Family at the park - Brisbane Family Photographer

Some children love having their photo taken. 

Some kids are a bit shy in front of the camera. 

Some want nothing to do with me or my camera and would rather play by themselves. 

Some are happy to play and sneak a look to the camera every so often. 

This family had one of each of these children, so it was lucky I am full of multiple personalities and can switch between tactics to capture each one in their own element. The best part of this is that it means their photos are all truly representative of who they are, nothing like a school photo where they have all been squished into one mould. (you know what I mean,  "Sit here. Look here. Smile. NEXT!") 

These kids were so awesome. We had chosen a location that had a little playground right beside a gorgeous creek setting and so while we were photographing one sibling, the others could play and enjoy themselves. They also loved "fishing" in the creek with sticks and seeing who could throw a stone the furtherest into the water. 

We had a lot of focus on the littlest member of the family and he was (thankfully) the one who was content to play and sneak a look my way every so often. 

Mum and Dad even had a quick photo together, which was just the sweetest moment to capture. They were giggling and talking about their wedding day and the love was just radiating off them, a truly beautiful couple. 

You can't finish a session without a sibling photo, but trying to switch between all my tactics simultaneously nearly sent me straight to the loony bin (passers by probably thought I was on a day-pass out if we are honest) so we ended up with candid, wriggly kid photos which are just as cool, sometimes cooler than the perfectly posed ones. 

So much to love about this session, see for yourself: 

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www.familyphotographybynatarshamarch.com.au

Brisbane Family Photographer   |   Brisbane Newborn Photographer

3 Weeks New - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Jack's session was one of the rare occasions when I photograph just a newborn baby and no other family members. It makes for a very peaceful session, which was nice for his mum who had just dropped his 2 year old sister to daycare for the day! 

Jack was 3 weeks new at his session. When looking for a newborn photographer you will hear of the "two week window" a lot. This can sound like a golden rule, in fact some photographers won't book a session for babies age between 2 weeks and 3 months. 

Personally I don't have any such rule. I know how hard it can be to get out of the house with a new baby. I know things can get hectic and you forget to call and book in, so you miss that window due to there being no sessions available. 

Or maybe you didnt think you wanted photos of your newborn but now they are here and just so cute... 

Whatever the reason I love to photograph babies of any age. Yes some weeks babies are likely to be a bit more unsettled, some weeks are likely to be more settled, but thats just part of being human. It doesnt mean there is a right and a wrong day or week for photos.

So if you are considering photos, get in touch! I would love to hear from you! It is never too late to capture beautiful family memories such as this. 

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au 

Brisbane Newborn Photographer    |    Brisbane Family Photographer

All the Girly Things! - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Some girls suit pink so well, you just have to go full-girly! Little Ellie is one of those little princesses. So I searched through all of my props seeking out the girliest things I could find....

Pink! Flowers! Lace! Pearls!

And oh the sweetness that we captured!  

But it had absolutely nothing to do with the things wrapped around her, all the sweetness came from within little 2 week new Ellie. 

Some parents aren't sure about being in photos at their newborn session, but I always suggest taking some and you can decide later if you want to include them in your package or not. 

Welcoming your new baby is such a special time in your life that you really should document it with photos of you together, if not for yourself, then for your children to look back on when they are all grown up. 

Whether she was snuggled soundly in her dads arms, curled up in my gorgeous vine nest (shout-out to David Lam Designs on Facebook here) or relaxing peacefully on the beanbag, it was simply stunning photo after stunning photo of Ellie. 

I think by the end of the shoot she was even trying to out-cute herself as she finished the session with an adorable little smile for us. 

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au 

Brisbane Newborn Photographer    |    Brisbane Family Photographer

Sunset Family Session - Brisbane Family Photographer

I just love photographing returning families! I first met these guys in 2014 and I loved their images so much that then-2-year-old Jayden has been on the side of my car since! 

This was one of the first things they noticed when they pulled up to our recent session, so of course we lined Jayden up beside the signage for the first photo of the day.

With the first camera click out of the way, we headed down to a little pathway with the sun setting behind us and Jayden and Rizanna had their first go on the little wooden seat - a big hit!

Jayden had the best time mucking around with mum and dad while Rizanna liked just having quite cuddles.

Lots of giggles and a few "upside-down-tickle- monsters" later it was time to head to the ocean for some low tide photos. The water was like ice but you would never know going by the size of their smiles.

The kids loved squishing the sand between their toes - something that we dont get to do a whole lot during winter of course, and before we knew it the sun was on the horizon and it was starting to cool off.

I have to admit I took waaaay more shots than usual as there were so many gorgeous faces to capture, I literally photographed until my SD card was full.

Winter sunsets are so beautiful to photograph - and you get all those pretty skies at a reasonable hour for the kids too! This is a great time of year to book your  sunset family photos.

There were so many stunning images of this beautiful family, the chances are high that one of them will end up on the side of my car again! 

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www.familyphotographybynatarshamarch.com.au

Brisbane Family Photographer   |   Brisbane Newborn Photographer 

Top 10 Things for When Baby Arrives - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Your baby is on the way! You want to be prepared! What do you REALLY need in the first week when your baby arrives? 

Well there are many long lists of "essentials" but, when it all boils down, the only thing you really need is...  each other. 

You and your new baby have an amazing symbiotic relationship (ok thats just a fancy word that means you help each other out) where your body works to nourish your baby with exactly the amount and type of milk they need at that time (and that milk recipe and quantity changes daily) and they help your body by stimulating hormones that trigger biological responses such as shrinking the womb back down to size or adjusting the milk production. 

Now in comparison to a lot of other lists, this one bases a lot around you as a new mum. Of course we think about all the things we might like for our new baby, but we all want to be comfortable too, right? So here are a few of the top buys from my own personal experience of becoming a mum: 

1  THE AHH-BRA

One of the first nights I was home after having my first baby I woke in the middle of the night with a wet chest. My milk had let down while I was sleeping. So I took to wearing a bra all day and all night with the breast pads in which became so uncomfortable at night. Get yourself a 3 pack of the Ahh-Bra's for bedtime, they are comfy and will hold those pads in place so that you dont have that cold wet wake-up call in the middle of the night. 

2  CAMERA
This is a once in a lifetime event, so document it! Regardless of if you are welcoming your first baby or your 10th, it is a special and unique time in your life and theirs, so make sure you capture this family milestone with loads of photos. Don't bother too much about perfection, take your photos in documentary style, ideas such as:

• cutting the umbilical cord
• the first weight on the scales
• first cuddle/feed after birth
• the first bath
• first time meeting siblings and grandparents
• cuddles in your hospital bed 
• the birth information on the hospital crib 
• little hands and feet with their name tags
• the hearing test

And be sure to have a family photo at the hospital, if there is not an official photographer there then the nurses are usually more than happy to help out. Of course around a week after welcoming your baby you will be coming for your professional family portraits at Family Photography by Natarsha March, so let me do all the perfect posed photos for you then so you can capture the candid family time yourself without the worry about things being perfect. 

3  BIG BLACK UNDIES

Mens ones preferably - they have a wider waist band and more room underneath. In case you haven't yet seen the size of a maternity pad, prepare yourself. Its huge. Grab a 5 pack of ugly big mens undies from Kmart and chuck them out a few weeks later when they are no longer needed. 

4  FOOD

I love a treat and during pregnancy there are so many things off the menu! I made sure there was a solid supply of Sushi, ham sandwiches, soft cheese and seafood coming my way after my girls arrived.

                          

5  RITE AID HYDROGEL PADS 

Best. Invention. Ever. 

Glitter bomb of truth: Boobs hurt in the first week. Getting all the milk-making up and running is hard and your boobs will likely be hot and sore from their new job. These gel pads go in your bra and help so much. They are in the baby section of the supermarket, get a pack and keep them in the fridge. 

6  WHITE NOISE
I find most babies that visit for a photography session respond really well to the white noise. This particular file is great because it is more like waves on a beach than that static sound and there is a nice heartbeat in there too. Download your free file here - it is half an hour long and I put it on repeat during the session.

7  SNACK STACK  

Grab a few snack foods like muslie bars, biscuits and crackers and put them in an airtight container by the couch. Put a water bottle there too. I found that the only time I would think about eating would be the very moment after I sat down to feed my daughter. 

8  DRY SHAMPOO 

I love this stuff, such a time saver - and surprisingly I reckon my hair looks better after a day or two of using this! My favourite is V05, Refresh Me Quick as it smells nice and is not powdery like some other brands.  Its hit and miss to find at the supermarket so keep an eye out and grab it when you see it. 

9  CURASH CREAM

Unlike the sudocream this is medicated. Unlike Bepanthen it is a zinc based to provide protection against further irritation. It is the best of both worlds, and therefore my favourite nappy rash cream. Keep it out of reach of toddlers - it is near impossible to get off things like carpet. Or childrens hair.  

For really bad nappy rash (for example if there are sores) get the Curash Powder and pat it on to the area instead of using cream. 

10  BABY BATH

Look for a PH balanced brand such as Aveeno, Gaia or Mustella available from chemists. Some of the supermarket brands can be quite harsh on new baby skin, so hold off until at least three months before using those. 

BONUS TIP: 

If you have a winter baby you will have a lot of jumpsuits with long legs. These are designed to send you to an insane asylum at 4am when those little buttons dont line up over and over.  Just use long-arm-no-leg onesies at bedtime, 3 snaps are so much harder to stuff up and your baby will be wrapped in so many blankets that having bare legs under all those layers won't make a difference. 

www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au

Brisbane Newborn Photographer   |   Brisbane Family Photographer

Those Cheeks! - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

I have a confession. 

I have a weakness for chubby cheeks. They are just so delicious I just want to snuggle them. So you can imagine how excited I was to meet Rafferty and his family. Just look at those cheeks! 

His big sister Juno was super adorable with her gorgeous curls too! I always photograph older siblings by themselves at a newborn session because to me, welcoming a new family member is about documenting this time in your family's life together and not just about the newest member. 

She was so excited when it was her turn to cuddle up to her new brother, and he was just as happy to be snuggled in with her. I see a great friendship ahead for these siblings. 

Of course, there is a lot of excitement about a new baby so they are the main focus of a newborn session. I loved how the family chose a mix of both dark setups and light setups for Rafferty which created a nice range of photos in their gallery. 

Seriously though.... those cheeks!

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au 

Brisbane Newborn Photographer    |    Brisbane Family Photographer