Monthly Archives: November 2009

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There’s no show without Punch | Baby Photography Melbourne

Time: 4:42pm
Location: In studio
Crime: Barging in on her brother’s photo time

I had every intention this afternoon of getting some updated shots of Charlie. He is now two months old and is seriously growing into a little man right before my eyes. I wanted to make sure I spent some time capturing his gorgeous self this afternoon, especially now that he showing off those lovely smiles of his day and night.

On the flip side, I have basically given up trying to get anything out of Mia. Being a two year old, and a photographer’s daughter, she knows all of my tricks and is far more fascinated with taking photos herself than having to have them taken of her. I can’t even hide it much anymore – as soon as she sees the camera, it’s “Photos mummy, Mia do it! Mia do it! Mia do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”

That’s why I was so shocked today when I was putting Charlie down to snap a few that she asked if she could get her photo taken. Um… how could I resist? Especially when she wants me to take her photo? It completely melted my heart. So, although I do have similar photos of Charlie to share with you soon, for now, here is Mia ‘by request’…

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The big and the small of it | Melbourne newborn photography

Newborns make my heart smile.
My soul beats to its own rhythm.
My mind beckons the possibilities.
My whole being awakens and dances on the tips of their miraculous wonder.
What a gift, what a gift for me, that this world is my reality.

The big: his height (50cm already, at only 36 weeks gestation – he did some great growing in there), his lashes, his wrinkles, his toes, his heart, his parents’ love…
The small: his fingers, his body (all 6-something pounds of him), his eyebrows – this tiny little peanut stole my heart.

 

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{So perfect, so pure and every bit loved. Thank you for a beautiful session Elle and Peter}

Cherie + Simon: Part II | Melbourne wedding photography

Cherie and Simon’s wedding ceremony was beautiful. There were so many thoughtful and heartfelt words spoken by everyone, and Celebrant Celia Dann did a beautiful job of bringing everything together. She made me want to get married all over again, and you could tell that both Simon and Cherie were so happy to have had her marry them. The readings were so touching, at one point I was listening to those beautiful words forgetting I was there with a job to do – all of the hallmarks of a memorable ceremony.

I had been checking the weather forecast randomly all week to try and gauge what we would be faced with for the wedding. Knowing how much they wanted to have photos taken around this beautiful property, I wanted so badly for their sake for it not to rain. That’s when, naturally, the forecast predicted rain… not just rain, mind you, but thunderstorms. Even the morning of the wedding just before the drive up there, they were still predicting thunderstorms (and how ironic that Cherie works for the Bureau of Meteorology!). The reality though? Nothing but sunshine! In fact, it was so hot that my pale ‘fluroescent white’ skin even got burnt, so go figure! It wasn’t until just before the reception began that the clouds started to form and later that night that the storms began (and boy were they storms…. and great lightning too!)

This beautiful lake below sits just beside the house on the farm with the most amazing wooden deck allowing you to take in the magnificent surroundings. I swear all we needed was a string quartet to serenade us as we walked around and I would have felt like I was in a beautiful movie.

What I think I enjoyed most though about these two was witnessing their beautiful love and connection and being able to capture that for them. Sure, I might have ushered them to a pretty location, but these two were so into each other that there was hardly any direction at all. They danced, they kissed, they snuggled, they laughed – beautiful, tender, love. What made it so lovely is that they concentrated on them, and made those moments theirs.

 

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So much fun, so much love… some of my favourite shots from the entire wedding we taken in the paddocks that lead into the farm from the road. How lucky we were that we had so much rain prior to the wedding – the grass was lush…

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The rocking buick was provided by a friend of theirs – handy guy to know!

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The reception venue of Glen Erin Retreat was amazing – the timing couldn’t have been more perfect as the sun was just starting to go down behind the vineyard as the reception began. Hazel from Gisborne Cottage Flowers organised all of the floral arrangements for the wedding, and I love that they bouquet theme of the girls carried over into the reception as well for the table arrangements and cake flowers. See – I told you, attention to detail these two!

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A big shout out also goes to the beautiful Lana Bell who flew all of the way from Brisbane to join me for this wedding (thanks gorge!) - we had an absolute ball playing together, and she captured some gorgeous images so make sure you head over to her blog to check them out.

Cherie and Simon’s Dream Team
Ceremony: Private property
Reception: Glen Erin, Lancefield
Celebrant: Celia Dann
Bridal Gown: Deborah Selleck
Shoes: Novat
Makeup/Hair: Allure Hair and Body
Flowers: Gisborne Cottage Flowers
Jewellery: Timothy Sethna for rings
Accessories: Jeeba for earings and Linda Gorringe for other
Groom’s attire: Trevor West Formal Hire, South Yarra
Cars:  Friend
Music: Pat McKernan, Live Irish Folk Musician
Invitations: Rebecca Powers

Cherie + Simon : Part I | Melbourne Wedding Photography

“It is hard to sum up all the things I love about Cherie. She is kind, caring, sensitive to our needs and makes me want to be the best possible person I can be…” said Simon, during the wedding ceremony about his wife-to-be. “Everything we do seems effortless as we make such a fantastic team.  My love for Cherie is not superficial or skin deep, it is deep down inside. I feel our energy for each other will never cease to exist and I feel at peace that I have found such a beautiful and loving lady”.

When I first met with Cherie and Simon earlier this year, it was more than obvious that these words were true. Such a beautiful, loving couple and their infectious energy made it very easy to care for them. They told me how they wanted to marry at a location that was dear to them, and beautiful at that, being Simon’s parents farm just outside of Lancefield and they showed me images of potential sites around the property that they thought would work. That’s one of the things that I loved about these two – their attention to detail. It was amazing. I knew their wedding would be nothing short of beautiful, and I was right. Cherie put it best when she said “Simon is simply a beautiful man… he has a wonderful strength that should be admired”.

Cherie’s Deborah Selleck bridal gown was divine – beautiful embroidery detail and lacework around the body, with tiny little pearl embellishments which carried over into her hairpiece, jewellery and accessories. Cherie knew how to style it all in. Allure Hair and Body did an amazing job with her hair and makeup (still loving those lashes Cherie!), with Cherie opting for a beautiful low chignon under her gorgeous full length veil. She bought her beautiful shoes from Novat (who also made my wedding shoes… loved them, super comfy) and sported some stylish Jeeba pearl earrings with her ensemble. She was radiant.

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She was so calm when I arrived too, just a beautiful peaceful feeling around her like she just knew it was going to be the best day of her life. Her family was also all there to help her get ready so it made it into a beautiful family affair. She wore her two engagement rings on her right hand (yep, two – one from Simon’s initial proposal at Zion Canyon National Park in the US, on a large grassed picnic area backed by towering mountains (um… can someone say romantic?!), and the second was the one she chose after their engagement was official – lucky girl!)

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Meanwhile, groom-to-be Simon was busy getting ready at the farm before the ceremony was due to begin. He and his groomsmen opted for traditional Morning Suit with a slight colour scheme twist, keeping in theme with their beautiful romantic feel for the day. The boys were a riot, I had such a ball with them. Cherie only had one request of me as I made my way from her to see Simon that morning – “tell him just to relax”, she said. I told him, but I think Simon, at least on the outside, was looking pretty calm, cool and collected. 

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We went off and had some shots with the boys (see… handsome!) and then made our way into the house and waited for Cherie to make her grand entrance and for the beautiful ceremony to begin.

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See – so much love around… it was everywhere we looked!

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Stay tuned for Part II to follow , with some more gorgeous images to share from after the ceremony…

I’m a Gleek | Melbourne Photographer

When the teaser ad for the television series ”Glee” first came on many, many months ago, I think I sat there staring at the screen for a good 30 seconds with my mouth wide open long after it had finished.  This was it – the show that I had been waiting for.

Ok, so yes – I am a geek (but let’s face it, the chic word now my friends… is Gleek!!) and always have been. I was in every choir/singing group at school, I performed in musical groups outside of school during high school, musicals at school, drama at school, flew interstate to see Miss Saigon for my 17th birthday, organised on my own show concert with other geeks (ahem…. gleeks) in my last year of school just for the fun of it, musicals while at university… you get the picture.  The CD in my car is always inevitably the soundtrack from Rent (and I always lament as one CD finishes wondering why they can’t fit everything onto one CD instead of 2 so I didn’t have to keep changing them all of the time), I fell in love with High School Musical the very first time I watched it and still watch it over and over, my favourite episode of Buffy was ‘Once More with Feeling’ (and I still listen to the soundtrack of this episode) – let’s just face it, I wish life was a musical ;)

That’s why, when I came across this YouTube video by ImprovEverywhere I just had to share it. You may not have had the urge to spontaneously sing about fruit like I have on occasion, but go on, watch it – I promise if you don’t have a smile on your face by the end of it, well – then you’re probably not as cool a Gleek as I am.

(I’ve even turned my Miss Mia into a gleek – she watches this video with me, and then asks me to replay it again and again…)

Pure Baby | Newborn photography, Melbourne

At just 33 weeks, little Marco made his grand entrance into the world. His first few weeks of life were spent growing big and strong at hospital, and this little peanut was still only 5lbs when I got to play with him. So tiny and so precious. You know in the end it doesn’t matter how they got here, but that they are here – safe and sound. And boy, is he loved. Loved by his mumma so dearly – the effort she puts into his care is nothing short of extradordinary.

“Isn’t he the most divine thing ever?”, his Auntie kept saying to me at his session. The love was overflowing for this little one.

Pure. Natural. Simple. Baby.

Just the way I like it…

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{Pat, give that little super stud a gorgeous warm bear hug from me}