by Alana | Mar 9, 2019 | Couples, The Wanneroo Pines
Usually it’s the mum or female partner who contacts me to arrange a shoot, but after a little hinting from Grace, Josh was the one to organise a session! I know that often guys don’t look forward to photo shoots, so it’s extra impressive when someone not only agrees to go along to one, but also actively participates in arranging it! Josh and Grace arrived during the Golden Hour at The Pines in Wanneroo for their couples session amidst a ‘glitter explosion’ in the car – resulting in them being extra sparkly for their photos!
Meeting at good old Maccas 4 years ago, Grace and Josh now have two very young and very cheeky little boys who like to make a mess in the kitchen most mornings – budding chefs perhaps? On top of that Josh works FIFO and Grace studies a double degree at Uni, so their hands are very full. This makes it even more special that they took the time out to have a shoot together to celebrate their relationship – just the two of them, where it all began. I know it can be so hard to be in front of the camera, but these two did so well at having fun together and showing their connection. The end result is some gorgeous images to look back on forever and remember this time in their life. They’ll also be receiving a beautiful photo book to keep those memories safe and all together – there for them to have a trip down memory lane whenever they choose, and something for their boys to look back on and remember their parents as who they are now.
If you’d like to book a session for yourself, Contact me here. You can also view my Couples Portfolio and learn about Why I love photo books.
by Alana | Oct 14, 2018 | Birth, Couples, Family - Lifestyle, Family - Location, Fresh 48
Everyone has a different reason for wanting a photo shoot, and different reasons for loving certain images. Prior to a session I ask you to complete a survey so that I can get a better understanding of what type of image you might be hoping for, although sometimes your favourite images from a session are the unexpected ones. Recently I asked my past clients if they could let me know their favourite image from our session, and to give me a brief explanation as to why they loved them. Not only was I so grateful to receive their responses, but I was also soooo happy that for most, their favourite images were those which showed the authentic connections, the real emotions, and the reality of life. In fact, all of their responses fell into three main categories: Connection, Moments in Time, and Emotions. I always love to hear which images you love the most, so always feel free to share your thoughts with me! Meanwhile, this is what my clients said, in their own words:
Connections
Alana (Phoebe’s Newborn Lifestyle Session):
“It shows our firstborn Ollie trying to bond with his new baby sister. With his life being suddenly turned upside down by a tiny stranger who is now monopolising much of his time with Mum and Dad, Ollie dealt with the great adjustment brilliantly for a not-quite 2 year old. Their bond grows daily and he has loved her fiercely since day one. It makes me so happy to watch their relationship blossom into something so special that will last a lifetime, and Corey and I hope that our babies will see each other as their best friend just like we both do with our siblings”
Jade (Jade and Zac):
We just look so comfortable with each other, but also so in love at the same time!”
Amber (Jude’s Newborn Lifestyle Session):
“I love the photo of Xander upside down – my gorgeous gorgeous boy and his best friend (Daddy!). I know my hubby adores that photo too, the pure joy on Xander’s face is priceless!”
Sarah (The DiTommaso and Tench Family):
“I especially love these two images of Lochie and I. You’ve captured the spirit of Lochie and the relationship we share. While the ‘cuddle’ image is not the most flattering photo of me, I love how you have managed to capture a moment of whirlwind excitement and fun and even more importantly, a delighted connection between us both. Lochie isn’t typically a boy who is overly affectionate or cuddly. As you have noted in your blog about our shoot, more often than not, Lochie is very ‘busy’ banging and crashing about and being his usual spirited self. I can never seem to hold on and cuddle him for long enough before he is off on his next adventure. I’ll be able to hold onto this photo, and this cuddle forever”
Joy :
“100% this picture. The special relationship my girls have when they don’t want to kill each other. This is how they are on the holidays when there is no stress in their lives and they are just enjoying each other. This pic is of the most amazing thing we have achieved. They are strong and smart and so beautiful. I am so proud of every part of them and I love, love, love this pic. You nailed it!”
Kate (The Longman Family):
“Because it just captures who we are and our relationship all in one image”
Larissa:
“Jeff’s favourite is the one with Jack and his Nanna as it shows the connection and love between the two”
Moments In Time
Amber (Jude’s Newborn Lifestyle Session):
“The photo of all 4 of us on our bed with Xander about to jump in the air – it just so perfectly captured our gorgeous little boy, having the time of his life, completely unphased by the tiny human that just entered our lives! We were all laughing and loving each other and it’s honestly a moment frozen in time that I will remember forever!”
Amanda (Eve’s Lifestyle Newborn Session):
“We got the shoot for our children , our focus was not to have the ‘perfect’ family portrait but more genuine moments that the girls can look back on and reflect about what our family means to us, and them, the moments of love and happiness – an everyday representation. Saying that my favourite two which I hope the girls will look back on are these two as they capture the fun, laughter and love”
Leanne (Zoey’s Newborn Lifestyle Session):
“This photo is my favourite by far…capturing those little feet and her big sister looking over her as she always will”
Ashlee (The Birth of Evie ):
“This will always be our favourite as it is the moment the doctor held Evie up for us to see her for the first time. The moment we became a family. The c-section process happened so quickly, and she was only held up for a few seconds before being whisked away for all the necessary checks, but this photo has frozen that moment in time for us forever”
Ashlee (Evie’s Fresh 48 ):
“It was hard for us to choose a favourite from this shoot, but we couldn’t go past this photo of our new family captured so beautifully. We love the use of the sunlight shining through, the warm colours, and most of all the little face of our precious girl that we just can’t stop kissing”
Anne:
“The background and the boys expression – creates quite a mystical atmosphere!”
“It’s a relaxed/spontaneous family shot”
Melissa (The Emmerson and Fong Family):
“The one of Ari looking serious and sulking amongst the greenery. It’s a moment frozen in time as that’s his look when he doesn’t get his way! Stomps off and sulks. Terrible twos but oh so adorable. And so real. Love it”
“I love the one of Paige and I hugging with me smiling and eyes closed. It’s one of those candid mummy and daughter moments I’ve always wanted to capture but never did. You did it without us realising or posing. Thank you”
Larissa:
“I love the one of Jack throwing up at his baptism – I love it! Simply that was my baby – always sick…I also love my porcelain doll baby photo, and the one of him asleep through it”
Kimberley (Iris’s Newborn Lifestyle Session):
“I think the one you captured of us all on the bed and the kids being authentically themselves would have to be one of my most loved. Because it truly is one of those perfectly imperfect moments that is our every day and it’s just so beautiful. I know in years to come I’ll look at it and be taken right back to this beautiful crazy season with my kids, it’s moments like that which will be most treasure memories”
Emotions
Jade (Jade and Zac):
Zac’s favourite: “Because Jade looks so happy. I don’t know how else to put it!”
Leanne (Zoey’s Newborn Lifestyle Session)
“I also love the one of Zoey and I. You can see total love in my face and it’s not often I have photos taken of me and my little ones as it’s always the girls with Dad”
Melissa (The Emmerson and Fong Family)
“My hubby and I completely adore the one of him and Paige rubbing noses. Ugga mugga from Daniel tiger. It’s so sweet and loving”
If you’d like to capture some beautiful memories for yourself, or organise a voucher for someone you love, Contact me here.
by Alana | Sep 27, 2018 | Couples, Perrys Paddock
Jade contacted me quite awhile ago and was interested in getting some photos taken with her and her partner, although her partner took a little convincing! She got there in the end, and I’m soooo glad she did as I LOVE all of her images!! We met at Perry’s Paddock during the Golden Hour (it’s so beautiful there at that time), as Jade liked that it would remind Zac of growing up on the farm. Jade also brought along a couple of blankets which were special to her – one which her mum had made for her 21st birthday, and one which is in her favourite colour and is what they use in their home together. It was quite cold, so the blanket came in handy at the end! I told Jade and Zac not to worry about having to smile at the camera, and that if they were ever unsure of what to do, just to get close to each other and touch each other in some way. For me, the perfect photo is one that shows your genuine connection, and I love that Jade and Zac’s images do that. Their connection was beautiful and real, and we spoke about how once you find your person that it’s hard to imagine life without them. I absolutely love that Jade and Zac took time out to celebrate their relationship together and get some beautiful images taken of their connection. Just the two of them. Before marriage, before kids, just Jade and Zac. Where it all begins. I truly believe that they are going to have such a beautiful life together, and I’m so happy to have been a part of celebrating their relationship.
If you’d like to book a session for yourself, or gift a session to someone else, please contact me here. You can also view more of my Couples Portfolio.
by Alana | Aug 21, 2018 | Burns Beach, Couples, Family - Location, Hyde Park, Information, Maternity, The Wanneroo Pines, Uncategorized
You’ve decided to book in a photo session to capture some memories – perhaps you’re investing in a family shoot to remember your family as it is now; a couple session to celebrate your relationship; or a maternity session to celebrate your beautiful growing baby bump. In all of my sessions my main focus is on capturing the connections between you, and the little details. To do this, I usually place you close together on a rug. The aim of this is not to get you to all smile towards the camera – the aim is just to get you CLOSE. From there, it’s quite common for me to be running around and capturing you all from different angles – above, below, left, right, behind and in front. It can feel like you’re staying in one spot for a long time, but because I’m moving around a lot, I’m capturing you from all different perspectives. I’m also looking out for those little details – your little one holding onto your hand; a stray curl of hair blowing across your face; a beautiful expression on your face. The fact that I move a lot also has the added benefit of ensuring that you’re not tempted to always just smile at the camera – because the camera keeps moving! For this reason, the actual location isn’t always important. However, it’s always nice to be in a location that you feel represents what you want to get out of the shoot. As I’m based North of the River, I’ve put together a few locations I regularly shoot at. This doesn’t mean you can only choose from these locations – as I’m always open to new suggestions or places that are important to you – but these are just the places which are regulars for me.
- The Wanneroo Pines. This place is great to go to with kids, as they love to explore amongst the tee pees made of sticks, play with said sticks, and jump on the logs. This allows them to burn off some energy between shots – or capture some candid images of them playing. These candid images often result in those genuine smiles and fun energy kids have when they’re free to play. While kids are playing, I can take the opportunity to get some images of mum and dad. It’s also a beautiful location for maternity shoots – the tall trees make a beautiful backdrop to show off your pregnancy. It’s always most beautiful to go here (as it is with most locations) in the hour before sunset. The glow from the setting sun gives off a beautiful magical feel – especially when it peaks between the trees. If you’re unable to book your shoot during Golden Hour (that hour before sunset), then the trees do provide a decent amount of shade, making it an option for daytime shoots as well.
- Burns Beach. This location is most popular for maternity shoots. It can be more challenging with family shoots depending on ages of the children, due to the water. Burns Beach is beautiful as it also provides some rocks and greenery as a backdrop, without needing to solely rely on the water backdrop. The absolute best time of the day for a beach session is the Golden Hour – the hour before sunset. I generally don’t like to shoot here outside of those hours unless the day is particularly overcast, or if timing wise the shoot needs to be at another time. Maternity sessions here are beautiful – the setting sun makes a great backdrop to a pregnant tummy.
- Perry’s Paddock. This is another location which is best towards golden hour, as there’s a lot of open space. This is one of my favourite locations to shoot at, as we can utilise the trees while the sun is still quite high, and then move to the open field once the sun starts to set. This is where I get some silhouette shots which is always a fun way to show off your family! This location is pretty much perfect for any type of shoot – there’s a lot of space for kids to run around, an abundance of gorgeous light, and the sky always looks beautiful once the sun has set. There’s also a beautiful old white building which can be used as backdrops.
- James Spiers Park, Wanneroo. I love this park for the variety it brings to a session. It’s particularly beautiful in Autumn with the leaves fallen on the ground. This park offers a beautiful area with trees and greenery, a staircase, a wall for people to sit on, as well as a basketball court with a wall that is great for backdrops. There’s a lot of choices at this park, and also a lot of shade options for when shoots can’t be scheduled for golden hour.
- Hyde Park. I love this location, although due to additional travel, I do charge a small travel fee to go here. There are so many choices at Hyde Park, and is another one which offers a lot of shade so is a good spot if we can’t schedule a session for the golden hour (although that time of day is always best no matter the location).
These are just some of the options of places for your shoot. If you’d like to organise a location shoot for yourself, or as a gift for someone else, please Contact me. You can view more family sessions in my Maternity Portfolio or Family Portfolio.
