by Alana | Oct 3, 2019 | Fresh 48, SJOG Mt Lawley
Just the day before, I’d captured The Birth of Lacey. One year earlier, I’d captured The Birth of Chloe. On this day I captured the two of them meeting for the very first time. Neither of them will remember this day, with Chloe only having just turned one, and Lacey only just being born. But this moment is forever captured, forever frozen, forever theirs to look back on. The day that your kids meet their new sibling is always such a special one, and including that in a Fresh 48 is perfect. It means you can sit back and just be in the moment, without having to worry about taking your own photo memories. You can fully be present as your older child spontaneously leans over to kiss their new baby, and you can also be fully aware when that very same child decides that she may have had enough of her new baby sister! These are special and beautiful memories, and are ones you can never repeat. They’ll only meet each other for the first time ONCE, so why not capture it? It was such a pleasure to watch this beautiful family grow, and to be there for some pretty special moments. I always feel so lucky to be let into my families worlds.
A Fresh 48 session is one that’s captured anytime in the first 48 hours after your baby’s birth. It means that I’m on call for you, and that I visit you at the hospital when your baby is fresh and new. You don’t realise how much they’ll change in hours, let alone in days and weeks, and months. The change is rapid and constant, and you often don’t notice until they outgrow an outfit, or until you look back on a photo taken only last week. Capture them while they’re this fresh, this new. Freeze it all in time so that you can always soak them in!
If you’d love to capture a Fresh 48 for yourself, or any session, feel free to Contact me and ask any questions. You can also view my Fresh 48 Portfolio, and learn more about Fresh 48 sessions here.I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact me to book a session or ask any questions!
by Alana | Oct 3, 2019 | Birth
In June 2018, I captured The Birth of Chloe, so I was extremely excited when Charlotte contacted me to tell me that she was pregnant again and wanted me to be there for the birth of her second child!! Fast forward to August 2019, and I was receiving messages throughout the day that Charlotte’s contractions were getting closer together and more intense (while she was walking around the city so that Dylan could get a hair cut and buy new jeans!). Eventually I got the message to come to the hospital, so I raced off to St John of God Mt Lawley, which is always a little special to me, because it’s also the hospital I birthed all four of my own babies.
Seeing Charlotte and Dylan again, it was like no time had passed! To add to this feeling of going back in time, not only did they have the same Obstetrician, but they also had the exact same midwife who had delivered Chloe (and had also been there for the birth of Dylan’s older two daughters!)!! In all four of my births, I never had a repeat midwife, so this was quite amazing!! Then to add to that, Charlotte’s birth experience was almost identical. After progressing relatively slowly in terms of dilation, dinner arrived and Dylan and I both ate (I always feel a little awkward eating in front of a labouring mother, but they insisted!). I joked during dinner that as soon as we’d finish, she’d suddenly be ready to push, as that’s what had happened with The Birth of Chloe. And surprisingly, that’s EXACTLY what happened again!!! As soon as we’d finished eating, Charlotte was suddenly fully dilated and ready to push!!
She began pushing at 655pm, and only 5 minutes later at 7pm, their beautiful daughter was born!! She arrived peaceful and content, and completely perfect. Welcome to the world Lacey!! The very next day I was back at the hospital to capture little Chloe meeting her baby sister for the first time during their Fresh 48 session.
If you’d like me to capture a birth for you as well, I only take on a very small number each year. Contact me to book in or ask me any questions! You can also view my Birth Portfolio, and 10 reasons to invest in Birth Photography. I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact me to book in or ask any questions!
by Alana | Oct 1, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
I first met Vanessa, Ryan and Paddy for their Maternity Session at the gorgeous Pines during golden hour, and so I was super excited to meet their new addition Hugo! In-home newborn lifestyle sessions are the perfect way to freeze life as you know it now. To be in the photos with your family in your own environment, with all those things you’ll look back on as just a memory one day. The couch you sit on when feeding, the bed you lay on together, the toys your older children play with, and all those little parts of your world which may not seem significant today, but will change and evolve and become just a memory for the future. How often do you look at a photo and stop and smile at it and think ‘Oh, I remember when…’, and all those emotions come flooding back?! This is why I love capturing your memories in your home, and it’s also perfect for families with older children. The session revolves around them – they can be involved when they want to be involved, and they can go off and play in their room when they need a break. No pressure, no posing, just life.
This session was soooo much fun!! Paddy is the most beautiful and affectionate little boy, and I loved capturing him kissing his little brother in those tender moments, but also running down the hallway with his Daddy in those energetic and crazy moments! Vanessa said that during her session she felt “Relaxed and happy. You were great at making suggestions and giving us some guidance, but I also liked how you stepped back and just let things play out so our photos were very relaxed!”. She describes her images as “Special, precious, beautiful”, and after her session she said “I’d just like to say thank you for capturing this special moment in our lives and freezing it forever. There is nothing like the presence of a new baby to make you realise how fleeting each moment is, and how quickly your little people change and grow. We will treasure these photos always, thank you.” Receiving feedback like this means everything to me! Thank you for letting me into your world to capture these fleeting moments for you and your family!
If you’d like me to capture some special memories for you too, Contact me here. You can also view more of my newborn lifestyle images in my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio, and learn more about what Newborn Lifestyle sessions are here. You can also see what others are saying about my sessions. I look forward to hearing from you!
by Alana | Oct 1, 2019 | Family - Location, Perrys Paddock
Evie is my beautiful niece, and I’ve known her since the very second she was born as I was there to capture her Birth Story. I was also there before she was born with their Maternity Session, and afterwards with her Fresh 48 and Newborn Lifestyle session. I always love following the full journey with my families, and it makes it extra special when the little person is such an important part of my world. Ashlee and Matt asked me to capture some images for them to celebrate Evie turning one recently – ONE!! That first year goes by simultaneously slowly and quickly, and is the most challenging yet beautiful time in your life!! Not every day is easy, not every day is beautiful, but when you look back on it you’ll always miss it just a little bit. From her first cuddle with her parents…to those early days in the hospital as they get to know their new baby…to those early weeks at home when they’re figuring out their ‘new normal’ (a ‘normal’ that will constantly change and evolve)…to holding her hands as she practises standing, listening to her giggles, and watching her personality continue to shine. They’re all beautiful moments to freeze, because they’re all moments that pass silently by with time. Happy first year beautiful Evie!!
If you’d like me to freeze some memories in time for you as well, Contact me here. Feel free to ask me any questions!! You can also view more examples of my sessions in my Family Portfolio, and hear what others are saying about my sessions. I look forward to hearing from you!!
by Alana | Sep 30, 2019 | Birth
Birth is one of those magical, unpredictable, intimate and vulnerable times in your life. Choosing to invite me into your space during this time is never something I take for granted, and from the moment we first meet, I’m invested in you and your story. I met with Desiree in the earlier stages of her pregnancy where we chatted for too long and lost track of the time, and from that moment I was committed to being there for the birth of her third son who was due in July. Desiree had plans to labour at home as much as possible, and then birth in the water at the Family Birthing Centre. As with all plans, they don’t always run smoothly, but for the most part, she got there!
Zion wasn’t overly eager to enter the world, and needed a little encouragement with a couple of sessions of acupuncture and a stretch and sweep. Despite needing the encouragement though, once it all started it was ON! At 1030am on July 19th Desiree messaged me on her way back from the stretch and sweep, letting me know that she was picking up some milk. Within an hour of that I receive a call from her where she can’t even talk and passes the phone onto her husband who tells me to come to their house. By midday I had arrived and it was obvious things were picking up – she was breathing through those contractions and her little boys were playing around her and rubbing her back. Within 45 minutes I was following behind them to the hospital – half expecting them to pull over and deliver on the side of the road!
We arrived at the Family Birthing Centre at 1.15pm. As Desiree waited for the birthing pool to get to the correct temperature, she breathed through her contractions in the shower, and then it suddenly became obvious that Zion wasn’t going to be waiting for that birthing pool to be ready!! There was no pushing, no noise, just sudden movements to the floor, a calling out of ‘baby!’ and at 1.55pm he was born and lifted into his mother’s arms. Desiree couldn’t even remember that she’d been able to hold him straight away – but she did – and looking at these photos showed her that. She was there for her baby, right from the start, and she birthed like an absolute warrior!
This is what Desiree had to say about her experience “Alana recently captured the birth of our third son and was so amazing throughout the whole experience. As you can imagine, at such a vulnerable time, it’s hard to think of how it will feel having someone else there watching but I felt so comfortable with Alana ahead of time and through the birth. Not only was she there to take pictures, Alana provided support to me whenever it was needed in the birth as well. She maintained her distance at the right times and I honestly didn’t even realise she was there for the most part so it was amazing to see the pictures she captured when I had no idea she was there in those moments. Alana made me feel so comfortable and not at all like being watched and of course the photos she captured were absolutely amazing!! highly recommend!”
If you’d like to book me for a Birth, I only take on a very small number so that I can be totally available to you and your story. Contact me to ask any questions and check my availability! You can also view more of my birth images through my Birth Portfolio.
by Alana | Aug 5, 2019 | Fresh 48, Newborn - Lifestyle
Beautiful Harriet burst into the world in quite a hurry in a room filled with love not just from her parents, but also her Grandmother (although she’s not quite sure what her title will be yet – Grandma, Nanna, something creative??). Harriet is the first child for her parents, and the first grandchild for her grandmother, so it was extremely special to include them all in a Fresh 48 session recently at SJOG Mt Lawley. Fresh 48 sessions mean that I’m on call for you around your due date, and as soon as your little one is born, you contact me and we organise a time for me to come in and capture all of those gorgeous fresh memories. The wrinkled hands and feet…the first few changes…the fresh love bubble you’re still encased in…the little tufts of hair…the first cuddles…the way your baby looks TODAY. Babies change so quickly, and even in just a few days she’ll be a little different! Freezing these moments in time helps you hold onto them and revisit them, to soak them in again and remember what it all felt like, because generally those first few days are a little bit of a blur!
Fresh 48 sessions are focused on those things you do a million times a day when you have a new baby – cuddling them, watching them, and breathing in their baby smell. It’s all about you and your family, and we go with the flow in terms of what your baby needs. No formal posing, no props, just you and your perfect little baby exactly as you are. Simple, real life memories for you to have forever and ever. I love that Harriet’s Grandmother/Nanna was there for the session as well. They live close by, she was there for her birth, and I just know that this relationship is going to be extremely special. I can only imagine what it must be like to watch your daughter give birth to your grandchild…all these memories must come flooding back of when your child was that baby in your arms!! Harriet is going to be one loved little girl.
I’m always so appreciative of feedback I receive from my families, because I put so much into giving you memories that make you feel something. Harriet’s mother Jazmin had this to say about her session
“Alana did a fantastic job of capturing my daughter’s early hours with a 48 hour fresh photography session at the hospital where she was born. Alana was able to make my partner, my mum and myself feel comfortable (all normally terrible in front of a camera), so that the focus could remain on baby Harriet. I know that without Alana, we would have struggled to capture this special moment in the chaos of becoming first time parents. The session did not feel rushed because Alana took her time with us making the session feel even more important. I would highly recommend Alana!”
If you’d love me to capture some memories for you too, Contact me here. I’d love to hear from you! You can also view my Fresh 48 Portfolio and learn more about Fresh 48 sessions here.
Contact me to discuss capturing your own special memories!! I look forward to hearing from you!
by Alana | Jul 18, 2019 | Family - Lifestyle, Fresh 48, Maternity, Newborn - Lifestyle
It was only a couple of weeks ago that Dea, Chris and I braved the rainy day to capture their Maternity Session, and I’m soooo glad we did because little Oliver decided to make an appearance a little sooner than expected! Exactly two weeks after their Maternity Session, I was meeting their little boy in their home who had been born during a quick and sudden labour the very day before!! As they left the hospital within hours of his birth, Oliver’s Fresh 48 session was captured in his home, which is a beautiful way to freeze this once in a lifetime moment of bringing your little one home! Fresh 48 sessions focus on the gorgeous little baby details in the first 48 hours after birth – the belly button clamp still attached, the wrinkly hands and fingers, the messy hair and all those little details which tell the story of a little baby just being born.
It also tells the story of new parents – the amazement, the exhaustion, the adrenaline high, the beaming smiles, and the expressions of a love they’ve never quite felt before (and of course in this case it also must include Chris drinking coke and playing xbox games!). This is a time where it’s still not quite real – when their whole world has been changed and it’s impossible to keep up with reality. It’s surreal looking at your baby for the first time. Seeing them move, hearing their noises, and feeling their skin. It will never quite feel the same again. Their fingers will stop being wrinkly, their movements will become more controlled, and they’ll change at rapid speed over the next days, weeks, months and years. Hold onto this moment, soak them in as much as you can. Capture it so that you can revisit it all long after it’s passed.
Dea mentioned during the session that I have the best job, and she’s right. I get to meet these amazing people and their most perfect little babies. I get to witness this magical time in people’s lives and freeze some of it in time for them. I loved spending time with Dea, Chris and Oliver, and then sneaking in some moments with Grandma when she came to visit too. This is her first grandchild, and she was there for his birth. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must feel like!! Congratulations guys on your perfect son (I really thought he was going to be a ‘she’!), and thank you for letting me into your world to capture your new family as it is today.
I was lucky enough to meet Oliver and his family a few months later during their family session at Perry’s Paddock.
If you’d like me to capture some memories for you too, Contact me here. You can also view my Fresh 48 Portfolio and learn more about Fresh 48 sessions here. Don’t forget to check out Dea’s Maternity Session captured completely in the rain – it’s truly beautiful!
Contact me to book in your session!
by Alana | Jul 12, 2019 | Maternity, The Wanneroo Pines
Having met around 10 years ago over wee and poo (ha ha sorry guys but that’s the way you described it to me!), Adriana and Josh are about to welcome their second son (or ‘baby frog’ as their almost three year old Elias calls him!). Interestingly, their baby has the same due date as Elias’s third birthday, and even more interestingly, Josh shares a birthday with TWO of his brothers! It seems like this is a bit of a family tradition – I wonder whether this little one will keep it up! I’m super excited, because I’ll also be capturing this family during their Lifestyle Newborn session, so I’ll be able to meet their gorgeous new addition!
We planned a last minute session down at The Pines, and crossed our fingers that the weather would be kind to us! As Adriana is close to her due date, we decided that a back up plan would be to capture her session in their home so that she wouldn’t miss out. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day and we were able to go to The Pines as planned.
It was obvious pretty quickly that Elias is a little bit of a Daddy’s boy (except when he was sick the week before and only wanted Mummy!). It was a challenge to get him to sit or be held by his mum, but the absolute best thing to do in those situations is to not push them or force them to do anything. During sessions with toddlers, it all pretty much revolves around them and what they’re willing (or not willing!) to do. Don’t stress about it, don’t push them or get frustrated, and I can almost guarantee that at some point, in their own time, they’ll do exactly what you want them to do. And that’s exactly what happened. Elias suddenly reached up for his Mum and was happy to be held, and we just grabbed onto that moment! Let it all naturally unfold, and magic will happen!
And of course, as with all sessions including kids, we have lots of fun flipping upside down, tickling, flying in the sky, and anything else that keeps them happy and entertained (and has the added bonus of letting me capture those gorgeous authentic connections!).
I loved spending time with this family, and really look forward to hearing the news of the birth of their new little boy. I can’t wait to meet him! If you’d like to capture some memories for yourself, Contact me and we can chat about the type of session you’d love. You can also view my Maternity Portfolio and Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio, and learn more about Newborn Lifestyle sessions here.
Contact me to book in your own session!
by Alana | Jul 9, 2019 | Maternity, Perrys Paddock
This session just has alllll the feels!!! We went ahead with it despite the rain, as we’d had to cancel the week before due to storms, and we didn’t want to risk Dea’s baby being born before we were able to reschedule again!! Dea was also getting her hair and makeup done, so we decided to just go ahead. We changed the location from The Pines to Perry’s Paddock as I prefer the openness of Perry’s Paddock on overcast days, and we also pushed the session earlier in the afternoon as we weren’t going to be getting the golden hour glow. It was sooo worth it!! I think the rain gives a beautiful magical feel to their images, and it will be something they’ll always remember!!
Lucky for me, Chris and Dea brought out two umbrellas, so I was able to continue shooting despite the rain. Chris was an amazing assistant holding the camera over my head when he wasn’t involved in the shots, and the rest of the time I juggled the umbrella and camera. Our shoes were sodden, we were wet, there was less of an opportunity to move around, but I absolutely love the end result!! Dea chose the perfect dress to compliment both her gorgeous baby bump and the environment, and although Chris wasn’t overly thrilled at the idea of the session, I think he did pretty well! I’m so glad they have these memories to look back on, and I hope they are too! Dea described her images as ‘beautiful, natural and fun’ – perfect!
I’m also meeting with Dea for her 48 Session and her Newborn Lifestyle session, and I can’t wait to meet their beautiful baby! I have a huge hunch it might be a girl – so let’s see if I’m right!! By booking in more than one session, you get discounts on your additional sessions – which means more gorgeous images for less of the cost!
If you’d like me to capture some memories for you too, please Contact me and we can chat! You can also view my Maternity Portfolio, Fresh 48 Portfolio and Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio for more examples of my work! You can also view Oliver’s Fresh 48 session – yep I was wrong and it was a boy! I was lucky enough to meet Oliver and his family again during a family session at Perry’s Paddock.
Contact me to book in your session!
by Alana | Jul 7, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
Recently I’ve had quite a few sessions where the little babies were just too eager to enter the world, and came along earlier than planned. Sylvie is one of those gorgeous babies who had a little bit of a challenging start to life, but now is here in the arms of her parents who just completely adore her!! I always love watching first time parents. It takes me back to the days when my own daughter was first born, and this whole new world had just opened up in front of me. Everything is new, it’s fresh, it’s uncertain and scary and exciting all at once – not to mention exhausting! The reality that this little baby belongs to you is one that takes awhile to sink in, and you spend your days just watching them. I’m so happy to be able to give parents beautiful memories of this time in their lives. This is the most fleeting time where your baby changes rapidly in front of your eyes, and it’s not until you look back on a photo or go to dress them in an outfit that suddenly no longer fits, that you realise how much they’ve changed. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to capture your baby just as they are – they’ll never be like this again!
Sylvie’s Grandmother had arrived a few days before, spending some quality time with her first grandchild and was a special part of the photo session as well. Freezing these moments in time will not only mean so much today, but will also mean so much when they’re separated by distance and able to look back on these memories together. Looking at an image helps you transport back in time to that very place, and relive all of those emotions again. If you have a grandparent you’d love to include in your session – invite them along!!
I loved spending time with this family and their beautiful daughter. She is a very wanted, very magical part of their lives, and I hope they treasure these memories of when she was so small. If you’d love to capture some once in a lifetime memories for yourself, Contact ma and we can chat. You can also view more examples of my work in my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio.
by Alana | Jul 6, 2019 | Family - Lifestyle, My Family
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have a whole lot of time or motivation to get the camera out this month at home, BUT it remains super important to me that I continue capturing my own family and those little moments that make us, US. So here we go, a little snapshot of our June.
Pancakes
One of our weekly routines is pancakes for breakfast on Sunday. Now that Kohen has football games early on Sunday mornings, we have literally zero ‘relaxing mornings’ anymore – every morning is a super rush to get out of the house. So during football season our new routine is pancakes for Sunday lunch after his game, and it’s actually working out really well!
Alexi and Guitar
One thing I’ve been meaning to capture all year is Alexi learning guitar. She’s been doing a special program at school where the lessons are free (woo hoo!), and she’s been loving it. She takes herself off to her room to practise all the time, and her first report was amazing. I remember learning guitar in Primary School, but I think I only lasted a term at most!
Louie and his Planets and Countries
Louie is one smart cookie. He’s only four yet can read and write fluently – like he’s actually amazing. It doesn’t just stop there though, he also just loves learning and always finds something to focus his learning on. Very early on it started with letters and numbers, then with starting to read, but now that he’s mastered them he’s onto other topics. The first was planets. He knows his planets (and dwarf planets), and I have to admit, we’ve ALL learnt so much about them since he became interested! I mean, who knew there were even Dwarf Planet Candidates?! He even has Alby requesting ‘planet songs’ on the tv all the time, and Alby called his red lollipop ‘Mars’. Now that he’s pretty good at planets, he’s become interested in countries. Geography is NOT my strong point, so when he gives me little tests, I usually fail! Every night he and Kohen give each other 3 countries to find on the map before going to sleep.
Louie’s first disco
Now that Louie’s in kindy he was able to go to his very first disco. He was soooo excited, and more than happy to practise some of his moves for me in photos before going. He danced his way up to the disco, and he danced his little heart out in the disco as well with his girlfriend (yes, girlfriend – he loves her!), and his best friend. Watching him dance and be so free and have so much fun made me so happy!!
Alexi’s final year of disco
Just as Louie starts his disco career, Alexi’s one is coming to a close (at Primary School anyway!). Her and her two best friends went along to their final winter disco – complete with perfume and handbags. It doesn’t seem that long ago that she was Louie’s age going along….Sigh….
Waiting for Nanna
Most days my mum (Nanna) comes here, and Alby often waits by the window. It’s super helpful when she comes as it means I don’t need to take him with me to pick the kids up from school. As most mornings are filled with me chasing him through the school, it’s a relief to not having to worry about the afternoons!
Arts and Crafts
Of course, most of my monthly updates include some kind of images of my kids doing some kind of arts and crafts. I’m so lucky in that they just do all of this themselves – I really don’t have to do anything to get them interested in creating. Their craft table is in the same room as my computer, so often I’m editing and working while they’re busy creating.
Capturing these daily moments and little memories means that they never really leave me. I can always look back and remember when my life looked like this. If you’d like me to capture some memories for you too, Contact me here. You can also view more of my work in my Family Portfolio.
by Alana | Jun 23, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
Born 10 weeks early at only 30 weeks gestation, Sofia has spent a lot of her life in the NICU and had only come home a few days before our session. She’s come home to a full house of three gorgeous sisters, and one beautiful brother, and of course her parents who are absolutely besotted with her. I can only imagine how challenging and emotional it would have been for them over the past couple of months as they visited Sofia every day in hospital, and ached to bring her home where she belongs. It’s not the way they planned the start of her life, or the end to Gemma’s pregnancy. They’d planned a maternity session…they’d planned a baby shower…but instead they welcomed their daughter into their world 10 weeks early. A whole 10 extra weeks of knowing her and loving her. Ten extra weeks of their journey in this world together.
And now she’s home, and she’s perfect. Capturing these early days with Sofia at home is something I’m so happy to have been given the opportunity to do. Celebrating this once in a lifetime experience for families is something that is so much more than a job to me. It’s their story and I’m honoured to capture it. In those newborn days the story involves feeds and cuddles, and hours spent staring at this perfect creation. With siblings, it includes a little bit of chaos and beautiful moments watching them begin to bond and learn how they all fit together. These are the moments you can never get back.
Not only does Sofia have the love of her siblings and her parents, she also has the adoration from her Aunty and her Grandmothers, and I loved being able to include them in some of her memories when they came for a visit. It’s fair to say that this house is full, it’s chaotic, it’s loving, it’s beautiful, it’s fun and it’s all kind of perfect. Thank you for letting me capture this magical time in your lives, this time you can never get back, but that you can relive through your photos.
If you’d like me to capture some memories for you, please Contact me here. You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio and learn more about Newborn Lifestyle sessions here.
by Alana | Jun 16, 2019 | Family - Location, The Wanneroo Pines
I love seeing my families again, so I was super excited to meet with Kimberley and her gorgeous tribe for a family session during golden hour at The Pines recently. I last met with Kimberley almost a year ago to capture her Newborn Lifestyle Session with her daughter Iris and her two boys Eli and Ollie. I see them on my screen often, as I don’t just share recent work with everyone, but also my past work. This is because I put my heart and soul into every session, and every family becomes a little part of me. I love hearing about you afterwards and seeing photos of your kids growing up. This isn’t just a job to me, this is a passion!
It’s always a little bittersweet to see the changes in your kids, and it really reminds me just how fast time goes, and why I’m so passionate about freezing some moments in time. I often wish I could go back in time and revisit my kids at different ages, just for a day. I want to hold them and cuddle them and just spend the time appreciating them without the chaos of daily life that sometimes takes that enjoyment and appreciation away a little. Although I can’t do that, a photo is a way to revisit the way they looked, to remember what your life was like at that point in time, and to remember all those little details and moments you thought you’d remember but had somewhat forgotten. I love being able to give that to my families as well.
In the year since I saw her last, Iris had grown so much. She was walking, she had a mind of her own (which is great when you have two older brothers!), and she was still as attached to her Mumma as ever. Her brothers were just as gorgeous and fun as I remembered, and spent time playing with sticks, flying with Dad and being naturally affectionate with each other. I know photo sessions can feel a little stressful when you have kids, but they don’t have to be! Just go with the flow, let the kids have breaks and don’t expect too much of them, and it can actually be a lot of fun! It’s the moments of fun that I love to capture, and this family was full of fun!
Fun isn’t just for the kids either! I always try to get some photos with just mum and dad and I want you to have fun with that too! So we dance, we do things that might feel a little silly, and then Dad comes along and just spontaneously lifts his wife onto his waist, and I just stand back and capture the perfection that’s happening in front of me! Thank you beautiful Northcott family, for trusting me to capture some memories for you again.
If you’d like me to freeze some moments in time for you as well, Contact me here. You can also view my Family Portfolio for more examples of my work. I’d love to chat with you and capture some fun, relaxed, real and raw memories for you! Check out how much Iris and her brothers have changed in Iris’s Newborn Lifestyle Session.
by Alana | Jun 14, 2019 | Maternity, The Wanneroo Pines
Not only did I get to meet Vanessa and her family during her Maternity session at The Pines recently, but in a few weeks I’m also going to be there to capture their Newborn Lifestyle Session!! Capturing more than one part of your story is something I love being asked to do, and because of that I give a little discount on each of your additional sessions. Each part of your story is so important – having a baby whether it’s your first, second, fifth, or last – is the biggest moment of your life and it totally deserves to be captured!!
I myself never got maternity photos with any of my four pregnancies. I have NO idea why and it’s something I really regret. Sure I took photos at home, and those weekly bump photos, but I was usually in my pj’s standing up against the wall at night time. Although I’m so glad I have those at least, I’m really sad that I never took the time to let someone else take some proper ones for me. Having a maternity session allows you to celebrate your pregnancy, to include your partner and other kids if you choose, and to have those memories to look back on of this extremely emotional, extremely fleeting time. It’s the absolute start of it all!
I met Vanessa and her family at the gorgeous Pines in Wanneroo during golden hour, which is the only time I really like to schedule my sessions. I mean, check out that LIGHT!!! Vanessa wanted to capture her pregnancy as she didn’t have a lot of photos from her first pregnancy, and this one is likely to be her last (but you never know, right?!). Vanessa knows that she’ll be having another boy, a little brother to her 2 year old Paddy, and I wanted to make sure that I took some images of just her and Paddy together. It’s an emotional time when you go from one child to two – I actually cried leading up to the birth of each of my babies! Not because you’re not happy, but just because it changes things and that can be a little scary. Your baby won’t be your only baby anymore, and that is a little bittersweet. You’re excited to see them interact with their sibling, but also sad that life will change a little for all of you. Paddy was so affectionate with his mum – he couldn’t stop kissing her face and rubbing noses with her, and I’m glad I captured this for them.
It’s also important to get some photos as a couple, and it’s not ALL about the bump. It’s also just about your connection, your excitement, your relationship at this point in your lives. I made Vanessa and Ryan do a little dance together, as I often do during my sessions! I made it clear that I wouldn’t judge as I’m NOT a dancer, and they had fun with it! Having that little moment to dance together and feel a little silly is a special bonding moment, and it usually brings out the most sincere emotions. As well as dancing, we had some tickling and flying with Paddy, pine cone searches, outfit changes, and lots of kisses for Mummy’s baby bump. Congratulations to Vanessa and her boys – I can’t WAIT to come and see you all again for your newborn session and I especially can’t wait to see your gorgeous baby!!
This is what Vanessa had to say about her session “We had Alana take some family maternity photos for us and she was brilliant. I was worried our 2.5 year old would be shy but Alana was great at getting down to his level, and he warmed up to her very quickly. He ended up having an absolute ball and the photos reflect that. She managed to capture some beautiful photos of us all, she is really talented! Thank you Alana!”
If you’d like me to capture some fun and relaxed memories for you, feel free to Contact me here. You can also view my Maternity Portfolio and Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio for more examples of my work.
by Alana | Jun 11, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
It’s no secret that capturing newborn lifestyle sessions is pretty much my favourite thing to do. Those are the days which are so magical, exciting and new, but are also so exhausting, emotional and full of getting to know this new little person who has changed your life forever. These days are also so very fleeting, even if they don’t always feel that way. Your baby changes, your routines evolve and one day you realise that your little one has outgrown their newborn outfit, is starting to smile, and has lost their newborn cry. Capturing your baby and your family as they are in these early weeks in your own home, lets you press pause on life as it is now so that you can always remember it just as it was.
Goldie is the beautiful surprise 4th baby for Sarah and Jai – the little girl who was meant to come into their world and complete their family. Her older brothers and sister all helped to choose her name (big sister Ivy even created a ‘Welcome home Goldie’ banner just to make sure they didn’t change their mind!), and they all were enthusiastic to hold her and love on her during the session. We spent time reading books, cuddling on the couch, singing ‘twinkle twinkle’ to Goldie (and putting her to sleep!!), feeding her, changing her, and feeding her some more!
Nanna is a big part of their lives at home, and so it was beautiful to capture some moments of her with her grandkids as well. Having four kids is just a teeny tiny bit chaotic, so extra love and hands in the house is always appreciated, and is something I love being able to capture. Thank you to this gorgeous family for inviting me into your home to capture some memories for you of life as it is today. Each day, each stage and each moment is truly worth holding onto, appreciating and remembering and every time someone chooses me as their photographer, I feel so lucky!!
If you’d like me to freeze some moments in time for you as well, Contact me and we can discuss the best options for you! You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio, and some information on Newborn Lifestyle Sessions.
