Last weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of photographing a very special person indeed: my lovely wife, Cristel! You’d think that with her being married to a photographer, she’d have been in front of my camera quite a few times before, but the truth is that this was the first time we’d ever set out to take “proper” photos of her in our studio. Up till now, it’s been mostly about the kids and we’ve been endlessly procrastinating, waiting for such a day when we could set aside the necessary time to do it properly. So, with the excuse of Cristel needing a new headshot for her newborn photography website amongst other things, Cristel went and and bought some new clothes (any excuse!) and I got in touch with the fabulous Ashley of Radiant Beauty by Ashley who came in and did an amazing job with her make-up. We then set about taking some photos.

It’s pretty difficult to direct one’s wife – she doesn’t like being told what to do! So, we took a bit of time to warm up. But after cracking open a bottle of Merlot, things suddenly seemed to get a bit easier (I wonder why?) and Cristel really got into it. We took a lot of photos and it was difficult to narrow them down to a few for the blog, but here are just a few of the ones we selected together.

I had a lot of fun with this shoot and am looking forward to doing more soon, so anyone wishing to have a make-over from Ashley and a glass or two of vino for some fun photos should reach out to Cristel and me at info@joesphoto.com. We hope to see you soon!

A person with long brown hair and a warm smile poses against a dark blue background. They wear a deep burgundy top and gently touch their hair with both hands. The image has a photography credit in the corner.

A person with long brown hair is smiling softly towards the camera. They are wearing large hoop earrings and a white strapless top against a dark background. The photo is signed joe payne photography 2016 in the bottom right corner.

A woman with long brown hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a burgundy top and light-colored earrings. The background is dark, highlighting her features.

A woman with long brown hair smiles at the camera, wearing a strapless white top and a black ruffled skirt. She stands with her hands on her hips against a dark background.

A woman with long dark hair smiles softly at the camera. She is touching her hair with one hand and wearing earrings. The image is in black and white.

A woman in a maroon dress lies on a black leather couch, leaning on her elbow. She has long dark hair, wears dangling earrings, and gazes directly at the camera. The image has a soft focus and dim lighting for an intimate feel.

A woman with long brown hair smiles while wearing a strapless white top and large oval earrings. She holds a lock of her hair with her left hand. The background is dark, highlighting her natural look.

Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with long hair, wearing earrings and a scoop-neck top. She is looking at the camera, with one hand near her shoulder.

Smiling woman with long, dark hair, wearing large teardrop-shaped earrings, in front of a dark background.

Black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, looking at the camera. She rests her chin on her hands, wearing dangling earrings and a serene expression.

Thanks again to Ashley for the fab make-up work, Cristel for being such an amazing model (and wife!), and to vintners around the globe for making our jobs as photographers easier. Cheers!

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