by Alana | Oct 16, 2018 | Family - Lifestyle, Hyde Park
On the weekend I held some mini sessions at Hyde Park. Mini sessions are truly amazing value – they’re a great way to have a short, sharp session (perfect for restless kids!), and save some money whilst STILL getting some amazing print enlargements at the end of it, and a wide selection of images. Kelly booked in for her mini session as she felt that the timing would suit her children’s attention spans, and because she always felt guilty for not having a newborn shoot for her daughter like she did for her son…don’t we all always feel guilty about something?! Kelly also wanted to get some beautiful images of the kids to give to the grandparents, and to show the kids when they’re older – shots that also include her IN the frame instead of being the one always taking the photo with her phone! Even though it’s a mini session, you still receive a full gallery to choose from, and can upgrade to receive all of the images if you love them all (which Kelly did).
We had a really fun session – the kids played and jumped and did flying with Daddy, and spinning with Mummy, and I also made sure to get some of mum and dad together. How gorgeous does Kelly look in that dress! Her outfit was the perfect choice for the photo shoot – I absolutely love lightly patterned dresses for images! It was the perfect choice! As with all of my sessions, the focus isn’t of getting the perfect ‘everyone smile at the camera’ image. Although I usually put everyone together at the start, and at various points throughout the session, I truly love to capture individual personalities. I also love to allow kids to be kids and I find that following them around and showing an interest in what they’re doing and what THEY want to do, is more likely to bring out genuine emotion compared to forcing them to sit still and smile at a strange lady holding a camera!
Frankii and Chet (yes that’s their names – how gorgeous!!!! I almost want to have another child just to use those names!) were just beautiful to shoot. Chet examined some of my photos in camera to make sure they were good enough, and this also encouraged him to give a big smile for a few photos, as he wanted to see what he would look like! Frankii had the usual energy and curiosity of an 18 month old, and I certainly got in some exercise chasing her around (as did Chet who assumed the big brother role and ‘lovingly’ tried to hold her still at times!). I loved meeting this family and capturing some memories for them!
If you’d like to book a session, or a mini session, please Contact me and feel free to ask any questions!
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 1, 2018 | Family - Lifestyle, Family - Location, Information
Usually it’s the mum’s who are inspired to organise a family photo session, and the dad’s are generally not overly excited about the idea. Sometimes their resistance means that they don’t even want to attend the shoot, as they don’t want to be in any photos. I truly believe that it’s so important for both parents to be in some images with their kids (and even just with each other as a couple, which I do at most family sessions). Your kids love YOU, and one day these photos will be their memories too. They want to look back on photos with their dad and remember the way you looked as they were growing up – remember the way you used to carry them on your shoulders, or let them wrap their arms around your neck. They want to remember the top you used to love to wear and the way you used to laugh. These will be so important to them. Photos have always meant so much to me, as I grew up without my dad after he died when I was a baby. The only things I have left of him are some photos and a couple of videos, and they mean so much to me. It’s the way I can connect with him and remember a life I don’t even remember having. Just as it’s given me a passion for photography, it’s also made me absolutely love the connections I see with dads and their children, and I truly love being able to capture that. My family sessions are not stiff and formal – there’s no need to look at the camera and smile awkwardly (although you can if you want to!) – I simply just want to capture interactions, and that includes with dads. So lift your child on your shoulders, grab him by the hand, or wrap her arms around your neck and spin her around – and get in the photos too dads!! Your kids will love those memories one day too – and who knows, you might even have fun in the process!
Here are some of my favourite images with dads during some of my sessions. To view more family sessions, check out my Family Portfolio. To book a session, or gift a session to someone, Contact me here.
by Alana | Aug 14, 2018 | Family - Lifestyle
As well as shooting newborn lifestyle sessions, I also love family lifestyle sessions. I captured some of my favourite images for Kate, Andre and Hugo in their home in July. Prior to my sessions, I ask clients if there are particular images they’d like to capture – things that might be important to them and their family routines. I absolutely loved Kate’s response. Some of the images she wanted to capture included Hugo playing with his favourite toy (the colourful cups), their bed, making tea and toast in the kitchen and out the front of their house. While there we also went into Hugo’s nursery (check out that beautiful wall!!), and I quickly discovered that his favourite book is “Funny Bones”. He loves it so much that his mum often hides it just so that she can read something different! I knew I wanted to capture that memory for them as well, so I got them to read the book to him. These times are fleeting, and although we think we’ll always remember – we quickly move onto the next phase and a lot of things are forgotten. It’s important to me to capture some of those every day routine moments which are unique to each family. In my own life, I often think about little things that each of my children love to do at a particular time, and I try to find a way to capture it before they move on. For example, my son used to love pulling all of his books out of his bookshelf and ‘reading’ them when he was 1, and then he became obsessed with brushing his teeth when he was 2. He no longer does either of those things in the same way as he used to, but I have immortalised some memories of him doing them. I love being able to give that to families as well.
If you’d like to capture some of your own memories, Contact me and we can discuss the best choice for you. You can also view more of my family sessions in my Family Portfolio.
