Welcome to my blog. Here you can see more of my sessions. Do feel free to leave a comment as I'd love to hear from you
It's such a delight when I meet new clients who are expecting their first child and overjoyed with the prospect of being parents. Tim and Yuri found each other in South America and decided to raise their baby in Tim's home town of Melbourne.
Yuri has precious heirlooms that had strong significance to her, which we used during the shoot. It really makes the session so personal when you can use items that you have such a strong attachment too.
Can't wait to meet your new, little bub!
There's just so much to do in a day of the life of a toddler! Little Oliver couldn't wait to show me his room and his toys (and sorry Mum for me asking him to jump on his bed)!! The cutest!!
I was so honoured when Megan, a fellow photographer from www.megananne.com.au asked me to photograph this crazy, emotional, love-filled time in their life. Megan and Luke seemed to exude a sense of calmness despite the fast pace of a 2 year old and a newborn. Congratulations to you and your new family! I hope I managed to capture such a beautiful time in your lives.
What better way to spend a day on your school holidays than have a photo shoot with your best friend. The girls loved trying on different outfits and had a ball modelling in front of the camera. They were little troupers, never complaining once especially with the cold!
Children seem to come out of their shell in front of the camera and naturally be themselves. If you're thinking about having professional photos taken don't be put off that it's Winter.
They're so perfect! For me newborn photography is so beautiful for it's simplicity. Documenting the tiniest of details, the wisp hair, the dribble, the dimple, their tiny hands and feet, this is what you want to remember as it's gone so quickly. This gorgeous 8 week old baby girl was the sweetest!
Over the past 9 years I have photographed a lot of newborn babies and love getting to know each of them individually as we all know that every child we come across is VERY different and has different strengths that they utilize even as infants. Every yawn, smile and look was admired by his Mum & Dad. Okay, call me clucky but little Nathan is the most handsome boy!
He's always standing guard at the front door, my little protector!
It might be cold here at the moment but when the sun comes out what better place to have a family photo shoot than down at the local park playing with the ducks, looking for fairies and playing on the swings.
It's an amazing thing, almost a surreal time in a woman's life when she's expecting. To feel your baby's movement and knowing that a new life is growing inside of you can't be compared. To celebrate her third pregnancy and maybe her last, Marnie called me to photograph her. You make a beautiful mother Marnie and both your girls will be gorgeous big sisters.
As if I am reaching for the stars,
outstretched arms, open and inviting.
Gentle smiles tell stories of lives and love,
the movements so enticing.
Smooth steps and turns, arms precise.
What a feeling, all those eyes and brightly colored lights.
I watch from the crowd and I see from the stage,
I yearn for the day when I can dance with such grace.
For now I simply practice and hope the curtain will raise,
And pour my heart out when dancing
and hope the music never dies.
by Cindijo Betrand
What looked like vacant, bushy land was actually a native reserve filled with all sorts of beautiful indigenous plants and trees in our local area. I've driven past this spot so many times but decided to stop and have a look.
Little Emma had such a great time (even in the rain), looking at all the flowering shrubs and tea tree! Children love to investigate, everything is an adventure!
I'm sure we've all been there.....Mum has organised a professional photo shoot, spent hours organising outfits and reiterating to their family to give lot's of smiles and behave on the day of the shoot. I totally I get it, you want the photographer to capture them at their best but sometimes there will be one child that won't be cooperative on the day! Most Dads aren't particularly too keen either (sorry Dads)! The stress of trying to get everybody ready and meet the photographer on time, once you get there you're stressed and all everyone can think of is getting it over with before someone loses it.
I like to ask lot's of questions prior to the photo shoot to get to know each of your family members and to help them relax and have fun during the shoot. It's okay if one child doesn't want to have their picture taken, don't stress as once they see the other members of your family having fun, they want to be included as well. They will come round!
My aim is to capture the interaction and love you have for one another. Hug them, laugh with them, tickle them, whisper silly things in their ears, throw them in the air and play with them so they see that this is more of a play date with Mum and Dad, not a photo shoot where they can't relax and be themselves. This is your family...you know them, you love them...show them how you feel and those gorgeous interacting photos will happen.
So this is a subject that I've been putting off writing about but I feel it's time as I get a lot of enquiries asking about price, etc. and asking why professional photographers charge so much.
With the advent of digital photography everyone seems to be a photographer these days. Professional photographers have a lot of training and experience. It takes years of hard work and education to hone their photography skills. A professional photographer understands composition, white balance, exposure, light and shadow, Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. and is always educating themselves to take the most beautiful photos for their clients that they will treasure for a lifetime. A smart digital camera does not an accomplished artist make. You wouldn't go and purchase a great pair of scissors to cut your child's hair and expect the same result a hairdresser could do?
You hire a professional photographer for their ability to make you and your family look awesome, using their artistic and technical talent. You hire them for their expertise in being able to bring to life your vision for your photos of your family. The time they spend working and getting to know you to really bring out your individual personalities and to capture memories in time.
Not only should you be in the photos with your family but you'll find that most children are more likely to be cooperative with a professional photographer than you directing them. Photographers have learnt through experience how to get children to give those natural smiles.
The actual photo shoot is only a small portion of what the photographer actually does. After the shoot the photos have to be culled and edited individually to give them their own unique look that fits with the Photographer's style. This is where the main work happens. They are then loaded to an online photography gallery for you to choose your images.
When you pay for a professional photographer you are investing money into pieces of artwork, high quality images that will be displayed on your walls and not left on your computer hard drive or in boxes packed away. They have the knowledge of quality printing for your photos and have their own specialist printers that they use. A high quality photo deserves to be printed on beautiful art paper that will withstand the years.
What am I paying a professional for?
When you pay a professional photographer to shoot for you, you are generally paying for the following things:
- The photographer will work closely with you in choosing your outfits, ideal location and time of day to get the most beautiful lighting, etc. All of these minor details can make a huge difference in your final photographs.
- Time and talent
- Knowledge of cameras, lenses and purchasing of equipment in order to achieve high quality images for you. Professional photographers have a great depth of knowledge about what types of equipment and what camera settings you need to produce a certain image. That beautiful bokeh (blurry background) and halo lighting cannot be reproduced in 'Auto' mode.
- Post production creating and editing each individual photo. This is a lengthy process where your photos are worked on individually to give them a polished, artistic and professional look.
- Printing and social media rights for usage of your photos.
- Insurance
I hope this helps you understand what you pay for by hiring a professional photographer. Life happens so quickly and photographs are timeless memories of who you and your family were that will be passed down through generations.
With less than a week to Mother's Day I thought I'd share some favourite images of Motherhood over the last year. Mum's deserve to be spoilt on their special day! Celebrate Motherhood, the love they have for their children, the behind the scenes work they do to make our lives run smoothly. Being a Mum myself and knowing how our time is so stretched thin, why not spoil your Mum with a photo shoot Gift Voucher, a present that will be cherished for a lifetime. My aim is to capture the love and connection all Mum's have for their children and family. Book now and you'll receive a free 7 x 5" art print.
7 Tips for Preparing for Your Autumn Session
Autumn is one of the most popular months of the year for portrait sessions. After all, nature is doing its thing with all those vibrant colors, plus you get a chance to really play up your wardrobe with accessories in the crisp weather.
1. Make use of accessories and clothing that play up the "autumn" feeling. For example, opt for leather boots, cable knit scarves and comfy cardigans look amazing on the whole family and can really bring a picture to life. Tip: neutrals do really well in the fall against all that foliage.
2. Timing is everything. Start paying attention to that shift in weather as summer melts into fall. Once the leaves start changing book a session. I know that I like to plan fall sessions, so chances are I've got a session ready for you.
3. Location is everything. If it's Autumn, you better believe we're playing outside in the gorgeous weather. I have a lot of locations to choose from that have particularly pretty backdrops. I'm also open to your suggestions.
4. Plan for a mid-afternoon to early-evening session, when the light is just gorgeous. The days are shorter in the fall, so we need to plan accordingly to get that golden hour light.
5. Play in the environment. Chances are there are leaves on the ground or a few buds lingering around. I may have you throw leaves up into the air or something similar. Remember, this shoot is all about capturing your family bond and having fun, so let loose and get into the season!
6. Pack the necessities. It can get chilly in Autumn, so you may want to bring some necessities on hand. Snacks and drinks for the kids and jackets on standby for when the sun goes in.
7. Wear comfortable shoes and accessories. Since we're going to be outside, we'll probably do lots of walking. If those boots look amazing but kill your feet, scratch them. If the scarf looks adorable on Tim but it's scratches his face and makes him unhappy, it's better left at all.
What better way to spend a chilly Autumn evening during the school holidays than toasting marshmallows in the fire pit in the backyard. Children love to do this (and get's them off the video games without too much hassle)!!
LITTLE GIRLS
(Karen Barnes)
Little girls are made of daisies and butterflies and soft kitty cat purrs and all the precious memories of times that once were.
Little girls are made of angel's wings and giggles and a firefly's glow and all the happy feelings deep inside that we all know.
Little girls are made of cinnamon and bubbles and fancy white pearls and snowflakes and rainbows and ballerina twirls.
Little girls are made of sunshine and cupcakes and fresh morning dew and these are the reasons little one, why everyone loves you.
Well she thought she wasn't photogenic and tried to tell me I'd never get a decent photo of her....but I think we proved her wrong!!!!
There's blurred lines when it comes to explaining what Lifestyle photography is. Some would say it is Documentary where the photographer becomes a fly on the wall and photographs your normal day. To me Lifestyle is natural and real, with occasional prompts to help the clients know what to do.
For me, it is so beautiful and personal to photograph your newborn in their brand new home, to capture your baby photographed in their own nursery, to remember forever what that very first bedroom looked like. Those first wraps, hand knitted blankets and booties, their first teddy, all the things that you'll want to remember in years to come. To have them cuddled by you on your bed, a place where they'll never be quite this small again. Lifestyle to me is documenting you, your new family forever changed! It's emotions and love that you could never have imagined before.
Here's one adorable little guy and his parents!
I absolutely adored this lifestyle newborn session! The sweetest little baby details...these are what you want to remember!!
