How photos can change your life
The real reason you need family photos
You know all the usual reasons for getting photos taken of your family. To remember what you all look like. To remember how little they were. A record of how tall your kids were, what colour their hair was, whether they look more like mum or like dad. To freeze a moment in time to look back on for years to come. To capture the now to keep for later.
Don't get me wrong, all those things are important, and great reasons to get family photos.
There's something more important than all of those things though. Your photo shoot is to help you SEE.
I didn't love being a newborn mum
I didn't love being a newborn mum.
That might sound bizarre coming from a newborn photographer, but hear me out.
Having a newborn is hard. When my first baby was born, I really didn't enjoy the first few months. I'd wanted this more than anything, it was everything I'd ever hoped for, what we'd spent two years working towards and longing for, and I loved it (and him) more than my life. I just didn't really enjoy it.
Fun, not stuffy - 8 tips for planning the perfect family photo shoot
Do you dread the idea of a family photo shoot? Maybe you’ve had bad experiences in the past, or can’t stand the idea of standing awkwardly in front of the camera? Or maybe you love the idea of photos, but wonder how your kids will behave and whether you’ll be able to get the photos you want?
Let’s turn that upside down and make your photo shoot a fun experience that your whole family LOVES. Use it as a chance to focus on each other, remember how amazing these people are, and to fall in love all over again.
Amēaleigh | Unicorn baby photo shoot
“1% is better than no percent were his exact words, so carry on we did! Every day every night we called upon our ancestors our tupuna our loved ones who had passed to help us, guide us through our journey. We prayed, we cried, we laughed and we cried so more. Then came our egg collection day! The most scariest day ever!! Put under the gas and away they went!
We will forever be great full for our surrogate, it takes an amazing women to offer to do this for us. I hope we get that chance to share our joy. Thank you for reading our journey.”
Smiling cows and snuggly bears | Te Awamutu newborn photographer
Did you know that when you book a newborn photography session with me, whether in my Te Awamutu photography studio or at your own home, we plan EVERYTHING to be perfect for your family and your home? The colours, the styles, the overall feel, the props… If you've seen cute photos you like, and wonder who came up with the ideas and colours for them, the answer is simple - we do it together!
10 things I wish I'd been told before my baby was born
Nothing is quite as life-changing as having your first baby. No matter how prepared you think you are, nothing can fully prepare you for the moment you hold your new baby and feel like you hold the whole world in your arms. Your life suddenly has a new focus, and it's like a part of your heart is walking around outside of your body.
So much of what you read about preparing for a new baby is focused on the practical side of things, and on all the things you "need" to buy. Those can be pretty fun to plan for and shop for, but to me, they barely even scrape the surface of the things that really matter.
This is what I wish I'd been told about what to expect, and how to cope with and get the most enjoyment from the crazy, precious, exhausting, challenging, rewarding, frustrating and completely amazing experience of becoming a parent.
2017 Top Twenty
What a year 2017 has been! I've met so many wonderful people, seen so many new parents created, had the privilege of capturing so many fleeting newborn moments, and laughed with, chased, played with and photographed so many fun-filled, full of life families.
Here are a few of my favourite moments from the year.
Princess Bia and the Butterfly Wings
This fairytale photo shoot was a dream of mine. I fell in love with this beautiful frothy frock from Dollcake Oh So Girly, and could picture how stunning and dreamy it would look backlit with the light shimmering through it. My vision started out with this dress, and grew into a magical, mystical fairytale.
How to choose a photographer: a photographer’s experience
It all started with a shirt. A button down shirt covered in stegosauruses, to be precise. It wasn’t something I would normally choose for my dirt-loving, messy little boys, because it would be grubby within a few minutes and never look quite the same again. But it sure was cute! The idea flitted through my mind that it would look great on the beach for some photos, and it grew from there.
I spend my career photographing other people’s children and other families. I had a very strong opinion about what I wanted and didn’t want. Here are my tips on how to choose the perfect photographer for your family.
Dexter | Playtime photography session | Waikato children’s photographer
Piopio farm photo shoot | King Country family photographer
Kyrie | Hamilton family photographer
“I just fall in love with him even more every time I see them together.” Kyrie’s mum told me during our planning consultation about the incredible bond between Kyrie and her dad. It was obvious from the moment the three of them walked into my studio that their whole family is filled with so much love, laughter and happiness. Each of her parent’s faces would light up every time they looked at Kyrie – and at each other. There was a matching delight on Kyrie’s face when she caught their eyes.
Zachary's 1st year | A photo a day project
Life happens. Remember when you thought that you’d have hours to spend gazing at your baby, playing peekaboo and gurgling to each other, while your house gleamed with cleanliness and your dinner roasted in the oven? How did that work out for you?!
It is easy to let the moments slip away while you are busy just getting by. You realise a couple of weeks have gone by and you haven’t taken a single photo. Then you try to make up for it, and take 50 photos of her in the same spot, doing the same thing.
A photo a day project can be just the push you need to get you out of playing catch up, and into taking the photos that will mean the most to you in twenty years' time.
Princess Adelaide and the Enchanted Garden
Jed & Nash | Newborn twins photo shoot, Cambridge NZ
This family won their newborn photo shoot in my New Year Newborn competition. They wrote such a heartfelt entry themselves, and also had so many of their friends and family submit an entry on their behalf. This entry from one of their close friends sums up why they were chosen and what a wonderful family they are better than I could say myself!
How to use winter light for beautiful photos
There are lots of things to not love about winter. The icy winds, short days, fog that doesn’t lift, and endless dreary rain. One thing to love about winter, though, is beautiful light. Summer daylight tends to be harsh and unflattering if you are outdoors during the day. In winter, whether the days are overcast or bluebird days, the light is usually perfect for taking stunning portraits.
Family Fun | Cambridge Family Photographer
I first met Jake when he was a young baby and I was still wrapping my head around being a mum to my own little baby. Our boys were Space buddies, and his mum and I got to know each other during our weekly Space catch ups while bumbling our way along this parenting journey together.
Jake has grown up into a happy, cheeky little boy, and a loving big brother to his little bro. It was so much fun getting to work with the whole family together and seeing the love and laughs that they share.
How to make eyes pop
Eyes tell you so much about a person. The cheeky glint, the intense stare, or the kind, gentle look. Curiosity, amusement, mischief, intelligence. There is a world of stories in every gaze.
Do you ever see photos where the eyes are so sparkling that the photo seems alive?
What is it that makes eyes pop like that in a photo?