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.
“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.
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!
Like most families waiting for their first child, Bailey’s parents were incredibly excited but also a little scared! One of the highlights of newborn photography for me is talking to people during their pregnancy and hearing about their hopes and dreams, and then watching them slot into the role of parents as if they had always known how. There are so many little ways the bond between them is visible, and for me, Bailey’s tiny fingers clinging on to her dad’s hard working, capable hands sums it up in one photo.
It turns out that a plug is a fairly crucial part of a maternity milk bath photo shoot. Who would have thought? Our session narrowly avoided being a complete washout when we realised that ours was missing!
This was the first time I had tried a milk bath photo shoot, so I’d done plenty of research online to get tips and tricks and make sure I was fully prepared. Milk powder, scissors for the flowers, a bowl for mixing milk powder in, cornflour for extra whitening – I had it all. It never even crossed my mind to check the plug! Living in a house with two children under 3 who love to squirrel things away to random places, I really should have known better!
A first birthday is a big milestone. Your little person has grown from a tiny dependent baby into a toddler with very definite opinions and interests, bursting with personality and fun.
Just as importantly, YOU have survived a full year of parenting. You've got through sleepless zombie land (or if you're like me, you're still struggling in the grips of that one!); you've managed feeding and nappy changes and several new sizes of clothes; you've nurtured your little one through rolling and crawling and bumped heads and jammed fingers, all the way to this day. There were times when you wondered how you could possibly get through the day; times you sat down beside them and sobbed along with their tears; times when you reminisced about how simple and easy life used to be.
