Melbourne Wedding, Engagement, Newborn and Baby Photographer » Newborn Photography

WELCOME TO THE WORLD

Narrelle — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:27:59 +0000

This afternoon I had the absolute joy of photographing a super fresh newborn baby. I’m talking 5 hours in the outside world. That super fresh.
I was originally going to be photographing his birth, but due to circumstances he ended up arriving by caesarean. So the kids and I hung around in the city, (read: hung around in Haighs, begging for chocolate samples) while I waited for the call to let me know everyone was back in their room and feeling settled. The kids then headed home with daddy, who was happy to sacrifice a few hours in the office so I could go alone to meet this precious, new little soul.
A part of me would love to share some of the images – it’s a beautiful thing to watch a new life welcomed into a family. And an honour to be able to play a part in capturing those moments. But I also feel those moments are private ones, and there are some things we don’t need to share with the rest of the world – beautiful as they may be.

But because I felt the urge to share something tonight, I flicked through the photographs I took, just a short walk away from the hospital. As I sat beneath this tree I enjoyed the peace and quiet, the cool autumn breeze, the business of people going about their lives, and the stillness of mine for those brief few minutes. I was enjoying the solitude, the not having to worry about which of my kids was busy trying to cross the road by themselves. I thought of making the most of it and heading to the nearest place that would bring me coffee and cake in a nice quiet corner. Then I thought about the beautiful family of three just become four, and I suddenly felt the urge to replace that coffee with a train ride home, to be with my little family of four. Being alone had lost its appeal. Crazy, I know.

Guys, I know you won’t be reading this – you have far more important things to be worried about at the moment – but I just wanted to say thank you for allowing me to be there for that brief but incredibly special time of your lives. Your little boy truly is beautiful (but what other chance did he have with the gene pool you’ve passed on) and it was a genuine pleasure recording some of the first few hours of his life so far.

Much joy to you all. Narrelle. x

TWO EXTRA SPECIAL BUNDLES OF JOY

Narrelle — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:44:28 +0000

I remember one of the first things I did when I found out I was pregnant with Jaedon (apart from almost falling to the floor from shock) was sign up to an online forum. I knew absolutely nothing about being pregnant (I’m still trying to figure out how it happened), and it was comforting having a place where I could go, somewhat anonymously, and ask all those funny, embarrassing questions that I would never ask anyone in real life. And do things I would never do in the real world. Like post pictures of my belly for the whole world to see, as I grew bigger and bigger. The last photo I posted I was 7 days overdue, and clearly suffering from baby brain. I mean – seriously – did the world really need to be subjected to that. However, embarrasment aside, I am incredibly glad that I now have that record, and was able to watch the effect that the new life growing inside me was having on my poor body.

When I met with Rod and Jenty on the weekend we got to talking about the same thing, almost. Rod was explaining how, at 20 weeks pregnant, a friend of Jenty’s had posted a picture of her rounding belly, and how he had urged his wife to do the same. She eventually came around to the idea and took a photo at 24 weeks. It was a good thing she did – three days later their twins were born.

I remember finding out about it, and feeling completely shocked. Then feeling slightly puzzled after talking to Rod and hearing how well they were going. Having been pregnant I’d heard all these terms floating about, about the point of viability for a foetus (the earliest stage at which it can survive outside of the womb), and I knew that 24 weeks was VERY early, and I guess I just expected there to be complications. But there weren’t. These little champions, from all accounts, sailed through those early months. And when I say little – you have no idea. Rodney showed me a photograph taken in the early days, with his little princess wearing his wedding ring - over her arm. It would have gone all the way to her shoulder, easily. That’s how tiny they were. And yet they somehow found the strength to fight on. I do know they had a whole host of people, all over the world, praying for them. And on Sunday I got to meet the answers to those prayers – two very happy, healthy, perfect-in-every-way, babies. I couldn’t stop staring at them, marvelling at just how precious they were, losing count of the times I felt goose-bumps run from the top of my head to the very tip of my toes. And, again, I felt very blessed to be able to do what I do, and to be able to capture a small portion of life of these extra special, truly beautiful bundles of joy. What a buzz.

Guys (Rod and Jenty) - it really was a pleasure spending the afternoon with you, and finally meeting your little miracles. I’m still in awe at just how perfect they are. They must have something truly amazing in store for their lives. I can’t wait to hear how they turn out.

This one makes me smile every time I look at it
She’s such a little sweetheart
Love this shot of Mama and her little doll
And those eyelashes. Not fair.
Awwwww
Almost two peas in a pod
Already looking out for her
I see you

Totally love these ones of Daddy and his little guy. Fatherhood suits you, Rod.
And I really love this one too. There’s a whole series of them, each one of them looking like little Brandon has realised what they’ve overcome, and is giving out a little shout of triumph. Shout it out, little guy, you’ve earned it.

Narrelle x

(Oh, and thanks Rod for calling the RACV for me, after my blonde moment of leaving the car headlights on. Matt tells me there were jump leads in the back after all.)

NEWNESS AND HAPPINESS

Narrelle — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:23:05 +0000

Yes, it’s a new year. Again. And I hope it’s been a happy one for you all so far (which is not very long, admittedly, for those on the other side of the world…).
And I really do pray that the long remainder of it will be filled with much happiness and joy also. I’ve never been one for new years resolutions, but if I were going to make one this year it would be to seek happiness and find it, and to decide to be happy when it would be much easier to feel otherwise. I’m a sucker for allowing things to get to me that just simply shouldn’t. That aint gonna happen this year. I’ve promised myself that much.

I’m very much looking forward to 2010. I’m looking forward to change, and exciting things. New things. New clients and new friends, and clients that become friends – I love it when that happens. Me and my camera made so many new friends last year, so I can’t wait to see who this one brings into my life. I’m looking forward to new challenges, and new achievements. New moments, and new memories. New paths, and new heights. And I’m looking forward to the new, improved version of me.

This is going to be a good year. I can feel it. I hope you can too.

Running with the ‘new’ theme, here’s a peep at the latest, littlest, friend I’ve made lately. Isn’t she just beautiful.

Anna and Andrew – I’ll have some more of your little princess ready for you very soon. It was so good to see you again. Much love, Nelly. xxx

Sneaky Peek | Baby Liam

Narrelle — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:34:37 +0000

He made me work nice and hard this one. I personally think he knows a good thing when he’s got it, and was enjoying all the extra cuddles. I can hardly blame him for protesting every time we tried to put him down and sneak the nice, warm blankie off him. I’d have been the same. But what’s great about these bubs that don’t do quite what we expect them to is they keep me on my toes. And I get to capture them as they are, which I just love – it really is at the heart of my photography. As much as I love the posed, sleepy, deep breath *sigh* inducing photographs of newborns, and as much as I will aim to capture some of these each session, it just doesn’t always work. Baby rules the roost as far as these sessions go, and I simply follow their lead. Happily.

What I love about this session was the connection between little Liam and his mummy and daddy. I adored watching him search them out, and engage with them. I love how laid back they all were, and how comfortable and natural they were as a new family of four. And I felt grateful to be able to record a brief moment in their lives, as they were. As I look through the images from the day I know that’s what they reflect. And that makes me happy.

Thank you so much, Natasha and Andrew for having me over. It really was a pleasure to spend time with you all – you have a beautiful family. And you would seriously have to be amongst the most relaxed and calm people I know (which comes in handy when I get thrown out by roadworks on the way and end up running half an hour late…. please tell me you weren’t stressing in secret… ) Here’s a few of my favourites so far. I just love the first shot – I wish I had one like this with my own children.

And don’t you just love these little feet. I just wanna munch on them!

I hope he slept well after I left, guys. It would be pretty typical.

Narrelle. x
{ Newborn Photography Melbourne }

.New Life.

Narrelle — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:11:29 +0000

What better way to bring in a new season by capturing the beauty of a new life. A tiny, sweet, precious, kissable new creation.
Annabel’s mum booked me for her newborn session back at the end of June. It’s great to work with someone so organised, but it meant I had to wait 2 whole months to meet their beautiful little daughter. I guess they’d been waiting a lot longer than me though.

It was an absolute pleasure to capture Annabel in the first week of her life. As both mum and dad commented, and I’ve seen countless times, it’s incredible how much they change even in that short space of time. I love walking away from photographing a newborn knowing that I have captured a stage in their life, a brief moment of time, that is far too fleeting. Those few hours, though, have been stopped still, to pause and relect on. To wonder apon. To marvel at. For all time. How incredible is that. It fills me up with such joy, surrounded by warm and fuzzy butterflies.

Admittedly I was a bit fearful at the start of the session that we weren’t going to get the shots we were after. Miss Annabel had decided that the strange lady in her home was much more interesting than sleep. She kept us on tippy toes for a good long while before she figured I wasn’t that exciting after all, and drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep. She was as good as gold, both awake and asleep, and we managed some beautiful images of her after all. So many actually that I had trouble sorting through them and decided which few to share here for mum and dad. I’ve narrowed them down to these for now – can’t wait to hear what you think of them Emma and Stuart. She really is beautiful. Truly. You’re very blessed.

Narrelle x

{ Melbourne Newborn Photographer }

Are you expecting?

Narrelle — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:00:13 +0000

I am. Not in the I’m expecting a baby kind of way, but in the I’m expecting great things from the coming year kind of way. Exciting things. New things.
I have plans – some of them scare me, because they’ll take me way out of my comfort zone. But I believe they’ll be great for the business, because they’ll be great for me, and that kind of stuff usually has a roll-on effect. But my faith is in the fact that the effects will keep rolling once they hit me, and keep on going. But more of the scary stuff later.
The not-so-scary stuff involves newborns. They’re not scary at all. Unless you’re a man.
So I’m looking for lots of yummy newly born babies to photograph. and play with. and cuddle. and smell. mmmmm. Okay, primarily to photograph. The extra stuff is a bonus, seeing as mine are no longer babies. sniff.
If you have recently given birth (and your little one is under 2 weeks of age) or are due to deliver within the next 2 months, I am going to be running a little promotion that you’ll love. With every newborn session booked for July and August I’m going to offer a complimentary (and beautiful) 12×18 inch fine art canvas print, valued at $260. It’s my way of saying thankyou for letting me play with and cuddle you precious little bundle. And photographing him or her too, of course.
So please spread the word if a woman in your life is expecting. And if she’s (or you’re) expecting twins, even better – double the fun.
I really do look forward to hearing from all you new mums, or mum-to-be’s out there. There’s few things, photography-wise, that bring me as much joy as capturing a new life. And here’s a little taster to sign off with:

Narrelle x
{ Newborn Photography Melbourne }

Re-visiting an old post…

Narrelle — Fri, 29 May 2009 04:31:25 +0000

This is a post I shared a while back, when both my business and blog were quite young. I know there are considerably more people that read my blog now and may have missed this in the archives, and I’ve been feeling strongly about giving it another shout out lately. I’m going to re-post the whole entry though rather than provide a link back because, if you’re anything like me, and your days are as busy as mine, it might seem like too much work to click on it. So here goes:

THE LITTLEST HEROES PROJECT – Capturing Miracles, Picturing Cures

What is The Littlest Heroes Project? Let me quote a piece from their website:

“The Littlest Heroes Project is a non-profit based organization made up of professional photographers nationwide that provide free photo sessions to our nations Littlest Heroes. This is their way of giving back and taking a stand for these children who sometimes feel forgotten because of their illnesses. We are here to let them know that they are heroes to many, and to share their inspirational stories and photos with the world.

If you have a child, or know a child, who suffers from any type of serious illness we are here to help. The Littlest Heroes Project provides you with a complimentary photo shoot for your hero and family … Super Sibs and the Brave Parents are welcome to participate in the session as well!

Eligibility for the project: Any child or young person (Infant-21) that is currently fighting or has fought or suffers from any of the following: Autism, Alopecia, AIDS, Bell’s Palsy, Cancer,Chiari Malformation,Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy, CHD,Childhood Stroke, Servere Diabetes, Down Syndrome, HIV,Immune System disorders and diseases, Kidney Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Neurocutaneous Syndromes, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Sickle Cell Anemia, Spina Bifida, Tay-Sachs Disease
(If your child’s illness is not listed and you are interested, please e-mail felicia@littlestheroesproject.org … This is just a basic list of illnesses of children we have already photographed!) “

I first heard of this project through a flickr contact of mine, Felicia Reinhard (I’d encourage you to go check her profile out. Her own story is very heartfelt and encouraging. She is such a beautiful young lady).
I visited their website (http://www.littlestheroesproject.org/) and was reduced to humble tears as I read the testimonies and trials of families who’s lives have been forever altered by disease and sickness, many of which I’d never even heard of. As a parent of two young ones myself, I found it unbeliveably heartbreaking and agonising to even imagine myself in their position.
I can’t recall the amount of times I have looked apon my life, wishing I was smarter at this, or better at that, as pretty as her, as outgoing as him etc etc. I’m sure you know what I mean – we’ve all been there (if you haven’t, I wish I was more like you…. ). And perhaps it’s a stereotypical response, but as I read through the stories of these children and their families, I felt so selfish and guilty. Who am I to complain about my life. At his point in time I have everything I could ever want.
It was a pretty easy decision for me to volunteer as a photographer for this organisation. I don’t always feel like I’m the best photographer in the world (actually, I rarely do, but we won’t go there again lol) but I do know there are lives that can be touched with what I have to offer. How often do we get that opportunity in life.
So if you have a child, or know of one, that is affected by any of the illnesses mentioned above, please contact me via the contact button at the top of this page. It would be my pleasure to organise a complimentary photo session for you. It’s the least I can do.
And please check out The Littlest Heroes Project webpage (linked above, or under my links button at the top of the page) if you are after more information.

It really has been on my heart for a while now to share this post again as I firmly believe it is up to us to share the gifts we have been blessed with, to help those around us. Photography mightn’t seem like the most obvious, or even important, gift at times. But I’ve seen faces light up, brighter than I’d have hoped, and unplanned tears fall at the sight of a memory captured forever.
There are instances when a moment in time, frozen for eternity, can become a most treasured possession. I’ve seen it, and felt it myself. So from my viewpoint it’s one of the best gifts I can offer.
So if you, or someone you know, is affected by illness please contact me via the link at the top of the page.

Narrelle x

Never wOrk with children Or animals…

Narrelle — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:51:04 +0000

…well, that’s what they say. But I have to disagree.
Obviously I work with children a lot, and occasionally animals get thrown into the mix as well. And I enjoy every minute of it. I think it’s great when pets are incorporated into a session. Often cats and, more commonly, dogs are the first ‘child’ in a family. It’s nature’s way of preparing us for something that, let’s face it, we can never actually be prepared for. So they’re often an integral part of the family and, rightfully so, deserve their place on the wall alongside their Mum and Dad, and their brothers and sisters.
I recently did a session where their two dogs were as much a part of it as the rest of the family. The great thing about dogs is they can’t say ‘cheese’. Only thing is they won’t do much else on command either. But these two were perfectly well behaved. Though I’m not sure they’d say I was their favourite photographer if you pressed them. I did get a growl or two. But I think there may have been some smiles in there somewhere as well.
And this session has actually turned out to be one of my favourites. There are lots of little ‘moments’ in there that I absolutely adore. And I believe this is what my style is all about. For me it’s all about capturing those points in time that will matter 10, 20, 30 years down the track.
So I begged mum and dad for permission to share their gallery on here (actually, I just had to ask nicely – they were very happy to share), and I’ve compiled it into a little slideshow for you all. If you have a few spare minutes to watch, simply press the play button below.

I really enjoyed putting this together. And I’ve sat and watched it over and over. In fact, I love them so much I’m thinking of putting one together for each of my clients from now on so they can send the link to all their friends and family, or embed it on facebook if that’s their fancy. What a great way to share the love.

Narrelle x
{ Baby Photography Melbourne }

7 days and counting…

Narrelle — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:06:59 +0000

In one week’s time I will be 1 year wiser. So they say. I can’t say I feel a year older. Except coming home from the city on the train Saturday night (after a lovely valentine’s dinner out) and seeing all those crazy folk only just heading in. After midnight. Are they crazy or what – they could be home in bed getting a good night’s sleep.
Anyway, I want you all to help celebrate my birthday with me. Anyone who books a session between now and next Monday will receive an 8×10 enlargement with compliments from the birthday girl. Or you may choose to deduct 10% from your order if it totals over $400 (and no, that is not a hint that I’m turning 40. I have a few years yet before I hit that mark ). And remember, for every February booking (no matter when they’re booked for) will have the session fee donated directly to the bushfire appeal. So not only will you be getting a great deal, you’ll also be playing a part in helping to rebuild lives and share some love. That’s got to feel good either way.
Also, on the day I’ll be giving a few goodies away. Some photography related, some not so much. But you’ll have to wait and see what those are. And no hints either.

And because, as they say, a post isn’t a post without a photograph – here’s another from babies Jesse and Owen’s session. I just have to sneak one more peak in there for mummy and daddy.
(I should have the rest of the images ready for you within a few days, L & E, so keep an eye on your inbox).

{ Baby Photography Melbourne }

Twice the pleasure, double the fun.

Narrelle — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:01:14 +0000

You might remember a few months ago I did a session with gorgeous little Ame. Yesterday I got to visit her again, this time to capture her little brothers, Jesse and Owen. The were born just over a week ago, and are simply the most beautiful little boys ever.
This was my first experience with newborn twins and, honestly, I was expecting it to be a lot of hard work. But these two were perfect gentlemen, and behaved like champions. They were asleep when I arrived and pretty much stayed that way until I bid them farewell – totally a dream to work with. I could have snuck them in my camera bag and bought them home with me. Though I might have taken them back come feeding time.

Lian and Erik, thank you so much for having me back again, and allowing me to photograph your little boys. They really are darlings (and I still can’t get over their hair). I’ll be in touch soon with the rest of your images, in the meantime here’s a couple to tide you over. Talk soon. x

(On a side note, I will be ‘out of the office’ for a few days as of Thursday morning and will not have internet access. I will therefore be unable to answer any emails until Monday. But I will be within mobile range if you’d like to call. Have a great weekend everyone.)

{ Newborn and Baby Photographer Melbourne }