Bella & Sienna

I only just noticed this beautiful pink Diosma plant and found the perfect girls to test it out as a backdrop with I think stunning results.   I also jump at the opportunity to use my favourite vintage chair!

True to life colour version

Vintage Pink version

 Creamy Chocolate Black & White version

Blake & Tara

I had the chance to shoot these gorgeous siblings during the week. It was a pleasure to see them so genuinely affectionate towards each other.  These were taken the day before Blake's braces went on, and before Tara's front teeth arrived :-) Too cute!  This is using only natural light.

A weekend at the farm

We are blessed to have Stuart's parents living on a stunning 100 acre farm in Balingup.   We wish we had time to visit more often and will have to make more of an effort to get down there.  It's gobsmackingly beautiful to drive up the driveway welcomed by kangaroos and emus galore.  There are kookaburras and robin red breasts and as we have three active sons, a tractor, quad bike and dirt galore are the perfect recipe for non-stop entertainment!  When we're ready for lunch, fresh organic salad vegatables are picked from the ample vegie patches minutes before being eaten whilst looking out over the olive orchards that provide us with award winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil (www.tarnagullafarm.com)......BLISS!
 

Old school washing line

Pop and farm dog Digger taking 5

My hubby Stu feeling the cold

Jacques, 9 going on 14

Lucas under duress on new red chair

Oli doing roly polys on Nanna's couch

Nighty night boys

Squishy faces

I have had a super busy week and will post some fave pics from the week shortly, but I just came across this one I LOVE from a few months ago.  The sweet little thing, whom I regularly like to photograph, had a fall from a swing and was being comforted by her mummy.  It's one of my faves of all time.  Just moves me.

I'm SOOOOO excited with my new Canon 5d Mark II

Oh happy day.  Thanks you so much to my amazingly supportive husband and to American Express for making this possible!

I finally got my hands on my dream camera and an awesome couple of lenses to add to the kit.

Wow, I'm speechless.  Only had a few minutes for a quick test with Jacques as the sun went down and so far I'm over the moon.

Looking forward to going to the farm tomorrow.  Haven't caught up with Stu's family for a while now and there's certainly no more beautiful setting in Australia for taking pictures.

Smily Faces

I only just noticed that my previous postings didn't have any smiling faces.  In my opinion, a lovely photo doesn't necessarily require a big cheesy grin, but it sure is nice to see!

World cup soccer cup cake

Ready for holidays

Birthday party in the park

Happy 1st birthday

Testing again.

I'm just amazed how much different this blog is in appearance in firefox v safari!

Going Pro

Time is ticking away so quickly.  I've decided to go pro with my photography and it's super exciting to finally know what my thing is and be committed to something I plan to do forever.
I always said I would be a photographer when I grow up and I just needed a little confidence boosting  to actually take the plunge.
I've always had the pictures in my head but to finally have the know-how and equipment to produce those images is a tremendous feeling.  Invigorating!
I have so much to do. Inch by inch I know I'll get there as it feels right. I'm an impatient person by nature so it's taking all of my inner strength to be content with slowly slowly.  I want to do this right.
I have three young children who need me and a household to run so too much too soon isn't practical just now.  Lucas, my youngest starts kindy next year so that will allow me more time to kick things up a notch.
This Friday I'll be picking up my new Canon 5d mark II with a portait lens to accompany the various I ones and Speedlite (off camera flash) I already have in the kit.  It's very expensive but an investment and that's why God created Visa right?  I'm going to keep the old 400d for a while as a spare and to handle ultra-wide angle shots, but I can't imagine using it once I get my hands on my new one.....heart flutter.....
Next, finish setting pricing, get blog up & facebook page up & running, business cards printed.
The front garage (we have 2) is in the process of being converted to a home-studio.
We're going to Stu's family farm in Balingup this weekend (pics to come soon), so the weekend after it'll get painted white inside and re-floored in a faux barnwood.    I have a couple of backdrops to get me started.

I prefer outdoors natural candid shots but it seems most people don't consider one a professional photographer unless they have a studio, so I'll do my best!
Truthfully, my fave shots so far have been in the park or in our bedroom.  We have the most magnificent huge North facing window and at right angle to that the whole wall (east-side) is glass also.  With soft white teraline (spelling?) curtains the light on the child's skin is just magic  (see Lucas above and Jacques watching DVD in our bed at the very top).