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

Bring the Noise! - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Little Sophie is the newest member of this gorgeous family and her brothers and sister were just so excited to cuddle her for their photos.  

She was the most placid little poppet, surrounded by all the noise you expect with children, she slept peacefully, only getting restless when the older children left the room and it got too quiet!

I always love capturing older siblings at a session as well as the newborns. It can be a bit of a change for them when a new baby joins the family so I find having some special time just about them is really nice. 

As newborn sessions generally run 3-4 hours long, I try to do the older siblings photos done as soon as I can so that they can head off and play with the toys and books available. I find this makes for a more pleasant session for everyone! 

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au 

Brisbane Newborn Photographer    |    Brisbane Family Photographer

Giant Cake Smash - Brisbane Family Photographer

Are you in a mothers group? 

Have you ever considered getting together for a group photo shoot? 

You should!  

If you are anything like my own mothers group, you guys know each other pretty well. We share every painful bed time, every milestone and every proud mum moment with each other. From introducing solids to our babies first steps, we were there for each other. Concerned which TOG level sleeping bag our babies should be in or when could we sit them in a trolley? First thing we did was to ask each other. 

Mothers groups have an amazing bond and what better way to celebrate that bond than to share in a group birthday party and photoshoot? 

The best part is that by grouping together, they were able to capture these gorgeous photos and split the session cost, making it really affordable for everyone! 

Not only did we capture some gorgeous first birthday portraits of these crazy adorable kids here:

But these guys also decided to do a big cake smash! 

Oh. Em. Gee. 

6 babies, matching tutus, 3 cakes. 

The set was ready, the cakes were waiting. 

Every parent had a baby, then we counted down

                 3.....

                     2.....

1.....

CHAOS!!! 

 

 

The cute play was everywhere! Cake was getting smushed, icing eaten, big smiles on all the faces! 

Until...... 

Turns out cake on the ground is not acceptable.

(Just as an aside, try explaining to a 1 year old how cake on the ground is actually not that bad compared to sandpit sand, which we all know they eat the second you're not looking.) 

After the tears were settled and once everyone had finished with the cake, we moved on to clean-up - and it was just as fun! I mean, who can pass up a warm soapy bath on a sunny morning at the park? 

If you havent had enough of this session yet, here is a video behind the scenes of how it all went down - including that pivotal moment when the yellow cake tumbled! 

Click here to view full screen on youtube

This has to be one of the biggest, messiest and most fun shoots I have ever done! It was such a joy to document the first birthday of not just one, but 6 little people. 

So if you have a mothers group and love this idea, get in touch! It doesnt have to be a cake smash, we can do party coverage and some portraits and it would be just as great. Id love to do it all over again! 

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www.brisbanenewbornphotography.com.au

Family Photographer Brisbane    |    Newborn Photographer Brisbane