Baptism photography at Hagia Sophia Greek Cathedral
I love photographing baptisms at the Hagia Sophia – it’s one of my favourite churches in London. It’s such a beautiful space and the light is so atmospheric.
Having your loved ones gather for your child’s christening is such a special event, and one that doesn’t often happen again after a wedding – what a great opportunity to capture photographs of them all enjoying a special day with you.
I love photographing guests arriving and greeting each other, and capturing all the emotion and excitement. It’s so great to be able to show your child when they grow up who was at their baptism, and what the day was like.
I always look to photograph the details in the build-up to a service, including the clothes ready and waiting – and the baptismal oils, candle and necklace.
The Santa Sophia cathedral offers so many interesting perspectives for me a photographer – the vantage points looking through the candle and crucifix makes for an interesting composition, and I always bring a range of lenses so I can include more of the striking interior in photographs as well as closer-up photographs of the people involved.
Christenings are such a great opportunity to get the nearest and dearest together and to have a big celebration with everyone close to you. It always tugs at my heart strings seeing how much it means to people to have their closest friends there to celebrate with them.
What to expect in a Greek Baptism
As a photographer, it’s so important to know – and to be able to anticipate – the special parts that are coming up in an orthodox Greek baptism.
I love capturing all the elements that go into the service: the blessing of the bible, the holy oils, cutting a lock of the baby’s hair, changing the baby into their special outfit. Knowing what’s coming means that I can photograph it all discreetly, as I can be in the right place at the right time.
A selection of photographs at this church
Another Greek Baptism at this church
And here’s another orthodox Greek baptism
About The St Sophia Greek Cathedral in Bayswater, London
The Hagia Sophia / Santa Sophia church is stunning, with intricate decorations, an incredible ceiling and a huge number of interesting perspectives to photograph from. The light is very low and dramatic in Hagia Sophia, so my Canon R6 cameras really comes into their own. This camera works brilliantly in even the lowest lighting conditions.
We love the photographs! Louise has captured beautifully all the precious moments and took lovely shots of our friends and family without interrupting the flow of the event. She was professional and responsive and a pleasure to work with. I would definitely recommend her.”
Maria
Discreet christening photography
I offer timeless photography that will capture the beauty of your baby’s special day.
About you
- You love classic photography with a little bit of a twist
- You can’t wait to have your friends and family together
- You treasure your wedding photos, and want to create a beautiful record of your baby’s special day too
- You’ve spent hours planning this event, and want elegant photographs to document it
- You’re looking for an experienced christening photographer who will be discreet and sensitive
- You’re drawn to reportage photography but would still like some portraits in the mix
