Fathers Day Family - Brisbane Family Photographer

Being a family photographer means I work weekends, and every so often a special day lands on a weekend. This particular weekend it was Fathers Day, and what better way to spend some family time together than getting out to a park and snuggling up for some family photos?

This was my first time at this location in Manly on the South side of Brisbane, and I loved it! We started off walking along a boardwalk with the sound of the birds chirping above us and dogs snuffling past out for their own Sunday walk. The light was filtering through the giant mangroves and the atmosphere was just so calm and peaceful. 

Little Audrey got hungry during the session so while her mum and dad stopped to give her a snack I spent some time photographing Lachlan on his own. Ok I have to tell you, I was beside myself with how cute this kid is - he might be short two front teeth, but that did not affect his giant smiles at all! Its the best thing photographing children who exude the kind of joy that these two do. 

Once Audrey's hunger monster had been fed she was all sweetness and smiles too. Just learning to stand and walk on her own, we captured some cute photos of her standing up by the railing as well as sitting on a coloured blanket, she didnt take her eyes off her mum once. She loved holding things in her hands, she didnt mind what it was - a lipstick lid or a little piece of paper, so long as there was something in her soft little hand she was happy. 

Dad told me that he and son Lachlan often ride their bikes along this walkway together which would be such a fun thing to do - especially if the tide is in! 

We hit low tide for our session which meant that as the sun started setting the midgies came out in force. To save everyone from getting attacked we got out of there quickly and back up to higher ground just as the sun was setting. 

The last light of the day was just so beautiful, we stopped for a couple more photos, which might just be some of my personal favourites of the day - including the one of Dad lifting Audrey into the air while Lachlan laughed from below. 

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www.familyphotographybynatarshamarch.com.au

Family Photographer Brisbane    |    Newborn Photographer Brisbane

Oscar - Brisbane Baby Photographer

The first thing I saw when Oscar came in with his parents was his beautiful, beautiful hair! Oh the colour, the amount, just so lush. He was full of smiles and I just had a good feeling we were going to have a great day together. 

Oscar was 9 weeks new at his session, which I don't mind because I photograph babies of any age. I dont have any rules of weeks to photograph and weeks to avoid because I have had sessions with 6 day old babies who are unsettled and don't sleep, and sessions with babies up to 4 months that are content and do sleep. Sometimes we can forget that babies are just tiny humans who have good days and bad days. 

The family had requested a basket photo so I turned to my trusty nest from David Lam Designs and tried something new by sprinkling some gum leaves across the backdrop to add an extra texture to the setup. At this point Dad says "Oh thats cool, I love the bush!" and I knew we were on the same page. The images of this setup had my heart singing - I just love trying new ideas like this! 

Photographing older babies we usually capture awake photos and not the sleepy curly photos we do of babies under 3 weeks. I couldn't believe it when Oscar started to nod off and we were able to capture some simply gorgeous photos of him peacefully sleeping on the bean bag to finish the session. 

Oscar is so in love with his mum and dad, let me tell you. He kept his eyes on them the whole time and his favourite thing was when his dad took his feet and did the air-cycle, the smiles that garnered were amazing! It always fills my heart to be around a new family that exudes love like this family does. 

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au

Brisbane Newborn Photographer    |    Brisbane Family Photographer 

Photographers Child - Brisbane Family Photographer

If you follow my Facebook page you may have seen my post yesterday about my camera breaking mid-shoot when it just literally could not take the cute baby photos any longer. 

The final clicks :( 

My first step was to get out my back-up camera.  However there is a reason that my backup camera is  not my primary camera (like any reserve team, its not as good) and so we made the call to postpone the rest of the shoot for two days while I got my primary camera fixed or upgraded. 

Well... I upgraded. 

For the past two years my wonderful Canon 6D has been there with me welcoming new babies and celebrating family times. It captured my own childrens' birthday parties, family holidays, Christmas mornings and of course hundreds of beautiful families, grinning kids and soft, sweet newborns. 

Really, it was only a matter of time before it could take no more, and so while it is sent for repairs and destined as my new backup camera, the Canon 5D Mkiii moved into my pink camera bag. 

I have longed for this camera for some time now, it is the most highly regarded Canon camera on the market, with my old 6D a very close second place. 

So whats a photographer to do when she gets a new camera? 

Step 1: Charge the battery

Step 2: Pick kids up from school 

Step 3: Bribe children to put on pretty dresses and brush their school hair

Step 4: Pray the neighbour with the overgrown lawn hasn't done his 6 monthly mow today

Yasss! Not mowed for months!

 

Step 5: Beg, bribe, pretend cry, do whatever it takes to get some half-decent photographer's-child* photos that can be used for test shots on the new camera and shared in this blog post. Assure child that there are no snakes/prickles/spiders/bugs/ants in the long grass. Assure child that if they do not co-operate there will be no pizza for dinner.

Step 6: "Look at me! Look at each other! Stop looking weird! Just be normal! Why are you making that weird face? Open your eyes! Argh! Get inside. Why can't any thing be easy today?" 

Step 7: Load photos into computer and sit stunned at somehow having captured not just one, but many photos of your children with normal faces and smiles.

!! Bonus !!

2016 Christmas presents for grandparents - Check! 

*Photographers Child

[fuh-tog-ruh-fers chahyld]

Tiny human spawn of photographers. Commonly forced unwillingly to be the subject of a photo testing out a new camera, lens, prop, backdrop or creative idea. Child is most often surly and uncooperative in such circumstance and goes out of their way to do everything the opposite of what the photographer asks of them so as to elongate the pain of the situation. 

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www.familyphotographybynatarshamarch.com.au 

Brisbane Family Photographer    |    Brisbane Newborn Photographer 

Baby Blue Eyes - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Ah Matilda. 

She had the most beautiful blue eyes. And we saw a lot of them. 

Such a content little baby, peaceful and sweet... just wide awake. For the entire session.

Usually we try to photograph newborns asleep so that they stay in the peaceful curly poses we wrap them into. Its safer if they are in baskets or posed on the beanbag and they look more relaxed and at ease when their arms, hands and legs are all free of tension. 

When newborns are awake the like to stretch their arms and lets out (and to be honest, after 9 months curled up who wouldn't want to?) curl their hands into fists and are constantly covering their cute little faces that we are trying to photograph. So, for newborn photos, to make it easier on the day and more adorable in the images, we like them best when they are sleeping.  

Not that it really mattered that Matilda hadn't got that memo. We captured loads of stunning photos of her with her mum, with her big brother (oh my gosh he could not be prouder! Check that big brother smile out!) and of course some of her just by herself. Awake.

Her big brother James was a supermodel!  I hardly gave him any direction and he flopped this way and then that way and beamed the most relaxed and smooth smiles at me. Seriously, he might have to give his sister some tips next time around on how to rock your photo shoot. (I heard that he slept the WHOLE WAY through his own newborn session a few years ago!) 

He was also quite funny when we did the photos with their Mum. He was very concerned that Matilda didn't have a nappy on, and I heard that he still talks about that part of the session all the time - obviously a very defining moment! They told me the photo of James pointing to Matilda's feet is one of the favourites because of that memory it holds for them. 

This was not my usual session rundown. Usually I win the sleep battle with my big bag of tricks, but Matilda was very strong willed, and although she dozed off here and there, she would always wake up again once we had her snuggled somewhere that she should have been fast asleep.

In the end we came to the conclusion that she had won the battle of wills and no sleep was going to be had this particular morning, so we wrapped the session up a little sooner than usual so her mum and big brother could get some lunch and all three hopefully get a nice solid afternoon sleep. 

I have a strong feeling she was fast asleep in the car by the time they got to the end of my driveway. 

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au 

Brisbane Newborn Photographer    |    Brisbane Family Photographer

Park and Beach Family Session - Brisbane Family Photographer

I was on my way to this session when my phone rang, it was the family concerned they were in the wrong location as there was a lot of council fencing around and they just didn't think it looked like the picturesque spot I had shown them from previous sessions. 

They were in the right spot, I just forget sometimes that we photographers see things differently, we see light and space, and we dont see power lines or rubbish bins because those things are easily removed in photoshop, they just dont factor when finding a beautiful photo location. 

We set off down a garden path, which for the first time since I have photographed here, was not soggy with water. You have to love a dry Brisbane winter!  

Some gorgeous park land shots of the boys and family with the late afternoon sun filtering in behind them, I was in heaven! 

The boys had a good time giggling and sharing secrets with Mum and Dad. I asked their Mum to give one of the boys a kiss on the cheek and her gorgeous bright lipstick left kiss marks all over his face, it was so cute. 

We got the best smiles from the boys when their Mum did a wiggle dance beside me, the boys just lost it and melted into a genuine giggle fit together. That is one of my all time favourite sounds. By a mile.

Next up was the beach, they wandered along the waters edge and threw stones out deep. The boys had a go kicking water into the air, although there was one freak wave that came by and nearly swept Julius, the younger one, up to his waist! Thankfully his Dad was right there with him and yanked him up out of the water before his shorts got too wet. My shoes however fared far worse, floating off and having to be rescued before they got too far! 

It was such a beautiful afternoon with this simply gorgeous family and I could not be more excited about sharing this gallery of their photos. 

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www.familyphotographybynatarshamarch.com.au

Brisbane Family Photographer   |    Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Oliver - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Oliver was 7 weeks new when he visited me, but as he had surprised his family 5 weeks early, it was like working with a two week old. He was such a dream!

He slept right through his family photos with Mum and Dad, and oh my gosh they are some of the cutest snuggly photos!

Next up were photos with his big brother Jackson. Jackson is 22 months and so full of curiosity! His favourite game while they were here was pulling the tissues out of the box, which he isn't allowed to do at home, but since I only had a few left I said "Go for it!" and we were best friends after that.

His face when he got to cuddle his new little brother - priceless! He was so excited, so proud and so enthralled with little Oliver. No kisses, but he did pretend to pick his little brothers nose for him. Boys. What else would you expect?

Oliver slept so well during his session, I really wasn't sure how it would go as it can be unpredictable working with preemie babies. Sometimes they are like a newborn, sometimes they are more awake as you would expect from an older baby.  Oliver was just like working with a newborn. He was still curly and sleepy and just a delight to photograph with those beautiful long lashes and chubby cheeks!

He had some awake time in the middle of the session too so we were able to capture some photos of his stunning blue eyes. They make me laugh sometimes, when they look all around and pull the most funny faces, I imagine hilarious stories running through their heads that they are reacting to.

We had a few disagreements about finger placements during his last sleepy photos. I was all like "Put your fingers straight and soft!" and he was all "No, I will curl them tight as I please!".  We worked through our differences.  I'm not going to say that he won, but... I rarely win those arguments.

All up it was a lovely morning with this gorgeous family, a real pleasure to photograph two beautiful boys who I just know will be best friends forever.

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au

Brisbane Newborn Photographer   |   Brisbane Family Photographer