Jennifer & Patrick : A Nourish Session

Jennifer was the winner of a giveaway that I ran just after World Breastfeeding Week.  I'd unintentionally begun a little week-long project throughout that week in August that ended up being very well received.  To celebrate, I gave away a Nourish session for which Jennifer was nominated by a friend - what a gift this was, for us both as it turns out. 

Jennifer warmly welcomed me into her home one morning just after Patrick woke from his morning nap.  He was interested in this new person suddenly in his home, but was more interested in his morning milk, so we settled into his mum and dad's beautiful bedroom where he could feed comfortably. 

We spoke about our relative breastfeeding experiences, and as with most mums, Jennifer had a lot of determination and support from her husband to persist with breastfeeding through those not-so-easy first days and weeks.  She mentioned many times how grateful she is to still be feeding Patrick one year on, how special this experience is. 

This session was a series of lots of little feeds - Patrick was very interested in me, as well as his best mate and dog, Joey who wandered back and forth past the bedroom window while we worked. Being one, and almost walking, he was active, curious and talkative, but would quickly realise he was still hungry and would crawl back into mum's lap for some more milk.  At one point, he crawled up into Jennifer's lap but instead of laying down, he sat and wrapped his legs around her middle.  Completely adorable, the first photograph I took after this has got to be one of my favourites from their whole collection. 

I'm so pleased it was Jennifer who won this session, I know she felt a little nervous before we began our session, but I now know she's happy we did the session and preserved this wonderful time in her life as mum to gorgeous Patrick - so much so that she and her husband were happy for me to write this blog post for them.
I look forward to being invited back in future, Jennifer was incredibly sweet, more at ease in front of the camera than she probably felt at first, and we bonded immediately over sharing this season of life - raising small children.  Spending time with Jennifer and Patrick on a particularly warm morning this winter was such a treat.  xx

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NOURISH: Milk Drunk Love Stories sessions are a lovely documentary style photography session dreamt up to celebrate that time in our lives as young parents when our children are so reliant upon us for nourishment and nurturing.  The collection of photographs from these sessions are presented in a hard bound 6x6 inch book to well preserve and celebrate this moment in time.
Feeding our babies and small children is so much more than a food source, it's a daily practice of bonding, slowing down together, learning about each other, loving on each other and relaxing, for you both.  These sessions are not solely for breastfeeding parents, they're for any parent who is feeding their baby.  Please click through to the contact page or call me on 0452 394 908 to book a session for yourself. 

Welcome Arleea Grace

And baby girl makes eight!
 
Arleea is a lucky little girl, she's been born into a family full of ready made friends, allies and her own personal cheer squad in life.  Arleeais the youngest of six, the littlest sister in a family bursting at the seams with the wonderful chaos that a bigger family brings.  Being invited into their home was a treat.  Sure it's a little noisy and busy, as you would expect, but it was brimming with life. 

Lots of laughter, chatter, playing together, managing disputes, tending to sleepy toddlers or a finger caught in the back door, a little person retreating to a quieter corner of the house when they needed their own space.  Through all of that, this little lady was peaceful and ever observant.  So peaceful when she was being snuggled by mama, and voicing her disapproval at being anywhere else. 

Mama, Arleea and I worked quietly in a corner of the house, while life in their family went on around us.  Little Braxton had just woken from his afternoon nap, and was stuck like glue to daddy.  Life's a bit rough when you're no longer the baby of the family.  The big kids were either outside on the trampoline, in their playroom or sneaking snacks.  I was lucky enough to have two gorgeous little helpers following me around, who not only let me take a snuggly photo of the two of them sitting on the window sill together, but invited me for a sleep over as I was packing to leave;-) 

When we stopped for Arleea to be fed, something really lovely happened.  (Lovely for me perhaps because I'm on the outside looking in, and I would love to add a baby or two more to our little family).  Mama sat on the couch and began feeding, and one by one the older children came quietly and gently to join her.  Seeing as almost everyone was in the same spot, I asked the others to join us.  It was quick, and just one frame, but I'm not-so-quietly high-fiving myself for this last photo of this lovely family all together.  Look at all that love squashed up on the couch together.   xx

Photography's Place in Your Family's History

I adore this work I'm intrusted with.  I have small glimpses into the lives of other families, the way they live, the way they love each other - and my work is to show that back to them in the photographs I make with them. 

Though, I can't say that I come across many people that feel comfortable with the notion of getting in front of a camera, there is always an excuse at the ready.  But those excuses rob you of preserving and existing in your family's history.  However you choose to preserve it - via the camera on your phone, another photographer who takes your fancy, or with me - I can't emphasise the importance of this enough. 

This is why, and how, I do what I do...

Too often we seek out the so-called 'picture perfect photos' of our family - matching clothes, clean faces and happy smiles looking down the barrel of a camera lens.  With that comes the pressure of perfection - everyone reminded to be on their best behaviour, no running around until we've finished and please smile nicely.  I want to challenge that so-called perfection with documenting the real stuff that our 'every day' is filled up with, which is rarely picture perfect in the traditional sense, but much more important.

How often do you hear parents lament at how quickly time is passing?  How quickly their children are growing from baby to toddler to child.  We see it every day in their fierce determination for independence, their increased capabilities and comprehension of life, and the way their bodies grow and change so rapidly. 

When we look back at the years that have passed so swiftly - be it fifty years or five - it probably won't be those picture perfect days of clean faces and a tidy home that we remember with joy in our hearts.  More often than not it will be the day-long trips to the beach full of castle building, splashing in the ocean and fish and chips wrapped in paper.  The back seat of the car filled with sand and happily-exhausted, sleeping kids on the drive home. 

Or the weekend mornings in winter, everyone wearing flannel pyjamas piled into mum and dad's bed for cuddles and wrestling before getting up for the day.

Or the afternoons spent reading books, building towers taller than themselves, baking biscuits and the endless hours of drawing at the kitchen table.

I have been a parent for a relatively short time, but if I think back to the little moments that have already passed me by that I want to remember forever, I'm transported back to the foggy newborns days of endless hours rocking and feeding small babies, manoeuvring their tiny limbs through their teeny clothes.  The sight of a round, nappied bottom of a confidently crawling baby escaping down the hall.  Right now the moments that bring me joy are when I lift my increasingly heavier kids onto the kitchen bench to help crack eggs into the cake batter before the battle for the wooden spoon, and sleepy post-nap cuddles on the couch, little arms wrapped around my neck, warm faces snuggled into my chest.

THIS.  All of this, and one million more moments unique to every family is what I adore photographing - families at any stage of life just living their lives.  The families I photograph are thrilled to have a real  moment in their family's history frozen in time. 

WHY?  Because it's easy - we chat about your family beforehand, we have a rough idea of how we'll spend our morning or afternoon together, we let the kids dress themselves and I show up with my gear while you just keep going on with your day.  Easy.  No one is acting out a part in a play, there are no expectations other than to 'be yourself' and I won't ask you to move into corny poses if it's not your thing.  Mum, you will love it because you're in the photographs too.  Mostly though, you will love it because it's real.  When you look at your photographs you can hear the sounds of your children playing in your home, smell those biscuits baking in the kitchen of the house you've outgrown and remember how those little arms felt wrapped tightly around you.  As time moves on, these photographs become more important, they become filled with more joy and are looked upon with so much fondness. 

I'm writing this today because I want to convince you of the importance of existing in the photographs that will make up your family's history.  I want to convince you that these photographs can be unique to your family, that they will be real, that they will document your life beautifully - they will preserve it and they will celebrate it.  And I want to convince you that you can have a lot of fun having your photographs taken, you just have to be yourself and trust me with the rest.  xx

If you're in the Brisbane area, let's chat some more about your session, click through to contact me, here. 

Waiting on Baby Cleeland V2.0

Waiting for your second baby isn't any less anticipation-filled than your first.  In fact, it's kind of more so because you know how amazing it will feel to lock eyes with your new baby for the first time, to hold their naked little body against yours for the first time, and it's that sort of anticipation that has you eager for your little ones arrival to be more timely.

We met for this lovely family's pregnancy portraits at just days shy of the 39 week mark, two weeks ago and mama's tum looks much the same as I type this today.  So you understand just how eager they are for their little darling to be welcomed into their happy home.  Send all of your safe and healthy baby birthing vibes her way today:) 

This session felt like it was held at the eleventh hour.  Peta is a photographer herself (you can see her work here) and had another session lined up as well as taking a couple of self portraits just in case.  So I scooted from one side of Brisbane to the other, racing against peak hour traffic that I hadn't planned on, to make it in the nick of time.  We'd missed the illusive golden hour by moments - I had been willing the sun to hold it's position in the sky as I drove towards their house - still, we walked a block or two from their home to this gorgeous little creek side reserve.  What we both discovered was this brilliant afterglow that hung on after the sun had dipped below the horizon, it's incredibly pretty - I plan on making more use of it at outdoor sessions in the future! 

Thirty-nine weeks pregnant never looked so gorgeous.  This is the type of session I sit at my computer with and grin at while I'm downloading film scans (and a few digital snaps too ;-) ...  It's pretty, Peta is glowing (and looks especially stunning on film), it was quick, everyone involved were happy campers and it was easy.  Days like this don't feel like work. 

This little family is all about FUN!  So genuinely happy, easy to laugh and have fun with what the afternoon presented.  I'm looking forward to seeing how their newest family member adds even more of this to their life together, such a lucky little baby. 

Peta and I met online through a mutual friend (Hi Leanne! x) and of course found it easy to chat considering our mutual interest in photography as well as being in the same family-building season of life.  Meeting her and her two lovely boys in person though was even better.  I liked her online, but in person she was immediately warm spirited and contented in the best possible way, just like Dave and William - I'll be holding her to the offer of a cuppa and cake for our next catch up, and the best occupational hazard there is, brand new baby snuggles.  xx

WILLIAM
This little man, ahh, had me wrapped around my little finger from the get go.  He was the right amount of cautious of me at first before realising we were going to have a fun afternoon and became the world's best little assistant ever.  The following three photographs sum up my afternoon with him.  So.  Much.  Fun.  He ran between me and his parents, using my light meter to fulfil his role as chief assistant, grinning, jumping, performing, posing the whole time.  He also gives a killer high-five if you ever have the opportunity.  He's going to be such a great big brother.  xx

The Kilby Klan

A few weeks ago, late one night, I was feeling super inspired after reading a brilliant new photography book. A book focused on family photography. On a whim I put a quick model callout on my Facebook business page for bigger families and was flooded with offers! Because I shoot film, I couldn't photograph all who'd offered, even though I would have adored it.

The Kilby's were the family I ended up working with to practice my new found inspiration on, and from my side of the camera at least, it was a blast!

Mum Monica had warned me that they'd be a rowdy bunch, but they were so lovely, full of personality and super fun! They honestly made my job that afternoon a breeze. Seriously - who said never to work with children or animals?! 

While this family were full of fun, there were also plenty of super sweet moments during our afternoon, note everyone's hands throughout these photographs, always connected. Beautiful! And after four children and being together for some time, David was so adoring of his wife as I photographed her individual portrait. It's not that I'm surprised, it's more that I was personally, pleasantly reassured. 

When Monica and I were planning this post Valentine's Day session, I asked her a few questions about her family so I, in a way at least, could get to know them and what their family was all about before we met in person. Her words were lovely -  she and David are such loving and conscious parents, so focused on making sure these kids are well supported throughout life. I've used Monica's words alongside a few photographs throughout this post, using her words to tell you about her family seemed far more fitting. 

These four kids were awesome! It's not often that I work with children of this age so I wasn't too sure on how I'd be received. Would they think this was a daggy way to spend their Sunday afternoon? (If they did, they didn't let me know ;) Would they let me have a little peak inside their personalities - past the smile-for-the-camera smiles? (Absolutely they did, I was thrilled!)  Could I manage to keep the time of the session long enough to get 'all the shots' but short enough so they didn't lose interest? (From my perspective, yes!) 

All four of these kids were great to work with - in the interests of keeping it real, sure, we had a few moments that weren't smooth sailing, but you know what? that made up only a few minutes of our time. We let them take a minute to chill out and moved onto some other shot until they wanted to rejoin us. The results show that letting kids be kids is always the easiest approach. 

I'll let Monica tell you about her cherubs ...  

We had a lot of fun, everyone was so kind and so funny, Monica and I chatted parenting throughout the session and David suggested Monica and I meet for a coffee to talk about how they'll display their family photographs in their home for a bit of a girls afternoon as well. 

This wonderful family has kept me inspired to photograph more families in this stage of life, rather than only those starting their family. I'm so looking forward to doing more family sessions just like this x 

One of My Favourite Families

How do you like to spend time with your family?  For us in Queensland, we're quickly moving from our mild winter into summer, barely passing for spring.  Families are heading back outdoors as our days become longer and warmer, backyard pools are being put to good use again and local parks are quickly filling with long, lazy picnic lunches with loved ones, Frisbee and cricket bat in hand.  Others are heading straight to the beach to splash away their working week, nap in the sunshine and fill their cars with endless sand on their drive back home.

But before our hot, humid summer overwhelms us, I'm cherishing the last of my snuggly winter family sessions with a family who holds a special place in my heart.  Friends made by our mutual love of a beautifully framed piece of art as much as a good chin wag.  Life-long friends made while we waited patiently for our sons together, born only weeks apart, coupled with a not-so-secret adoration of Wednesday nights in front of the television for a fabulous Australian drama, watching it 'together' phones in hand for the entire glorious hour.  It's a match made in friendship heaven.

Our collaboration on their family photographs is always been a joy.  We simply play, cuddle up and read books in their home, and seemingly far too easily, this beauty is our result.  I always walk out of their front door anxious to play, cuddle up and read books with my little family.   It's such a gift that they return to me each time.

this is what eighteen months looks like, in Henryville