Brighton born and bred pet photographer Lauren Christien is raising money for Say Aphasia by offering free photo sessions in exchange for donations to the charity.
Approximately 350,000 people in the UK are affected by aphasia, which inhibits a persons ability to speak, read, and write, usually after suffering a stroke. Say Aphasia helps those with the condition through support groups.
Lauren explained her plan to raise money for the charity:
“My current project is to help a local charity called Say Aphasia. I am offering a complimentary pet photo session to anyone who donates £10 or more to the charity.”
Lauren finds her work exciting and enjoys getting to know each individual pet and owner that enters her studio:
“I absolutely love meeting people and their pet and hearing about their stories, and capturing the different personalities of each one. I simply create stunning, long lasting images for people who adore their pets, through the art of crafting beautiful photographic imagery.”
She recognises the important role furry friends play in their owner’s lives, and wants her work to immortalise them:
“The love for our pets is so strong and we all wish they could be with us for a bit longer. I want everyone to have a beautiful piece of art that they can keep for many more years.”
Lauren believes in the importance of physical copies of photos rather than everything staying digital:
“I think everyone should own a gorgeous professional portrait of their dog to be framed in homes. I don’t think we print enough imagery – it’s all kept on our phones and computers. Everything looks 100 times better printed!”
While dogs are what she’s used to, Lauren is open to photographing pets of all species, shapes, and sizes.
This isn’t the first time she has got involved with the community, as she also organises events for lots of local residents to enjoy:
“I always like doing things that involve the local community, for example, in September 2019 I organised a dog festival in Preston Park called The Crafty Dog Festival, which was really fun and lots of dog lovers came along for the day and enjoyed live music, vegan food, dog shows and competitions!”
The festival is going ahead again this year as well:
“This summer, the Crafty Dog Festival will be on Saturday 13th June and will be more of a family day festival to involve more of our wonderful community.”
She added:
“I love how crafty Brighton is, and so this time, the festival will have lots of local independent craft makers selling their products. If you have your own handmade company and would like to attend the festival, please get in contact.”
Lauren has a message for anyone who may be interested:
“I always love to work on new projects, so if you have anything in mind, just let me know!”
These are Lauren’s pet photography rates for the fundraising campaign:
“£10 [to Say Aphasia] gets you 30 minutes in my home studio and 2 professional high quality images of your choice.
“£20 [to Say Aphasia] gets you an hour in the studio and 3 professional high quality images of your choice.
“£30 [to Say Aphasia] or more gets you an hour in the studio and 5 professional high quality images of your choice.”
To contact Lauren, feel free to send her a message on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/laurenchristienphoto
For more information about the Crafty Dog Festival, visit: www.facebook.com/craftydogfestival
To learn more about aphasia and the work Say Aphasia does for people with the condition, visit: https://www.sayaphasia.org/
Featured image: © Lauren Christien
