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 | 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 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 | 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 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.
by Alana | May 14, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
Anyone who knows me, knows that Newborn Lifestyle sessions are food for my soul, and this particular session did NOT disappoint!! Kat has 18 month old twin girls Sophia and Violet, and new baby Harrison has recently been welcomed into their family (I won’t say that he’s ‘completed’ the family just yet – I think there might be the possibility of more new additions!!). Kat contacted me while she was pregnant because she wanted to capture some newborn images different to the posed ones she captured with her twin girls, and loved the natural and relaxed lifestyle vibe. I’m so glad that she did, and that I was able to capture this most beautiful family in their gorgeous home.
Lifestyle sessions are just perfect when you have other children – it gives them the freedom to be in a familiar environment, to play with their own toys, and have breaks as needed (or in this case, go down for their afternoon nap!). Both girls were a little cautious at the start (there were tears, I won’t lie!), but we got out ‘Where is The Green Sheep’, did a little bed jumping, and soon all was right with the world! These sessions are all about going with the flow, and working around the needs of your little people. When the girls were upset, they had a little break with dad….when they were hungry, they had a little snack from the kitchen…when they wanted to be active and ride their bikes, we included that in the photos (after all, that’s all part of their story!). They weren’t forced to sit still and be actively involved in the photos the entire time, they were simply allowed to just be. And despite any challenge, or any little bout of tears, we were able to capture some absolutely stunning images.
As for Harrison, this little guy was super happy just to be feeding from his mumma pretty much the entire session! In the brief moments where he wasn’t attached to his fave lady, he was cuddling with his Daddy, behaving all ridiculously cute for the camera, or being observed by his big sisters who were fascinated when we placed him on a blanket on the ground!
Kat had mentioned wanting to get some images taken of her post partum body and I’m soooo glad she did. These images have to be amongst my absolute favourites – not only is Kat insanely beautiful (has she really only had a child weeks before??!!), but celebrating these changes to your body is such a massive and beautiful part of the story. I know it can be hard to feel beautiful when you’ve just had a baby. Things don’t fit the same and your body is different in so many ways, and yet by capturing images like this it can show you just how beautiful it really is. This is the body that grew your baby, and is now feeding your baby on the outside. This is magical and precious, and should 100 percent be celebrated.
I’ve actually really struggled to choose images to share with you on the blog, because I just seriously love them all!! To me, they all tell part of the story and so choosing favourites is pretty much impossible!! But here you go – a little glimpse into Harrison’s Newborn Lifestyle session!!
If you’d love to capture some memories for yourself, Contact me here. You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio for more examples of my work.
by Alana | Apr 16, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
There’s something about walking into the home of a couple who have just had their first baby. There’s an air of fresh excitement, of unhinged wonder as they look at their new baby. Their smiles are always so big, so raw. Of course they are for everyone with a new baby, but there is always that little bit of extra magic when it’s the first. Their whole world has changed, and although it comes with its challenges, it’s such a special time. I always think back to when we had our first daughter – I wish I could relive it all and soak it in just that bit more. I was learning everything – learning how to take care of this new little person, learning how to adapt to a new way of life, and learning how to be a mum. When you have your first baby, you are also born as a parent. You can never get that experience back. You can never have your first baby again, and you’ll never feel quite the same way again. When I look back on photos of my own first baby, I can almost smell the air again and smell her fresh skin. I can remember that indescribable feeling in the air – that feeling where everything is just so NEW. You can’t quite believe that this little person is real (except in the middle of the night when they make their presence very well known!).
Stepping into the home of Mel and Ali was like this. Their fresh enthusiasm and smiles were so beautiful – it’s actually quite contagious! They’ve become parents to the gorgeous little Mia, who was the most divine little graceful doll, and they just doted on her like she was their world. And she is. Newborn lifestyle sessions are such a beautiful and relaxed way to celebrate this new little family member. There’s no formal posing – just moments where you get to sit together, hold your baby and soak her in whilst I chat with you, stand on your furniture, and capture these early days of your new family that you can never get back. My hope is that by having these images, you’re able to relive it all just a little bit. It all goes incredibly quickly (I know, everyone says it – but it’s really so true!). In one week, one month, one YEAR, little Mia will be so different. And while each little change is so beautiful and precious, it doesn’t stop you from missing all of those little stages before. Of missing life as it was back then, even if sometimes it was hard.
I can’t leave this blog without also mentioning their most beautiful dog Nyla who I fell a little bit in love with during the shoot! She completed this stunning family in the best way possible.
If you’d like to book a Newborn session for yourself, Contact me here. You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio and learn more about Newborn Lifestyle sessions here. I’d love to help you tell your story and freeze this most special time in your life so that you can relive it all long after it’s passed.
by Alana | Apr 9, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle, Uncategorized
Arriving at Sofia’s in-home newborn lifestyle session, I was greeted by her very excited and happy big brother Alessio (who also happens to share a birthday week with her)! There are so many benefits to in-home lifestyle sessions (Not having to leave your home…memories including your own home, furniture and belongings…not needing to have your baby sleep to be posed in certain ways…the list goes on), and when you add older siblings to the mix, in-home lifestyle sessions are even more perfect. The older kids are already more comfortable because they’re in their own environment, there is no pressure on them to behave or pose a certain way, and they can come in and out as they please. As it was, Alessio was more than happy to be part of the session for most of the time, and we even captured his very FIRST hold of his baby sister! The look on his face when she was being passed to him is just priceless!!
At only 6 days old, Sofia was pretty content to just be fed and held until she became tired quite early on in the session and was put down to bed in her bassinet. Her parents insisted that she wouldn’t sleep, but there was silence for around 15 minutes so she managed to have a quick catnap on her own before waking and wanting to be fed and held again. Those early days learning about your baby and her needs are challenging at times, especially when you have a toddler running around as well. If only we could find that magic ‘sleep’ button and just make them sleep and wake when and where we want them to!! Sleep is definitely a topic you think and talk about a LOT when you have a baby. Sleep and poo, right?!
I really love these images of Sofia with her family – this time with her so little is so fleeting, and one day they’ll look back on these photos sentimentally and ‘remember when…’. Life constantly changes when you have little kids. They change. We change. Routines change. It all changes before you know it. And then you forget so much of it, until you’re reminded through a photo or a memory someone has. Capture all of the stages. All of the ‘normal moments’ which are the moments you’ll truly miss one day. I’m glad I was able to capture some of that for Sofia and her family.
If you’d like to capture some of your own special moments, Contact me here. You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio for more gorgeous images and read What is a Newborn Lifestyle Session to learn more about one of my most favourite sessions to do.
by Alana | Mar 31, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
Katy received a gift voucher from her sister in law for a photo session from me, and decided to use it when their new baby June was born and her parents were over visiting from the US. June was only a few days old when I met them at their home, along with June’s gorgeous older sister Hazel. Little June slept the entire time, and was happy to be passed around and cuddled and kissed by all the people in their home (Hazel even had her first hold with her while I was there!). It was so special to include Katy’s parents as well – they’ve been a big help in the home while they’ve been staying, and it’s so special that they were able to be there in the early days with their new Granddaughter. I spoke to them about how hard it must be to live so far away, and how spending this quality time together is so important. The last time they visited was when Hazel was just born, so they plan to organise another holiday without waiting for another baby to be born!
Newborn sessions are just as much for the siblings as they are for the new baby. I love capturing the connection between siblings, but also between the older child and her parents. Their relationship evolves as a new person comes into the family, and it can take awhile to find their new normal. Making sure that they still get focused attention is so important, and I absolutely love watching them all play together and cuddle, and this was very evident all throughout the session. Older siblings also often dictate the flow of a session. When they need a break, we give them one. If they’re feeling it, we take advantage of it. If they need something to keep them involved, we get out their books or stuffed toys and take the focus off of their photo being taken, and onto another activity that they enjoy.
I truly love capturing new families together, it’s such a magical time of life! If you’d like me to capture some memories for your own new family, contact me here. You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio for more examples of my work.
by Alana | Mar 3, 2019 | Newborn - Lifestyle
Before Baby O’s Newborn Lifestyle session, I was warned about the yellow walls in their home, the fact that big sister R might be over-zealous in front of the camera, and the fact that Mum found being in front of the camera awkward and might pull weird expressions. Yet I found none of this when I turned up for the session (well, aside from the yellow walls but I actually loved them!). Despite having missed their morning coffee (I told them afterwards that they totally should have had one while I was there!), this family was full of fun and beautiful connection and no evidence of strange faces being pulled!! Baby O was perfect despite having been suffering from a bit of reflux, and little R was a natural in front of the camera – reading books, twirling in the hallway, dancing with her mum, showing me her crafty creations, jumping on the bed, and being affectionate with her baby sister. You couldn’t ask for anything more really!!
Mum contacted me as she wanted to capture some natural images of them now that they had their second baby girl and had recently moved into their new home. She said that they didn’t have many of the 3 of them before baby O was born, and now that she was here, Mum wanted to make sure they had some photos they were happy to look at – ones that showed who they really were.
There are so many images from this session that I absolutely love, and I’m extremely grateful to them for letting me share some. Some images they want to keep private, and that’s totally fine, I just really appreciate that they’ve let me share these ones with you. Although I obviously love being able to share images, your photos are YOUR story, and I would never want anyone to feel pressured to share them. So if you’re wanting a photo session but you’re worried it means that you have to share your photos, rest assured that I’ll never share any you’re not 100% comfortable with me sharing.
If you’d love to book a session with me, Contact me here. You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio here and learn more about what Newborn Lifestyle sessions are here.
by Alana | Jan 5, 2019 | Family - Lifestyle, Newborn - Lifestyle
Newborn Lifestyle sessions are one of my absolute favourite sessions to do, and they’re my favourite for a number of reasons. Firstly, those newborn days are filled with excitement, change, and the glorious period of getting to know your new little baby. They are also filled with chaos, exhaustion, anxiety and often whizz by you in a blur that you can’t quite hold onto. A newborn lifestyle session is able to truly capture all of that and also allow you to have some beautiful memories which include your own home – the nursery your baby sleeps in, the couch you spend your days on, the chaos in the lounge room – all whilst meaning that you don’t even need to leave your own house!!! How amazing is that!! Often leaving the house with a newborn can be stressful, so by having your shoot in your own home, it’s immediately more relaxing.
This is extra perfect when you have siblings involved! Your other kids are able to be in their own environment, and they’re able to come in and out as they like without any pressure. They can immerse themselves in their favourite toy or favourite book, and you can capture those memories together as a family. There is no pressure to ‘perform’ during a newborn lifestyle shoot.
This brings me to my next point. My style of photography is all about capturing the natural moments, the raw emotions, and the beautiful connections. For this reason, I don’t do typical posing, and this is especially true for newborn lifestyle sessions. Your baby doesn’t need to be asleep, they don’t need to be in a good mood, they really don’t ‘need’ to do anything. They can just BE.
So what does a typical newborn lifestyle session look like? It’s really a session which is very much ‘go with the flow’. Where we start depends on what your baby needs, and if there are other siblings then it depends on their moods as well. If the siblings want to be involved straight away, then we jump on that and grab that moment before it passes. If they need some time without being photographed first, then that’s fine too and we’l just focus on you and your baby. Often it’s during this time that siblings start WANTING to be involved, simply because they’re not being asked to be involved!! If your baby is asleep we’ll start with you holding your baby, laying with your baby, or grabbing some detail shots. If your baby needs to be fed, then we’ll start with that. If your baby is unsettled, then we’ll go with whatever makes him happy (some of my favourite shots are of babies being settled as this is real life!!). If nothing is making your baby happy, then just remember that photos don’t have sound, and the images can still be beautiful. We can also take the opportunity to grab some shots of their feet or hands or clothing and other details which don’t require their crying face to be included all of the time.
I like to try and focus on the things that you do regularly with your baby – the couch you might sit on, the wrap you might wrap them in, the carrier you wear them in, the multi-tasking in the kitchen, and anything else that’s important and relevant to you and your life. These sessions are personal and totally dependent on what your ‘real life’ is like. One day you’ll be able to look back on your images and remember what time was like during that period in your life – what it looked like, felt like, sounded like – and you’ll also be able to realise how fleeting it all was. How quickly it all changes, how fast your baby grows and how special each and every day with them is. Even the tough days. Newborn lifestyle sessions really allow you to FEEL something when you look back on them – it’s a very specific, very fleeting, and extremely special part of your life.
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask! You can find more info here What is a Lifestyle Session? and you can view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio here. Please contact me with any questions, or if you’d like to book a session. I also offer gift vouchers if you’d like a great present idea!
by Alana | Nov 22, 2018 | Newborn - Lifestyle
Kaya’s Mummy Cassie had wanted to book in a newborn lifestyle session earlier, however unfortunately their 3.5 year old Melia had other plans. Within an hour of returning home from the hospital with their 3rd baby Kaya, their oldest Melia fell and broke her arm! Not exactly the start you want when you have a new baby! We decided to schedule the shoot for when Melia was out of her cast and life was a little more ‘normal’. Cassie and Paul also have a 19 month old little boy Jay – so as anyone with three kids will know – life is a little chaotic! It’s fair to say there was a lot of noise during the shoot, a fair amount of chaos and tears, but a LOT of beautiful moments! I truly believe that there is beauty in chaos and I definitely don’t want any family feeling that their kids need to be focused and behaved throughout the shoot. Some of my favourite shots during this session are those ones where the kids are upside down, rolling on the floor, or laying in a tangled mess across their parents legs. This is real life – this is what life is truly like with little kids and THIS is what I want to capture! The beautiful chaos – the real life – the things you’ll look back on and smile because it makes you remember what it was all like, and it makes you feel something. This time will pass, and strangely enough one day you’ll miss all of the noise and the movement and the chaos. Looking back will let you revisit that time again – and maybe pat yourself on the back for getting through it all!
Despite all the noise and movement, we’re still able to find moments of calm and quiet – usually one parent can look after the older kids whilst the other takes time to bond and cuddle with the baby. Both Cassie and Paul had this time with Kaya, although often it was cut short with Jay and Melia running in for a cuddle as well. Often it’s the time when you’re focusing on someone else that the kids actually want to be in the frame! I just go with the flow on this. When the kids are happy to be photographed, I take advantage of that and keep them involved. When they needed a break to go and play in the car with dad, or get a snack, or go outside, we let them do that. When they needed encouragement to be involved, I helped them through that – some tricks involve showing them a photo of themselves on the back of the screen and asking them if they can do a better one, or asking them how fast they can run to mum or dad, or how tightly they can squeeze them, or how many fingers their new baby has. Going into their room is another way to keep them happy.
When placing this family all together, I absolutely loved the natural interaction they had with each other. I don’t need or want a family to just sit together stiff and posed – I want those natural interactions and the craziness and their real personalities. I want to see what happens when they’re close together and freeze that for them so that they can always remember it. Although parents often feel the need to apologise for their kids behaviour, I really don’t want them to feel that way! I want to capture what is real for you, and this family let me do that!
If you’d like me to help you capture some of your own beautiful chaos or gift a voucher to someone, Contact me here. You can also view my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio here.
by Alana | Oct 2, 2018 | Newborn - Lifestyle
I was so excited to see Evie for her newborn lifestyle shoot – firstly because she’s my niece so I love any opportunity to see her – and secondly because newborn lifestyle sessions just make me so happy!! Arriving to see her, her mummy Ashlee informed me that it was 7 weeks ago that we did her Fresh 48 session (which you can view here). Seven whole weeks! I know it’s such a cliché, but it really is just so true. Time goes soooo fast. Too fast. And in that fast passing of time, those little babies grow even faster. Their eyes become focused and aware… their cry changes from the newborn cry to their baby cry…they begin ‘talking’ and smiling and showing their likes and dislikes…they move further and further away from that fresh little baby who breathed their first breath. While I absolutely love watching them grow, and have loved watching my own children grow, it also does make me sad. I can’t help it! Seeing them move away from who they once were has always been difficult for me (I’m usually the one feeling sad when my kids have birthdays, and I’m definitely the one crying the night before they start school!!), and this is one of the reasons I love photography. All these little moments and routines we think we’ll remember, yet time moves on quickly, and we can’t keep it all fresh in our minds. I love being able to capture those memories – to freeze them so they can be revisited.
Little babies are unpredictable. Whilst it’s always lovely to have your baby in the ‘perfect mood’, they don’t always cooperate! This doesn’t mean that we can’t get beautiful images that capture what life is like with a new baby – the ups and the downs, the challenges and the triumphs, the beauty and the chaos. Life isn’t perfect, but your story is because it’s YOUR STORY. In the case of little Evie, she is usually such a happy and chilled baby, but she just wasn’t feeling it on the day of our shoot and mainly just wanted to sleep rather than share her smiles with the world. And that’s okay – because that’s all part of life with a new baby. It gave us a perfect opportunity to grab some beautiful images of her cuddling with her Mummy and Daddy, and being comforted and soothed by them. She felt safe and peaceful in their arms, and that’s a magical thing to see. I love being able to capture that so that they can hold onto those memories when she’s grown and maybe doesn’t want as many cuddles anymore!
One thing Evie did love was the bath, so we made sure to capture some images of her being bathed by her Daddy. This is her happy place – and it shows in the way she was adoringly looking up at him and smiling throughout the entire bath. Another thing we wanted to capture was Mum multitasking in the kitchen – all part of mum life – especially when Dad works away. It’s amazing how quickly you can learn how to do things with one hand!! Before going to the hospital, Matthew and Ashlee had taken a photo outside the front of their house, and wanted to do the same now that Evie was there with them. Matthew and Ashlee have had their full story told with their Maternity Session, Birth Story, Fresh 48, and now their newborn lifestyle shoot. I’m so glad to have been able to give these images to them – and hopefully they’ll be precious to them forever.
If you’d like to book a session with me, or for someone you love, Contact me here.
by Alana | Sep 6, 2018 | Birth, Maternity, Newborn - Lifestyle
I was so excited to get to see Chloe again after capturing her birth two months ago. I’ve loved following Chloe’s journey from her mummy’s maternity session (see Charlotte’s Maternity Session) to her birth (see The Birth of Chloe), and now her Newborn Lifestyle session. Chloe was so good during her session – she was either sleeping or happy the entire time. Her Mummy Charlotte and Daddy Dylan were surprised by this, as they insisted that she was normally more challenging to get to sleep – but during the session she just peacefully stayed asleep even when moved from person to person. I reckon she remembered me from her birth and was excited to see me too lol. She’d already grown so much and was already interacting with everyone around her – including her two sisters were also there to shower some love on her.
During newborn lifestyle sessions I love to capture the things that occur every day – such as changing your baby, or feeding her – as well as giving the opportunity to just spend a moment holding your baby (in nice light lol) and just look at her little features and soak her in. It gives you a moment to stop and appreciate the little baby features amidst what can sometimes be the chaotic first few months. I love being able to provide these memories to people. Those first few months can sometimes feel never ending when you’re dealing with the challenges of baby wind problems, lack of sleep, and settling into your ‘new normal’ – but they DO end. Suddenly you realise that you’re not holding her for sleeps anymore, that she doesn’t fit into that outfit anymore, and that life has changed from what it once was. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll miss it. By having the photos to look back on you can ‘holiday’ in that time again and remember what it was like.
You can view more Newborn Lifestyle sessions in my Lifestyle Newborn Portfolio. If you’d like to book a session for yourself, or gift a session to someone you love, Contact me. I’d love to help you out!
