by Alana | Nov 9, 2018 | Family - Location, Hyde Park
On the weekend, Nikki and her family had their mini session at Hyde Park. Mini sessions are short and sweet, and yet we’re still able to capture some beautiful images and memories to look back on. My main focus as always is not to get everyone to simply smile at the camera, but to try and capture those connections with each other. Nikki’s little girl Chloe had just turned 1, while her little boy Ethan is 3 years old. Such gorgeous ages, and yet also ages where they are unlikely to want to sit still for too long! Our session included cuddles, tickles and spinning and flying in the air, and little Ethan was the leader in a game of ‘Follow the Leader’. Chloe wasn’t too interested in allowing Ethan to give her cuddles, although her affection for dogs kept her distracted enough as a couple of dogs came past and allowed us to grab a quick shot of her with her brother. I love that in one shot she’s obviously unimpressed, and yet her mum exclaimed at how perfect that was, as that was their real life with Ethan attempting to give affection and Chloe rejecting it! I love that these are things that she was happy to have captured, as this is what life is like for them NOW. Things will change and relationships will evolve, but looking back they’ll remember what it was like once upon a time. As always, I also like to get some images with just mum and dad. It’s not often that we focus on ourselves as life becomes all about the kids, so it’s nice to have some memories with each other as well. I absolutely loved spending time with this family. They were relaxed and fun, and so happy to just go with the flow. Thank you Nikki!
This is what Nikki had to say about her session: “We absolutely loved our shoot with Alana-she has kids the same age so totally knew how to relate to our busy little bodies who were not interested in sitting still for one moment. We are in love with all our pics and just had to get a full gallery as we just couldn’t choose! A good problem to have”
If you’d like to book a session for yourself or someone you love, Contact me here. You can also view my Family Portfolio here.
by Alana | Oct 31, 2018 | Family - Lifestyle, Family - Location, Information
How many of you instinctively tell everyone to ‘smile!’ when taking a photo? How often does that result in frustration or disappointment – those being photographed become bored of remaining still, and those photographing become frustrated that they can’t capture the ‘perfect smile’. And how often does it result in an obviously forced ‘fake smile’? What happens if you challenge yourself on the idea of a perfect photo, and let go of ‘perfect’ expectations? What happens if you just put everyone together, but then just let them BE. It’s usually in those moments that their real personalities are able to shine through, and you can capture who they really are. Even with my own family photos, I’ve had to let go of my expectation to get that one perfect smiling photo. I have four kids, and so getting that shot is very challenging (especially with my 7 year old involved!). Since I’ve let go of that ideal, I’ve found that perfection is what you make of it. It’s the story of who people are and their connections with each other. I’ll forever look back on photos of our family with someone’s bottom in the air, or someone pulling a funny face (usually the 7 year old!), someone slightly out of frame – but that’s all real life! It’s personality and beautiful chaos! It makes me smile when I look back on them, and makes me remember what life was really like.
Everyone has a different definition of what makes the ‘perfect photo’, and different reasons for wanting to book a photo shoot and have their memories captured. There is no right or wrong in what makes a perfect photo as it’s all subjective. For me, I don’t go into a photo shoot aiming to get everyone smiling and looking at the camera. Although we all might like some of those, for me the perfect image really tells a story and shows real emotion rather than posed, stiff smiles. I want to capture YOU! I don’t want you to worry about looking ‘perfect’ or worry about all your children giving proper smiles. For me, a perfect photo doesn’t even need to be a smiling one! There are so many different sides to who we are, and I think it’s beautiful to capture those emotions – even (and sometimes especially) those serious ones. I want to capture a connection between you – the hugs, the kisses, the laughter, love and fun. I don’t want you to worry about who is looking at the camera and who isn’t, who is smiling ‘properly’ and who is giving their best fake cheesy grin! When you look at your images, I want you to remember the feelings and emotion – I want you to being able to look back on that not just now, but in many years from now when things have changed and the kids have grown. I don’t want you to think about whether the photo has everyone smiling and looking at the camera – I want you to look at your images and think about which ones make you FEEL the most. Which one tells a story. One example for me is photos of my children with Father Christmas. Every year I get them, and often the people taking the photo will desperately try to get my kids to look at the camera and smile. But those aren’t the images I love. The ones I remember and love are the ones that tell a story. The year that my 18 month old daughter was too scared to sit on his knee, so sat on the floor in front of him and played with the baubles while we sneakily took a photo; the year that my 2 year old son was too scared and so I had to sit there too, but he was still scared and was screaming and hugging his teddy; the year that my youngest was fascinated by his beard and kept looking up at him and smiling. I don’t need them to all look and smile for me to think the photo is perfect. It’s all a part of the story, and that’s what I love about photography and capturing memories. Below are some examples of how beautiful a photo can be, even when no one is smiling and looking at the camera.
If you’d like to capture some ‘perfect’ memories for yourself, then please Contact me here.
by Alana | Oct 29, 2018 | Family - Location
The day was cold, wet and stormy. We considered cancelling as we all had to travel to get to the Crawley Boat Shed, but we decided to brave it. Despite the weather, there were still a few others who were keen to get photos at the popular spot – resulting in a small line. In the end though, I think it was a blessing in disguise that the weather was so bad, as the line to get photos there can be long during golden hour on a beautiful day(the hour before sunset). The main reason for taking photos at this beautiful spot was because Joy and Jeremy wanted a new photo to place in a frame in their house, and specifically wanted the blue colours from the boat shed. Even though this was the goal, I still wanted to get some other family shots of their girls and of them all together. I took some between turns on the jetty. The girls have such a close relationship, and were very affectionate with each other. Those are the little details that I love to capture – some of my favourite images don’t even involve people looking at the camera – but instead show their connection in other ways. In this case – through arms wrapped around each other, heads leaning on each other, and hands being held. That’s just beautiful to me. It’s so easy to take things for granted, so I love being able to focus on the little details that tell the story of the family and their relationship. We couldn’t spend long there – it quickly rained again – but I’m so glad we went.
If you’d like to capture a family session, Contact Me. If you’d like to look at more beautiful family sessions, look at my Family Portfolio.
by Alana | Oct 26, 2018 | Family - Lifestyle, Family - Location
Sometimes you know you want a session, but you’re unsure whether you would prefer a location session or a lifestyle session. The answer really depends on what you want to get out of the session. In BOTH types of sessions, my main focus is not on getting the ‘perfect everyone smiling at the camera image’. For me, that isn’t necessarily the perfect photo. My passion for photography comes from telling stories, and I follow that passion with both location and lifestyle sessions. This means that in both sessions I do a lot of moving around, and I focus on those little details such as your little one holding your hand, the twirl of the skirt of your daughter spinning around, you and your partner interlocking hands whilst sitting on a rug…your gallery for both style of sessions will have images of the little details and different perspectives, as that’s the story I love to tell. But there are a few differences between Location and Lifestyle sessions which might help you choose which one is right for you. You can also read more about Lifestyle sessions here.
Where do you want your story told?
Is part of your story your home? Are there particular rooms in your house, or routines you have that you want to remember in a beautiful way? Lifestyle sessions are perfect for newborns, but are just as great for families as well – or even maternity or couple sessions. They allow us to preserve the reality of this time in our lives and remember details that we think we’ll remember, but inevitably forget as time moves on and routines change. For example, the cuddles on the couch, the routine of reading stories on your bed, cooking together in the kitchen….even just the details about what those rooms LOOK like. Remembering the kids rooms as they are when they are little, remembering the rug or couch that is so familiar to you, the way you decorated your rooms with details of your family as it is today…these things all change as time moves on so it can be special to have some family memories which include your home as part of your story. The story of lifestyle sessions are told beautifully in photo books, and your memories can be looked at for years to come. Here are some reasons why I love photo books.
Alternatively, is there a place you all love going to as a family and you’d love to have photos taken there, such as the beach or the park? You can view some Location options for your photo shoot here. Do you want to have nature or the outdoors as your backdrop? Perhaps you’re thinking of framing some images and would like some greenery in the background, or the sunset on the beach. Your story as a family can still be told on location, as I’ll still focus on your interactions together.
Natural vs Posed
Although my focus is not on ‘posing’ families – but rather ‘guiding’ them – there is a little more posing that happens with location shoots compared to lifestyle. This comes in part from people being more comfortable in their home, which allows me to guide you into a room or a particular spot – and then just watch what normally happens. For example, you may want to record reading bedtime stories to your little one on their bed. I may guide you all to be there, but then I’ll simply be photographing what is naturally occurring as you read that story. In each room or place in your home, you’re more likely to just do what comes naturally, and I’ll be there to capture it.
With location sessions, there is generally more guidance and ‘posing’ as there is less for you to naturally do. I’ll usually start by guiding you to sit together on a rug. This will usually result in a natural inclination to all smile at the camera – and although I might get some of those images – but then I’ll move around and capture those little interactions that are happening while you’re together, and those little details. If you’re after a few more of the posed images, then location sessions are usually more likely to provide them simply because when placed together on location, the nature of that looks more posed than it does if placed together on your couch or on your bed which is a more natural place for you to be close together.
When kids are involved
When picking your type of session and there are kids involved – you need to consider the best option for them. If they’re stressed or tired or bored, YOU’RE going to be stressed, and that will come across in the images. Lifestyle sessions can be great for young children, as they’re able to come in and out as their mood strikes, and they don’t feel the pressure to have to sit still and quiet. They’re also great for newborns, as you don’t need to worry about leaving your house, and the nature of lifestyle sessions is that it’s telling your story as it is NOW – which may include a little extra clutter and baby items – so there is no need to have the ‘perfect house’.
Location sessions can also be good for young children (and some beautiful images can be created from playing in nature), but you really have to consider your location properly. Your kids will probably want and need time to run off on their own so they can have breaks between photos – so the beach may be challenging for very young children. With the right location choice, your kids can truly have fun during the session – and images can be captured of them having this fun.
Weather
Lifestyle sessions can be captured all year – it doesn’t matter whether it’s hot or cold – raining or storming. For this reason they’re particularly popular in winter, as there’s less need to cancel due to weather, but they’re just as great in summer (who wants to be sweating outside in the heat of summer?!).
In contrast, location sessions are much more dependent on the weather, and as such there is more chance they’ll need to be rescheduled (or cut short as is the case with one beach maternity session in freezing conditions).
Light and time of the day
Lifestyle sessions can be captured during any daylight hours (although the best time is usually around 10am or 3pm as there is usually some light coming through the windows instead of directly on top of the house). This may make them more suitable when kids and babies are involved, or work schedules.
Location sessions are much more dependent on the light. The best time for location sessions is the hour before sunset – and sunset obviously gets later as it gets warmer. This means that location sessions are often booked around 4pm in winter, and 5/530pm (or sometimes later) in summer. These times aren’t always conducive to happy children, so sometimes we need to compromise light for happy children, and shoot at less than ideal times of the day. In those situations it’s important to find locations with a lot of shade.
These are just some of the things to consider than might help you make up your mind. In summary:
Lifestyle sessions:
- help you capture your home as part of your story, including special routines, rooms or items
- are beautiful stories for photo books
- usually produce more ‘fly on the wall’, natural images
- often allow you to feel more comfortable as you’re in a familiar environment
- can be great for little kids as they are also comfortable, and can come in and out with less pressure to stay in one location
- can be captured during any daylight hours (with the best times being 10am and 3pm)
- can be captured during all seasons and weather conditions
Location sessions:
- usually involve more guidance and ‘posing’ (although will still result in the little details being captured as well)
- are beautiful for images you want to frame on your wall or around your house
- are a great way to capture a place you love to go
- can be great for kids to play in, but you need to make sure you choose a safe environment
- are best captured in the hour before sunset, or if this is not possible, in a location with a lot of shade
- are more likely to need to be rescheduled or cut short due to weather conditions
Feel free to discuss your options with me. Contact me if you’d like to book a session, or gift a session to someone you love.
by Alana | Oct 25, 2018 | Family - Location, Perrys Paddock
Aileen and I met in mothers group with our first babies. Her little girl Abby was 3 months older than the rest of our babies, and at the time that seemed like such a big deal! I always felt like Aileen knew so much more than me because her baby was older than mine! That was over 10 years ago now, and since then we’ve both gone on to have 3 more children each (Yep! We’re both crazy enough to have 4 kids!!). We don’t get to see each other as often as we used to (distance and time comes between us all), but we catch up when we can and I’ve been lucky enough to photograph her family for the last 3 years. Aileen is one of those amazingly organised people who ensures that they get a photo session every year and I think it’s a GREAT idea. What better way to document how everyone is growing, and to also dedicate some time just to your family??! I’m sure this doesn’t excite her family at the moment – but one day they’ll appreciate how they have beautiful images each year documenting how they’ve grown and changed.
This year we had FOUR attempts to get out session in!! The first time was cancelled due to illness, and the next two due to weather. Finally fourth time was the charm – although we had to change locations to Perry’s Paddock (we’d been planning to check out the beautiful blossoms in the hills). Now, I LOVE Perry’s Paddock, however I’ve never been there when the grass (weeds??!!) have been soooo long and unfortunately this caused quite a few hay fever issues, particularly for poor Aileen and Abby. She sent me a photo later that evening with their eyes red and puffed up, and a warning not to touch my eyes with my hands before washing them! So although I love Perry’s Paddock, I might avoid it during spring if you suffer from hay fever too badly! Luckily for us, there is no evidence of red puffy eyes in the images, and as usual they all look gorgeous! I’ve always loved photographing Aileen and I know this will probably embarrass her – but the camera just loves her! She’s truly beautiful and expressive, and her smile is so warm and sincere. I don’t think she even knows how to ‘fake smile’?!
If you’d like to book a family session for yourself, or for someone you love, Contact me here. You can also view my Family Portfolio.
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 | Oct 11, 2018 | Family - Location, The Wanneroo Pines
The Nanna of these gorgeous cousins won a voucher for a photo shoot in a charity event and so she chose to have photos taken of her grandchildren which I thought was a beautiful idea! We met at The Pines on an evening where the weather could go either way – but luckily for us the rain stayed away! These cousins are so close in age (except for one – can you guess who?!) – and were So.Much.Fun!! They have such an amazing relationship and so they were extremely comfortable with each other. They ran, they jumped, they danced, they played in the tee pees, they picked flowers (and threw them on Scott’s head!), they told secrets (mostly about stealing goodies from poor Grandad!), they plotted sleepover requests, and made love hearts with their hands. The only rule I have in sessions is to try to be as close to each other as possible – and it was so easy with this group as they obviously have such a fun relationship. I think it’s so beautiful that they’ll now have memories of this forever – their bond has been forever captured and preserved.
Sometimes when you think about having a photo shoot, you just think of your own family, but what an amazing idea to celebrate the cousin bond in a photo shoot just for them! Just as time passes for our own family, it also passes with our extended family. Having those memories of the fun and laughter as they were growing up together is so special. You can remember what they were all like together at that age – the dance they used to do together, the way they used to immerse themselves in games of imagination and share little secrets, and just simply who they were at that point in time. Their relationships will evolve as they grow, but they will always have these beautiful memories – and that’s what I love about photography!
If you’d like to capture some memories of your own, or gift a session to someone you love, please contact me. You can also view my Family Portfolio.
by Alana | Sep 25, 2018 | Family - Location, Perrys Paddock
Wow! Just wow! As soon as the two boys ran up to me in their suits, I knew we were going to be in for an amazing session! This family was so much fun, and I loved how they were all just willing to have fun and be silly together and enjoy each others company, whilst letting me capture their amazing connection! Watching them was like glimpsing into my own future with my 4 kids when they grow up – I can only hope that they all have the same level of connection which is just beautiful to watch. The youngest Noah even gave his older sister a flower and asked her to marry him (or ‘not’ marry him – I wasn’t quite sure ha ha). Such a beautiful family, and I loved every single image from this session. It made my heart so happy when they were able to invest in them all!
We had our session at Perry’s Paddock right before sunset – which is quickly becoming one of my favourite locations. The light there is so beautiful at that time of day – with the sun filtering through the trees before sunset, and then even as the sun has set, a gorgeous light remains. This is when we can get beautiful images in the open field, and the silhouette shot. Every time I look at this silhouette image I laugh! It’s a perfect example of how every member of the family was so much fun! As always, I make sure to get some images of mum and dad alone, and this couple did not disappoint! Absolutely beautiful!
Kate said that they had never had family photos done, so I’m very glad that they allowed me to take some for them! If you’d like to capture some beautiful memories yourself, Contact me here. If you’d like to view more of my family sessions, have a look at my Family Portfolio.
by Alana | Sep 23, 2018 | Family - Location, Hyde Park
Melissa wanted to book in a family photo session while her parents were visiting from Malaysia, and she also wanted to include her in-laws in the photo shoot. I thought this was a beautiful idea, especially as I later found out what a special place they all have in the family. Both of Melissa’s children have two middle names each – one chosen by each of their Grandparents. I thought that was just beautiful! Prior to her shoot, Melissa and I discussed location options – you can check out this blog for Location options for your photo shoot! We decided on Hyde Park which is such a beautiful location, and was a good choice for her young children as Hyde Park is beautiful even outside of the Golden Hour. Melissa also received some styling assistance through this blog Styling tips to help you plan your photo shoot, and she sent me images of outfits she was considering. Styling can be such a stressful part of planning your photo shoot, especially when you’re trying to coordinate so many people. I think they did an amazing job – everyone looked perfect! Splashes of colour, pattern and interest, whilst also remaining in the same colour tones.
Driving to the shoot, it began pouring with rain and we were worried that we wouldn’t be able to go ahead with the shoot. Luckily for us, the rain cleared as soon as we arrived, and was perfect for the time we were there. It was such a fun shoot – everyone was relaxed and just seemed to be having so much fun with each other. Their connection was really able to be captured, as they all genuinely seemed to enjoy each others company. Bubbles were a massive hit with the kids at the start of the session, and I think helped them to relax as well. Little Paige just loved posing for the camera, and Ari was so beautiful to photograph. I genuinely enjoyed spending time with this family, and capturing some amazing memories for them. Melissa chose the Deluxe Collection, so she was able to keep all of her images (this makes me soooo happy, as I truly love clients being able to have all of their images and their full story!). She also receives two enlargements, a beautiful linen photo book, and a slideshow of her images set to music which is shared above. I love the Deluxe Collection, as I really feel that it allows your full story to be told. Thank you for such a fun afternoon!
If you’d like to book a session for yourself or someone you love, contact me here. You can also view my Family Portfolio for more examples of my work.
by Alana | Sep 16, 2018 | Family - Location, The Wanneroo Pines
Sarah booked in her session with me many months ago, as she wanted to give some images to her partner Josh for Fathers Day. She surprised Josh on the day with the photo session – and luckily he was happy with her plans! During the session, it’s common that the mood of the kids plays a role in dictating the flow. We had lots of fun during the session with bubbles, shoulder rides, peekaboo games, and cuddles. Little Lachie also had a ball playing with sticks and the dirt – claiming that he was ‘very busy’. My favourite parts of a session are capturing those natural moments – the times when your little one comes running up to you for a cuddle, and the look on your face as they tell you that they love you (as Lachie did quite a few times – super cute!). As with all of my sessions, I made sure that I captured some images of Sarah and Josh together as well. I think it’s so important to get some memories together of just the two of you, and to celebrate your bond together. So often it’s easy to just focus on the kids – but your relationship is where it all began! I had so much fun capturing these images for this beautiful family!
If you’d like to view more family sessions, you can view my Family Portfolio. If you’d like to book a session for yourself, or as a gift to someone else, Contact Me.
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 24, 2018 | Family - Location, The Wanneroo Pines
Amy and I met each other in mothers group when her son Chase and my son Louie were only 6 weeks old. Chase and Louie have become great friends, and so have Amy and I. Now our youngest two babies are only a few months apart as well. Amy is also a photographer at Amy Lee Photography, and she has given me some gorgeous memories of my youngest two over the years, so I was more than happy to be able to return the favour and provide her with some memories as well. We met for the photo shoot at The Pines in Wanneroo, which is somewhere special for Amy and her family, as they spend a lot of time there. Little Emily wasn’t too interested in participating in many photos (what 1 year old wants to sit still?!), but Chase was super cooperative and would constantly smile at the camera (“Cheeeeese!”). We went later in the day, so that we could take advantage of the beautiful light in the hour before sunset. Some of my favourite images are taken then – when the sun is low and glowing, and the light is less harsh. It can be a tricky time for little kids, as it’s often over dinner time or bed time, but these two coped pretty well. Such a beautiful family!
If you’d like to book a family location session, Contact me for further information. If you’d like to view more family sessions, look at my Family 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.
by Alana | May 20, 2018 | Family - Location, Hyde Park
I met the Bebic Family at Hyde Park for a family session. Sue wanted to get some new photos of her with her two daughters. Her girls may have been hesitant to attend a photo session, however there were no signs of that when I met them. They were fun, easy going, attentive to their mum, and willing to do anything I asked them to do. It’s obvious how much they love their mum – and also how well they get along with each other. I know it’s probably not always like that, but it was beautiful to be able to capture their bond.
As with all family sessions, I love capturing those little moments between shots. I don’t need everyone to smile at the camera – I want to capture the emotion of their relationships, and the little details that are so easy to take for granted. During my sessions, I’ll guide you to sit somewhere and get as close as possible – and then the rest is just me moving around and capturing your bond from all different angles and perspectives. I move around A LOT during my sessions, and in fact in every single session, I’ve always almost fallen over at least ONCE. One day it’s going to happen for real!
If you’d like to capture some memories with your family, I offer both location and in-home lifestyle sessions. Contact Me and we can discuss what will work best for you. For more beautiful family images, check out my Family Portfolio.
