GEELONG NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER I NEWBORN I FAMILIES I MATERNITY

Baby Judd ⎥Day 7

May 31, 2018

When I first heard of this little guy’s impending arrival, I was super curious to learn what his middle name would be. That probably seems a strange and unusual thing to be thinking about – but with his big brother’s middle name being ‘Wild’, I couldn’t wait to learn the moniker his parents would gift his baby sibling. I knew it would be something a little different and I wondered what they would come up with for their gorgeous second child.

They didn’t disappoint. Darling Judd Brave was as divine as I imagined – in name and in nature.

Location, Location

May 23, 2018

Often when I ask a client if they have a particular location in mind for their session, they’ll hesitantly answer, ‘Um…the beach?’

This seems to be the fallback choice of the masses, the place people suggest when they can think of no other. While beach shoots can be fabulous, especially during golden hour, there are so many other options out there and they don’t necessarily need to be pretty or picturesque in order for you to get some great shots.

I’m fondest of the random places, the ones that people generally wouldn’t think to pick. Think laneways with peeling, painted garage doors or barren fields of long, dry grass. One particular location I used to use and was often asked about, was literally a clump of bushes on the side of the road.

It’s been ages since I went location scouting so last week I convinced a reluctant Emme to leave our gloriously warm and cosy home and keep me company in the frigid cold whilst I attempted to find somewhere new to shoot. With the sky turning a stormy grey and rain threatening to fall, we had just 20 minutes before the light of the day would completely disappear.

Earlier in the week, I’d noticed this spot on the side of the road and taken a couple of iPhone pics so I’d have a visual reference for later. But a little more on that at the end of the post…

With limited time until darkness descended, this was where we headed. Whilst Emme explored, I did a quick recon of the area, hastily photographed my very patient 9 year old, then headed home to see how the location showed up in camera.

I have to admit, I really love the ruggedness of the area and I love the end result. There’s a raw beauty that’s interesting but doesn’t detract from the subject. I think I’m definitely going to add this little spot into the rotation for winter sessions.

So, the important question is, where were we?….

A little place called Phoenix Reserve which resides alongside the Barwon River. It doesn’t look like much does it? The area itself isn’t particularly large but it’s quiet, fairly centrally located and easily reached on foot.

What do you guys think?

K x

Baby Jax ⎪Day 8

May 9, 2018

Leo in his gorgeous bow tie and divine little Jax – so much cuteness. It was such a joy spending time with this beautiful family.

Breastfeeding. Capture it.

April 26, 2018

It was during Florence’s Little Sitter session a few weeks ago that it suddenly dawned on me. I realised I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been asked by a client to take a breastfeeding photo. Which is odd given that through my work as a newborn photographer, the studio sees more unfettered boobage than old mate Hugh at the Playboy Mansion.

I don’t know if it’s because people are too nervous to ask or whether it’s because they’re just so daunted by the whole prospect of feeding, especially if they’re new to motherhood, that it’s something they just don’t contemplate capturing.

– Florence taking a pit stop during her Little Sitter session recently –

To be honest, I would have been mortified if someone had tried to take a photo of me breastfeeding my first child. Feeding in public 9 years ago wasn’t anywhere near as socially acceptable as it is today. If I fed my daughter out and about, the poor thing was near suffocated by a strategically placed wrap. God forbid somebody see something they shouldn’t! As a result I have not one photo of that special time with her. Nada. And that kind of makes me feel sad. It’s like a milestone we forgot to capture and now it’s forever lost.

It wasn’t really a conscious decision to do things differently with my second daughter, things had just kind of evolved. I asked my lovely friend, Amy Rushbrook Photographer to take a couple of photos of Ivy feeding. You can barely see the poor thing over the ridiculous triangular pillow I had to use when I fed her (neck & back issues, ugh!) BUT this was the way we had to do it in the early days and Amy captured it perfectly.

These days, feeding in public is not only more socially acceptable but celebrated. There are groups and forums and hashtags all dedicated to this beautiful act.

So why aren’t more people capturing it during their newborn or family sessions? You would think that would be the perfect time, right? Hair is brushed, clothes are clean and good money has been paid to have your little family professionally photographed. So why stop there?

Mamas, if it’s something you’d like to remember, please don’t be afraid to ask for a photo of yourself feeding. Don’t think about the breasts that currently look like over-sized melons or the milk that’s just come in and has them feeling like they might explode at any moment. Don’t worry about looking awkward because you and your baby aren’t quite in sync yet. Your photographer is there to bring out the best in you and to make everything look effortless.

Make the most of it!

-Seana & Kaitlyn take a milk break during their newborn session –

Baby Kaitlyn ⎜Day 13

April 25, 2018

With six beautiful brothers she loves and adores, there’s nothing quite like adding a baby sister into the mix!
And with all those boys to keep in line, it helps to have a sidekick.

Big sister, Meaghan, is such a gentle soul and dotes on her siblings, especially the newest one. I adored capturing her and baby Kaitlyn together – there’s so much love there.