind. As this Could. Maybe. Possibly. Be in my future. Terrifying and exciting at the same time.

There was a specific spot I had been eyeing. I decided to stop by after a family session I had just completed. Walked into a lovely, local store and spoke with the owner. She gave me some wonderful advice, then pointed out that the property owner was outside. Met and spoke with him for a bit - more great advice. All around positive interactions and even better - a feeling of great intuition.

Weeks went by. After many lengthy and detailed discussions, my husband and I decided this was right. I made the call. The lease was sent to me. I reviewed. I prayed real hard. I was about to sign. Within an hour of all that happening, I got a call. A better space had just become available with the same property owner. A space with more pedestrian and drive by traffic. A space I had less build out to complete. A space that was the right size. A space that was meant to be. A space I could not be happier to call The Studio. {BIG Sigh & tears.}

In October, my overfilled home studio will be moving to 421 South Olive Avenue - in the historic Gardenia Building - West Palm Beach, FL 33401. This will be a place of light, calm, peace, love, happiness, new friendships built and community - a place where many memories will be made. Stay with me on this ride as I complete the biggest career project of my life. Follow me on Instagram to watch the transformation @christinalinphotography. Sign up for the newsletter to learn about updates, grand opening and specials.

" And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

XO,

Christina

 

Welcome to the new home of Christina Lin Photography!

Hello and Welcome to my new home.

The bright light at the end of the tunnel is here! Early on it was difficult to envision how an idea in your mind would translate onto a website. The look, the words, the details. Many hours, late nights & weeks have passed by to bring me here. Project completed.

I admit. I am bad at blogging. It's a big goal of mine to improve.

Here's how it began.

So, I knew this summer would consist of catching up - admin work, making adjustments, new product offerings, updating the old website and some breathing time. I did not expect to undergo a name change (formerly Photography by Christina Lin), a full re-brand and a completely new website. This was most definitely not in my plan. I was ready to soak in some relaxation, enjoy time with the kids, have a bit of a lazy summer to rejuvenate and brainstorm on some new, creative ideas.

Well. God had a different plan for me.

One late night in May, I was scrolling through Instagram. A post from Emma Rose Company appeared. She caught my attention. I began looking through her feed and felt an immediate connection. She was real. Her words were beautiful. She made me think. Think HARD. A few days later I contacted her. And a week later we were working together. She was different. She cared and wanted to gain a much deeper understanding of me before she started. She wasn't just throwing a website together. I filled out pages and pages of Q&A that weren't all required, however it would benefit both of us if I dug deep within and shared my heart and soul - my why, what, where & how. It took many, many hours and late nights to think through these questions that I have not thought through in a long while or ever at all. And ya' know what - this is exactly what I needed. It was a big push to make me better - to give me a clear, concise picture of why I do what I do - it defined my business.

I want you to understand and "know" me before you send the contact button. I do my best to be transparent, to be real - that's the only way I know. I am perfectly imperfect. Life is tough. Life is fun. Life is tears. Life is belly laughs. Life is fear. Life is pretty. Life is sleepy. Life is messy. Life is full of expression. Life is blessings. Life is wonder. And I love capturing ALL of that. As you navigate through this site - this labor of love, I hope you feel a little something through words or imagery. Believe and trust your intuition, be still and listen to the soft voices that speak to you throughout your day. My tiny dream has grown a little each day to be fuller, more purposeful, filled with love - bigger than I ever imagined. And this is me 5 years later - in 2016.

I thank you for visiting, for taking time to read this first blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new look. I hope to meet you & your family one day soon. Please join the list to stay connected with me. XO!

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