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.
My own boys have changed from a baby and a toddler into a toddler and a little boy (or big boy, as he informs me if I make the mistake of calling him little!).
Here are a few of my favourite moments from the year.
1. I am definitely biased about this photo, but I love how it captures so much about my eldest son Zachary. He might look like he knows what he's doing with his violin (if you ignore the fact that he's holding it in the wrong hand), but you definitely don't want to hear the soundtrack that goes with it! Everything he knows is from carefully observing buskers and YouTube videos. I love how this photo shows his concentration, his passion and his gentle, caring side.
2. The sweetest family moment.
3. This princess photo shoot was just magical. I loved everything about it - the stunning dress from Dollcake Oh So Girly, the delicate fairy wings, the sparkles, and the excited little princess. I had trouble deciding which photo to share from her dreamy photo shoot - check out the full blog post here to see her flying through a swarm of butterflies! Which is your favourite?
4. Blue steel. Those eyes get me every time! Combined with that little bundle of arms and legs and feet and hands, I love this photo so much. I may be slightly biased, because this little boy reminded me SO much of my first son as a baby, with the same straight-into-your-soul gaze!
5. I love gazing-straight-into-the-camera portraits, but sometimes they aren't the ones that capture personalities the best. I love the way you can feel the unrestrained happiness and laughter in this photo. As adults, we don't let ourselves have these moments nearly often enough!
6. In all honesty, I could have filled up half of my top twenty with photos of this set of twins. They were ridiculously cute, and so sleepy and settled during their photo shoot that we got so many photos I am head over heels in love with. I changed my mind about 5 times on which photo to include in this collection! For a serious dose of cuteness, including them being watched over by their equally cute big brother, check out their full blog post here.
7. This is a little... uh... messier than my typical portraits! But aside from the fact that this moment is so classic of my food-loving, food-wearing little boy Rory, how could you possibly resist those eyes, the clasped hands, the soft, baby hair, and the butter-wouldn't-melt look on his face? (Clearly chocolate ice cream would melt though!)
8. I think it's pretty obvious why this one made my Top Twenty. I have a weakness for amazing eyes, and these ones are hard to beat! See this post for more photos of this stunning little girl.
9. What a gorgeous family! I love the sense of belonging and togetherness in this photo. More of their family photos are in this post here.
10. I adore the colours and styling of this maternity photo shoot, with its lace, flowers and textures. This milk bath photo shows them off perfectly. Note to self - next time, make sure the bath plug hasn't gone walkabout before the photo shoot starts! See more photos from this dreamy shoot here.
11. So Rory doesn't really do elegant or classy. No refined photos of him sitting sensibly and smiling at the camera in here. To me, that is what a portrait is all about though - capturing their real personality. This photo is Rory all over, right down to the random bit of pen on his face, courtesy of his big brother. And seriously, could he be any cuter?!
12. Delicate lace and flowers, creamy, dreamy colours, and the most perfect little baby girl. What is not to love? More rustic, lacy perfection here.
13. Those eyes. That expression. I can't help but smile every time I look at this photo!
14. I'm pretty biased on this one again, but is he not the cutest little Easter bunny you've ever seen? Zachary's cheeky smile and dimple get me every time - in real life as well as in this photo.
15. Summer and childhood and fun-filled sibling moments. These two have a special place in my heart (they are my niece and nephew), but even aside from that, I love the colours and the connection and the backlit summer glow in this image.
16. You might be noticing a trend here... Rory is in his element when he is covered in food, dirt, or in this case, grease from poking his hands up the car's exhaust pipe. How could you ever be angry at that little face though?!
17. Proud big sister with her new little baby + lace, ruffles, and beautiful soft colours = the sweetest sister moment. See more photos from this dreamy lace and flowers shoot here.
18. Those deep brown eyes have always had a way of seeming like they see right into your soul. We used to get endless comments on Zachary being an 'old soul' almost from the moment he was born. It doesn't stand out quite so much now that he is a bit older and has grown into his wise eyes a little more, but every now and then a photo like this strikes right into my heart!
19. Once again, it's all about the eyes!
20. A touch of magic to finish off with. Princess Adelaide's fairytale photo shoot was every little girl's (and big girl's!) dream come true. You can read her magical story here.
I'd love to hear which is your favourite photo!