qwerty photography

Remember when you were pregnant?  Remember those golden days of rubbing your belly slowly, imagining the incredible beauty that is the new life you’re creating?  The gentle evenings of foot massage from your loving partner, discussions of whether the babe will learn cello or piano?

You don’t?  Oh right. That would be because THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN!  And then you meet women who rock up for a maternity photo shoot with their three year old and partner, looking as if they’re about to float around a wooded glen picking posies and whispering to faeries.  And what did I do?  I picked up that camera and snapped away because…well…wow! Wouldn’t you?!

Oh sorry, you’re not pregnant yet? *ahem*  Only read that first paragraph.  Really, that’s how it is.  Truly.

Sometimes there are days when I’m heading out the door to do a newborn shoot; my children are ratty, there’s chaos on the roads to get there, I can’t find a place to park (it is the inner west, after all) and I deliberately leave my phone in the car to stop the madness.

And then you walk into the space where there is a new baby.  That new, warm, dreamy, milky space.  That fuzzy day/night/eternal twilight space.  That milk-drunk, doe-eyed, gurgle-sweet space.

And you forget it all.

Really, there is nothing else like it.

And for this beautiful babe, his mum knew that.  As the fourth baby born into this family, she knew that to capture this time, this space, she required someone to walk in and step gently to see how the two of them found their rhythm.  She didn’t want set up portraits with props, so I popped on my much loved and battered hat of onlooker and snapped what happened around me.

Taking newborn images can be as organised or as organic as you prefer.  Newborn photos are best taken in the first ten days of life and be you a new mother for your first baby, or a seasoned mother with many, each baby has their own style, and each set of circumstances arises anew for each session.  I am there to help everyone relax, and then promptly forget I’m even there.

Oh dear, look at me, neglecting the blog!  Well when real life is kinda crazy, the online life does get sidelined.  I’ve been caught up doing all sorts of exciting photography projects.

One from a long, long time ago (gee, it almost sounds like the start of a fairy tale) was a shoot I did with a friend actually.  Usually I keep work and friends separate, mainly because it’s tricky to take the sort of photos your friends want or need when it’s someone you are used to chatting to behind the camera.  Most photos end up with a lot of half-open, mid-speaking mouths because we can’t stop the blah blah blah.  But my friend Paul – well I’ve known him since primary school (yes, that long ago!  And in Perth too).  And he is an amazing blues musician, so when he appealed for me to take some photos of him for his upcoming cd, I thought why not.  Especially if it meant I was able to receive a complimentary copy!

And after having to listen to him tell me how he didn’t feel comfortable in front of the camera, I shushed him, turned the camera on and shot away.  Check him out!  He’s a natural!

And if you’d like to check out his music, then please click on here and be transported into the world of award winning blues.  He’s awesome at what he does (and this is coming from an indie pop tragic).

Happy New Year to you all!  I’ve been very remiss in posting all the exciting little shoots that happened at the end of 2011, so here’s a little taste.  Sophie’s aunt contact me about organising a shoot for the extended family who were (nearly) all together and I jumped at the chance.  This was really a mini-shoot, with more group posing than I normally do, but even so I couldn’t quite get over just how supportive and beautiful this family were with each other.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!