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Christina Gressianu Photographer

Portrait Photography Studio in Loveland, Colorado

Hope Lives

You, right now, are beautiful, and I can prove it.

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Ask any man what he finds sexy in a woman, and the answer is Confidence. (We’ve all read this in Cosmo, Glamour, etc. and no guy I’ve asked has disagreed… so this is legit info) And so it follows that the best Valentine’s day gift is YOU at your most Confident. Boudoir photography has that effect on you.

It’s not about losing 5 pounds, having younger skin or getting toned up. You, right now, are beautiful and I can prove it. I can prove it beyond a doubt, and then you’ll have no choice but to be Confident. Not to mention that a sexy little album of you is a nice little gift too.

With Valentine’s day coming up fast, I’m offering a Boudoir Marathon Month, through the rest of January. Complete your photo session by January 31st, and $280 gets you a 1-2 hour session with a couple outfit changes and a 5″ x 5″ sexy little album. And, half your session fee is a tax deductible donation to Hope Lives! Call 917-328-0664 or email me today to schedule your session since there are a limited number of spots!

People-Watching with Permission

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A while back I posted a blog on how I got started in photography.  The thing is, though, that I love photography even more today than I did when I started.  I love it every single time I pick the camera up and point it at someone. I love it when I download and edit the photos.  And I really, really love it when I show people their photos and I get to see them beam with happiness!

I had one such opportunity last night. Hope Lives! made a slideshow of the photos I shot at their fundraising Gala and Fashion Show for breast cancer (see photographs below).  The women who had participated in the show all got together for the first viewing of this slideshow; it was the first time they’d seen the photos of themselves from that night.  It warmed my heart to see these women beaming, some teary eyed, as they watched the show of photos and were flooded with emotions and memories from that wonderful evening.

This is why I love photography.  The power of a photo to take someone back to a particular moment constantly amazes and humbles me.  I get to take a moment and make it tangible.  A photograph brings with it the power to bring up emotions reminiscent of beautiful memories, and to witness that is reward in itself.  But not only that, for someone like me, who is fascinated by people, relationships and time, photography is like people-watching, but with permission!  Thanks to photography, people lead me into their lives for an hour, an afternoon, a day…I get to be part of the family, laugh with the children, talk with Grandma, play with the dog… I get paid to live from my heart…how could I not be in love with that?

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Hope Lives! Annual Gala – A Heartwarming Evening

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Saturday night at the Fort Collins Hilton, 400 or so people came to watch a fashion show that was less about the clothing and totally about the models. All of the models were beautiful, strong, amazing breast cancer survivors. The 400 people came out this evening to support them, and the wonderful organization that is Hope Lives! The evening started off with a cocktail hour featuring yummy pink champagne and a silent auction.

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I got a quick shot of Lydia Dody, who founded Hope Lives after her own recovery from breast cancer. I think she’s just gorgeous!

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After cocktail hour, there was a lively Live Auction, an awards ceremony, and finally… the fashion show!

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The show was kicked off by Kim Shore in that fabulous violet gown, and Bonnie McBride-Berry in her kicky skirt and smart red jacket.

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Another shot of Bonnie, and Anne Cagen was next!

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Rose Marie Studer, in this stunning teal gown is a personal friend of mine. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house, and when Rose Marie came out I was relying on the ole’ auto-focus because I got all teary-eyed too.

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Elana Serrano and Jeanne Brien came out and had an absolute blast on stage!

gala_07Jan Rachid danced on stage like a person truly celebrating life. Robin Tujillo was a bit more reserved, but clearly glowing and thrilled to be there.

gala_08Jessica Adair was the youngest of the survivors to grace the stage. So she and Dana Dunlap were proud to show off their guns!

gala_11Jennifer Entner and Shari Robinson came on stage, almost floating.

gala_10And lastly, we had Julie Jones, Marylin Jones, and Patricia Moore. Julie and Marylin are a mother / daughter survival team. Talk about inspiration!

You can read more about these fantastic women, and what they have to say at Style Magazine.

I’ve blogged about Hope Lives! before, and I’m still running my fundraiser for them. What I love so much about Hope Lives! is that it’s a local organization dedicated to helping women around me in very tangible ways. The large research organizations have their place, but it’s hard for me to LOVE them the way I do Hope Lives!

I look forward to working with them more and huge thanks to all the people who came out that night to support and cheer on the models.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Loving the Skin You’re In

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I think “Love the Skin you’re in” is a tagline for something… clearly not a good one since I don’t remember the product.  But it’s a great idea, since loving the skin you’re in is something that many women struggle with whether a size 2 or 22. We all wish we had something bigger, something smaller, something smoother… and we’re almost in disbelief that anyone finds us attractive.

Women battling breast cancer struggle with this tenfold, and helping them deal with their emotions, families, houses, and more is the mission of Hope Lives! here in Fort Collins. Approximately 200 women in Larimer County are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and Hope Lives! strives to provide complete support for them post-diagnosis.

So how can you help and learn to love the skin you’re in? Well, I’m running a couple days of marathon boudoir photography sessions to benefit Hope Lives! Boudoir photography simply means that it’s intimate artistic portraiture – could be tasteful nudes, could be sexy lingerie, could be cute undies and a mens’ dress shirt. For a woman to work with a sensitive, skillful photographer and see herself through another person’s eyes can be an amazingly healing experience. You will leave the session feeling inspired, confident and gorgeous. And when you see your photos, you’ll have something to remind you to feel that way all the time.

And, for Hope Lives! I’m offering a fantastic deal! You pay for your photo session, and get professional hair and make up free. Also there’s no location fee for the amazingly luxurious Armstrong Hotel!  Everyone gets one free 8×10 print, and the first 5 people to sign up with also get a soft-cover album free!

A Monday of Random Things

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A bunch of things are going on now and when I was trying to figure out what to blog about first, I kept not blogging. So, I’m just throwing it all into one post because that’s how today is going to roll.

First, I’m doing a fundraiser for a wonderful organization in Northern Colorado called Hope Lives! They are all about helping women with breast cancer in all kinds of ways we might take for granted. They provide services such as massage therapy, cooking/cleaning / home help, personal and family counseling, and more. I love this organization because the result, are tanglible, immediate and local. They are directly helping women right now, right here. And you can help them too! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and you can signing up now for a Boudoir for Breast Cancer session! It’s fun, the photos make a fantastic gift for that someone special, and half of your session fee is tax deductible. (The half that’s not tax deductible goes to things like the hotel cleaning fee, make up, batteries, and other such hard costs of doing this. Teryn, who is a wonderful hair and makeup stylist, and I are both donating our time and talent.

Next, I’m thrilled to announce my acceptance into the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA)!  The WPJA is “an International, membership-based organization representing professional photographers skilled in the documentation of weddings and events in a candid, unobtrusive style. As a WPJA member, Christina Gressianu joins the ranks of some of the most talented wedding photojournalists in the world as judged by their technical, creative and visual aptitude.

Christina Gressianu will be held to strict membership standards regarding image quality and content, technical and creative technique, website and marketing professionalism, business ethics and communication. In turn, he/she gains prestigious affiliation with one of the industry’s top professional organizations. Christina Gressianu can further gain admittance into quarterly competitions, where his/her work will be judged by some of the world’s most respected and accomplished award-winning photojournalists.”

Exciting, isn’t it?

I am also participating in a local Halloween themed art show! I don’t have all the details yet, but I know the show goes up on Thursday, and so I was working feverishly over the weekend to craft a good creepy photo. Since the show is not up yet, just a sneak peak…  inspired by Blair Witch Project.

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Lastly, I’m super excited to blog Stephanie and Skip’s Wedding this week, but I’m not quite ready yet, so here’s a little sneak peak:

Ellis ranch, wedding photography, northern colorado, loveland