Childhood Treasures!
Family Fun at the Park!
One of the perks of my job is meeting wonderful people and this family is one of those! This was my second time capturing this beautiful bunch. We had lot's of fun at the park with snuggles, laughs and giggles. Here's a few of my favourites from the day. Hope you enjoy your preview....
My Koala Bear!
Toby fell in love with this Koala Bear hat that he found on a recent trip to Adelaide. That inner child still shines through when you least expect it!
Model Cars!
What man doesn't remember making model cars and painting them when they were a boy?
Smiles!
A smile is the light of the window of your soul!
We Are Family!
A preview from a previous photo shoot of a gorgeous family.....
Using Props!
Photographing 'Lifestyle' means real, natural, as the story unfolds in front of you. Sometimes though, to help a child feel comfortable in front of the camera, I occasionally use minimal props to help them feel at ease. Props can show a particular stage of your child's development and what child doesn't love to show off their toys. Older children "Tweens" or Teenagers love to be able to express their own ideas on how they would like themselves to be portrayed. It can help build their self confidence in front of the camera if they've been able to use a prop that they love. For boys it could be their skateboard, bike, fishing rod, Lego, etc., for girls it could be their favourite dress, make-up, flowers or their own ideas. This little girl wanted to show off her new vintage dresses and she was so thrilled with the outcome!
Oliver's Facial Odyssey
Going through old photos with a girlfriend and we discovered these little gems! Boy is he going to hate her at his 21st!!!!
How to get Those Natural Smiles!
You never know what to expect from kids on the day of your photo shoot. At home they're adorable, laughing, beautiful natural smiles and then comes the day of the photo shoot, off goes the charm and they freeze in front of the camera! Kids are unpredictable, we want to avoid the forced smiles so here's some things you can do:
Before I commence a photo shoot I try and get to know them, break the ice so to speak. I'll ask them questions about their favourite movie, TV show, toy character, school, anything where they forget they’re in front of the camera. I might even ask them to show me their room and what child doesn't love showing off their toys? I then let them play....let them be themselves and not force them to smile or "Say Cheese" shots.
I might ask them to tell me their favourite icecream flavour and suggest disgusting combinations like spaghetti sauce with chocolate sprinkles, you'd be amazed at flavour combinations kids can make up! This always gets a natural laugh. Try out a couple of jokes with them. During the session, we can ask them to tell us a joke and this will typically loosen them up as they tell it to us.
If all else fails we might have to have the lollypops on standby!
It's snow time!
One of the joys of having children is watching your child exude happiness playing in the snow. We visited Donna Buang, an hour and a half out of Melbourne. It was freezing but it's one time you can throw things at one another and not get in trouble!
The gall of a seagull!
Seagull,
yummy bread,
can't wait,
get in straight,
greedy grab,
off we go!
The Many Faces of a Toddler!
The term 'Toddler' refers to when a child learns to walk which invariably happens around 1 - 2 years of age. It's a very important time in a child's development as it's the time between infancy and childhood when they learn and grow in many ways.
The frustration, confusion and mood swings during the toddler stage are normal as they're long on will and short on skill. Along comes the tantrums as they are finding their place in this big, scary world.
The toddler stage is when children learn to walk, talk, solve problems and relate to others. They love to be independent and want to do things for themselves as they're bursting with energy and ideas and yearn to explore.
I love this time as your child is so expressive and can be sad, upset and angry one minute and then burst into laughter at the smallest thing. This is a wonderful time to capture those moments.
Winter Solstice
Winter solstice today and this gorgeous girl suffered the cold to wear her favourite vintage dress!
Violin Concerto!
Music teaches me to conquer my fears!
Soccer Mad
Well it's got to the stage where my tween, soccer mad son doesn't like having his photo taken....here's the best I can do!
Besties!
"A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be." ~Douglas Pagel
