Portraits byCristian
Studio portrait with a bouquet of roses, Modesto
Studio portrait from a recent sitting
Graduation portrait photographed outdoors

Now booking

Portraits worth celebrating

Book a Sitting The gallery

From the studio

Recently hung

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Three ways to sit

Choose Your Light

01

Glam Photoshoot

Styled looks, light shaped for your skin, posing coached throughout. One look included; up to three.

 From $20060 min 02

Birthday Session

Quinceañeras, first birthdays, sweet sixteens, golden years — a themed set built for the occasion, balloons included.

 From $25060 min 03

Headshot

A clean, current portrait for work — thirty minutes, three finished frames.

 $15030 min

All sessions & prices

Meet Cristian

“The party ends. The portrait doesn’t.”

Every session is shot, edited and delivered by me personally — you’ll never be handed off to a second shooter or a stranger’s editing queue. Every frame is directed: where to look, where the light is, when to breathe.

More about the studio
Birthday portrait with balloons from the studio

Have a date in mind?

Book a Sitting

Tell me the occasion and roughly when — a 50% deposit reserves the date.

Reserve Your Date

The Gallery

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Reserve Your Date

About

The eye behind
the lens

“The party ends. The portrait doesn’t.”

Cristian — Photographer & Founder Modesto, California By appointment
Portrait from a recent studio sitting
From a recent sitting

About the studio

Every milestone deserves better than a phone photo.

I started Portraits by Cristian because the moments people most want to remember — a thirtieth birthday, a sweet sixteen, a first cake smash — usually end up as a blurry frame from someone's pocket. In the studio, the weather always cooperates and nobody blinks.

Every session is shot, edited, and delivered by me personally. You'll never be handed off to a second shooter or a stranger's editing queue.

Most sittings happen right here in Modesto, but the studio welcomes families from across the Central Valley — Turlock, Ceres, Riverbank, Ripon, Manteca, and Salida are all a short drive in. If you're nearby and thinking about a session, let's talk.

CraftEvery session personally shot & edited — no handoffs
ExperienceHundreds of sittings — portraits, birthdays & headshots
DeliverySame-week previews — full gallery within ten days

Principles

How we work

01.

Unhurried

Sittings are booked with air around them. No one is watching the clock, least of all you.

02.

True to color

Calibrated capture and printing. Skin looks like skin, linen like linen, ten years from now.

03.

Made to hang

Every finished frame is edited and retouched by hand, and yours to print at any size.

From the studio

From recent sittings

Seated portrait from a recent studio sitting
Unhurried
Warm-toned studio portrait
True to color
Studio portrait from a celebration sitting
Made to hang
Family portrait from a milestone session
Same-week previews

Questions

Before you book

What's included with a studio portrait session?

Every studio sitting is shot, edited, and delivered by Cristian personally — no handoffs to a second shooter or an outside editor. You'll get direction that feels like conversation, a private online gallery of your finished portraits, and same-week previews.

What happens at a cake smash or birthday session?

Birthday sessions cover milestone birthdays, sweet sixteens, and first-birthday cake smashes — themed sets with confetti included. It's an unhurried sitting with air around it, so no one is watching the clock, least of all your little one.

How far in advance should I book a birthday or cake smash session?

Two to three weeks is usually enough, though first birthdays and popular weekend dates fill faster. If you have a specific date in mind, especially around a first-birthday party, reach out as early as you can.

Do you photograph clients outside Modesto?

Yes — most sittings happen at the Modesto studio, but families come in from across the Central Valley. Turlock, Ceres, Riverbank, Ripon, Manteca, and Salida are all a short drive in. If you're further out, send a message and we'll figure out logistics together.

How soon will I see my photos?

Same-week previews are standard, with your full gallery delivered within ten days. Every finished frame is edited and retouched by hand, ready to print at any size you like.

Have a date in mind?

Book a Sitting

Reserve Your Date

Sessions & Booking

Reserve your sitting

Choose a sitting, pick a morning or afternoon, and tell us who's coming. We confirm personally within a business day.

  1. i. Session
  2. ii. Options
  3. iii. Date & time
  4. iv. Details
1 · Choose your session

Every sitting includes a pre-session call to plan your looks. A 50% deposit reserves the date.

2 · Shape your session

Shape your session

Photos

Outfits
Extra time
0 hours · $50 each
Extra retouched
0 images · $45 each
Projector shot

A styled frame lit by the projector — patterns, words, or your own photos on the scene.

How pricing works
Session length
One outfit runs 60 minutes, two 90, three 120 — free. Longer is $50 an hour.
Outfit changes
Each change is $50, up to three looks. More than one outfit requires the larger photo session.
Extra photos
Beyond the photos in your session, each additional edited & retouched image is $45.
Deposit
A non-refundable 50% deposit reserves your date — the balance is due at the session.
Your quote
Total$200

A 50% deposit reserves the date; the balance is due at the session.

2 · Pick a date & time

Choose your date

Open hours

Pick a date to see open studio hours — open every day, by appointment.

3 · Your details

Tell me who's coming

Optional — for day-of coordination.

Request received

See you at the studio.

Cristian replies personally within one business day with confirmation and a short questionnaire.

A non-refundable 50% deposit reserves the date; the balance is due at the session.

Contact

Write to the Studio

Questions about a sitting, a date, or what a session would cost — send a note and Cristian replies personally within one business day.

Send a note

A few lines is plenty — the occasion, and the date you’re dreaming of.

Optional — add it if you'd rather be texted or called back.

What's this about?

Fastest route — the booking page shows pricing and open dates, no back-and-forth.

Replies come from Cristian himself.

Sent

Thank you — your note is on its way. Expect a personal reply within one business day.

In a hurry? DM @portraitsbycristian.

First

The note

Tell me the occasion and your date — a few lines is plenty.

Then

The reply

A personal answer within one business day — pricing, dates, ideas.

After

The date

A 50% deposit holds your sitting; the set is planned before you arrive.

Already know what you want?

Skip Straight to a Date

Book a Sitting

Studio portrait with roses, printed wide across the page
Private

Curator's entrance