You'll find all sorts of bits and pieces here. If you're a client this is where you'll find your sneak peek. If you're considering me as your custom photographer this is also where you'll find examples of my work), along with pricing and session information, (by clicking on the WEBSITE link at the top of the page, as well as learning a bit about me, my personality, and my style. If you're friends or family just keeping tabs on me, this is where you'll find the stuff that goes on in my life that I forget to tell you about.
You'll probably see my children and husband feature quite regularly, as they have the most influence on me. You'll also see snapshots of my life in and around Melbourne (and where ever else it takes me) as well as links, videos, pictures or discussions on whatever has my interest or attention at the time of posting.
So thank you for dropping by. I hope you enjoy it here and pop back regularly to see what I'm up to.
To my dear friend Anna. It’s probably late at night as you’re reading this, just as it is as I type. Hopefully it’s quiet where you are, and you have a few brief moments to yourself. I know how rare those moments can be, and how needed.
I just had to tell you how beautiful your little girl is. Sincerely, honestly, incredibly beautiful. You’re a very lucky mama.
And I just have to say how lucky your little girl is to have such a sincere, honest, incredibly beautiful mama.
Two peas in a pod.
Love you.
Give your precious little princess a hug from me. And take one for yourself while you’re at it.
I was reminded today of the project I did, starting two years ago, taking a photo of each of our children for a whole year. And I watched the slideshow I put together, of all seven hundred and thirty two images, for the first time in about 10 months. It was a bit of a shock to see just how small my babies really were, and how much they grew over that 12 month period. And I’m glad to say my editing skills have improved, vastly, since then too.
Those of you that were around 12 months ago when I first posted it will be excused if you don’t want to sit through it again, as I’m purely indulging the mummy side of me by putting out there again. But I’m probably doing so because I’m incredibly glad I pushed myself to do this. Glad that I’ve caught a whole year of their lives, a time that goes by sooooo fast (too fast), and we’ll be able to look back on it, together, for the rest of our lives. But promise I won’t force you to sit through it every year. I’ll keep that for the kids.
Last month I had great joy in being able to shoot a wedding with Clair, from Lift the Veil, as Kelly, the other half of Lift the Veil, was expecting her third child any day. It was an absolute pleasure being able to step in for them, and great being able to work alongside Clair for the day.
The beautiful bride, Cath, was a long time friend of Clair’s. So while they spent the morning together, preparing for the big day ahead, and reminiscing no doubt, I caught up with Cath’s husband to be, Scott. I remember walking through the door and being greeted by one of the family members, offered some food at the same time, and ushered in as though I was one of them. They were such an open, loving, and down to earth family that I immediately felt at ease – almost forgetting that I was actually there to work.
I got to spend quite a bit of time with Scott and his six groomsmen, as we captured all those little moments that lead up to that Great Big One. And all the laughs in between. It was just what you’d image 7 guys getting ready for a wedding to be like. A small part of me longed for a large family, full of boys, but then I thought of having to hand them over some day, one by one, to be taken care of by a woman that wasn’t me. I took my hat off to Scott’s mum, and felt thankful that I only have one son after all.
I haven’t photographed weddings for a long while, the world turning digital on me in the meantime (so, yes, it has been a while). I’d forgotten just how fast the day goes, and how equally as fast our minds have to work to try and make sure everything is captured. And I’d forgotten just how much I loved weddings. How much I really love weddings.
Driving the long road back from Sorrento at the end of the day I felt like I’d found home again. Like the last piece of the jigsaw had been put into place. I was on a bit of a high actually. Or that could have been a sugar rush from the the jelly babies I’d been chain eating to keep myself going. But I was feeling extremely grateful to Clair for allowing me the opportunity to work alongside her and being able to share in her friends’ joy, and to help capture the moments of the day that they can treasure for always.
Speaking of moments, here are several of them. I was going to apologise for the sheer number of them, but why? You’re lucky I’m not posting them all.
The rings. Cath’s was very similar to my own, actually.
Last minute straightening of the tie (getting those knotted is a post in itself).
Scott and his guys. Crazy guys.
I was rapt to discover the guys were getting ready just 5 minutes walk from the beach, so we all headed out for a break to get some team shots
And the moment they’d been waiting for. Scott rather anxiously, apparently
I love the tenderness in these shots
A stolen kiss from the newly minted man and wife
Off to the beach for some fun
At least she was sporting sensible footwear for the occasion
Aren’t these the most awesome bridesmaids
I still have a weakness for a bit of sunflare
Love these two
And these two as well
There was so much about this whole day that I loved, so I just need to say one last thankyou to Kelly for having a baby, so that I could be reminded of a forgotten passion. You’re the best! (And congratulations too, by the way).
Cath and Scott – it was an honour to be part of your day – I hope you had a fabulous honeymoon.
I’ve been tired these last few days. Really tired. The kind where you’re longing for bed from the moment your tailbone leaves it as you rise to greet the new day. That tired.
And it’s tough work being a mum when you feel like that. When all you want to do is close your eyes and drift away to a place where Thomas the Tank Engine doesn’t provide the soundtrack for the day. Well, that’s how it usually is for me anyway.
But as I’ve fallen into bed, literally, these last few nights I’ve done so with a heart full of, dare I say, Joy. And thankfulness. And Gratitude. And a deep sense of love for my babies, that aren’t so much babies as they used to be. Even as I type this, while they lay peacefully in bed, I’m smiling. They do that to me. I think of their beautiful little faces. Their funny habits. Their unique characters. Everything about them. And I smile. And as the corners of my mouth lift, as my cheeks plumpen, and my eyes crinkle (none of which is good for my wrinkles), little bubbles inside me are released and help the tiredness float away.
And I would have more photos of our boy, if only this wasn’t his typical reaction to my camera these days.
There should be a law against children growing up so fast. Except when they’re being cranky, miserable, or just plain obstinate, that is. There should be a formula, much like baby panadol, that we can just pop down to the chemists for whenever they show symptoms of growing up. But, then again, perhaps its best there isn’t. Otherwise I’d be tempted to slip some into their milk each morning so they’d stay forever young. Forever sweet and innocent. Up for adventure, curious, uninhibited, believing in the impossible, possessing unquestionable faith in me. But then they’d never get to experience all the fun that us grown ups have, right.
In saying all this one of my biggest sources of joy is watching them grow, being there when they discover new abilities, interests and passions, and I encourage them as much as I’m able, as much as that scares me at times. But this would explain why for Jaedon’s birthday recently we bought him a pair of boxing gloves and a punching bag, and then took him rock climbing. Isn’t that the stuff little boys are made of.
And big boys.
Needless to say, both boys, big and little, had a blast. The birthday boy especially. After a few rounds in the lounge room ‘ring’ with daddy, we headed to the local indoor climbing centre, where we met up with a few friends.
Time to harness up (and, yes, they are as complicated to put on as they look…)
Attaching the ropes
Having a practice on one of the easier walls
And out comes the inner monkey
He was much more interested in the ropes after all that. He’s certainly not afraid of heights (or much else for that matter)
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee
And just to prove I’d never encourage him to do something I’m not prepared to do myself (I even made it to the top…)
Once mummy was peeled from the top of the wall, it was back home for the best part of the day. The cake. Chocolate cake. mmmmmm
(while I’m happy to take credit for the actual baking of the cake. and for the ever-so-so delicate placing of the green icing that’s supposed to look like grass, the icing on the cake – so to speak – was all Matt’s handiwork. He graciously stepped in and took over when I threatened to throw the whole thing out the window. Cake decoration is not my forte…)
Jaedon thought it would be a good idea then to burn off all the cake we’d just eaten (not to mention the sweets from the recently tortured pinata), so once the guests all left we headed out to the trampoline, taking some of the balloons used for decorations with us. Talk about fun. About chocolate, fairy-bread, cadbury eclairs, smarties, columbine and cake fuelled fun.
That’s just four of my favourites from the slightly over a thousand I took. Yes, you read right. In a moment of madness I decided I’d give this stop-motion film thing a go. So I shot 961 frames, in succession, then bundled them into a slideshow (a very fast one) and added some gorgeous music. I’ve never tried it before, and – technically – it’s far from perfect. To me, however, it’s totally perfect. It’s captured a wonderful, fun-filled evening, celebrating our boy and his life.
Feel free to watch it (pause it until it loads) but it’s kinda long, and filmed with mummy goggles on. But that’s ok. I’ll never know if you quit halfway through.
(Just a little note here to add that the music I used in the background is from a fab, fab, fab group I recently discovered called Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem. I totally fell in love with their songs, and everything about the way they sing them, as soon as I heard them. I’m hoping they’ll decide to venture over this side of the Pacific some time.)
It’s taken me all day to post this. I could have done it in one sitting, but then I’d have missed the cuddles on the couch, sharing a strawberry milkshake (through three straws), a trip to their favourite nut shop, a bounce on the trampoline, and playing trains at Sodor Island. Who’d trade that for sitting at the computer, honestly?
Happy birthday, my sweet beautiful boy. Thanks for a wonderful day.
