January Photo a Day Project - Week Four {Sydney Family Photographer}

Back again with week 4 of the project, the last week of the school holidays.  They have flown by so fast and I'm not ready to ramp up the pace of our life again.

January 22 - Little Athletics
I took along the big camera to little A's today, such is my dedication to this challenge.  I pulled it out to take a photo and found the battery was dead flat.  Of course I didn't bring the spare because I was just after a few shots for the PAD.  Not happy!!  Now I had the lug the beast around all day in the heat as we trekked from one event to the next and without the benefit of a single PAD photo!  In desperation I pulled out the iPhone to save the day!  So here you have it, Molly's afternoon at little a's.  She had a very successful day and I suspect she achieved a PB in discus and the 200m.



January 23 - Simple Pleasures
Not much happened today.  We hardly left the house.  It was a hot one so after dinner the kids had an iceblock as a treat.  Max reluctantly agreed to a few photos while distracted by eating but was off before I could get anything I was really happy with.  In the background you can see the cubby the kids have built from old sheets and garden furniture.  It seems to have become a permanent fixture in the yard through these holidays.



January 24 - Down by the River
After a day of being cooped up inside I decided to take the kids down to the river for an ice cream after dinner.  This place is 5 mins drive from our house and I have driven past it many times but never stopped there until today.  The sky put on quite a show for us while the kids paddled and built sand castles.  It was a lovely way to finish off a long hot day.



January 25 - An Evening at the Beach
It was another very hot day in Sydney so we decided to hit the beach after most of the crowds had gone home.  It was so perfect there with a very gentle breeze and just enough warmth left in the sun to make a swim worthwhile.  The sky could not have been more different to yesterday, cloudless over the beach but with a lovely pink hue as the sun began to set behind the Wollongong escarpment.

We explored the tidal pool and built some sand castles before a little paddle in the shallows of the surf.  Molly was cautious but loved running from the waves.  Max has entered what we affectionately call his "Captain Safety phase" and is very wary of any potential danger.  He kept his floaties on to put his feet in the surf and was not keen to stay too long near the waves.  Another great afternoon making the most of the last week of school holidays.

January 26 - Happy Australia Day!
We spent this afternoon at my mum's house in the pool, trying to escape the oppressive heat.  The kids had a great time and continued their rapid improvement in swimming.  I thought I might get the floaties off Molly today after she was happily diving and bombing into the pool when she had previously hated having her face in the water.  We actually got to lie back and relax on a pool noodle while the kids swam today.  This parenting gig is getting easier as they get older!  Happy Australia Day to you all!


January 27 - Nanny's Birthday
Today was my mum's birthday.  The kids spent the afternoon making her birthday cards before we went to the club for a birthday dinner.


January 28 - It's Contagious!
It seems the photo-a-day challenge is wearing off on Molly.  For the last few days she has insisted on taking her camera everywhere we go and today when we headed to the park for a play and some photos, she decided to get her brother to model for her.  She  really is quite good and I think it won't be long before I hand over my first DSLR to her.  I must confess to feeling very proud!



It's hard to believe the challenge is almost complete!  I think I will really miss it but I am a realist and I know that after Monday, when life returns to it's normal busy state, keeping up would be near impossible.  I plan to continue with M&M on Monday so I will have at least one shot a week to diarise our life.

January Photo a Day Project - Week Three {Sydney Child Photographer}

Back with week three of the challenge and it has become more of a challenge with my subjects becoming more and more reluctant by the day.  With that in mind I bring you week 3.

January 15 - Fresh Mown Grass
I left my run very late today to get my photo.  After dinner we rushed outside to catch the last rays of light.  Hubby mowed the lawn today so we decided to include it in today's photo.  I was pushing the limits of shutter speed here so I was begging the kids to be still,  I was amazed to see an in-focus shot when I downloaded them from the camera as my kids do not do still!!

January 16 - Officially Over It!
I guess you might call this hump day in the project - the halfway point.  I have had a good run so far with the kids being cooperative but today marked the end of their enthusiasm.  The expressions in the left image say it all really.  I managed to get them to stay put for a few snaps with the promise that they could play with the wagon as they liked afterwards.  That didn't last long because Molly got a little too enthusiastic, taking off quickly when Max wasn't holding on and he fell backwards onto the concrete and has a bump on his head to show for it.  Looks like I will have to get more creative and a bit sneaky to complete the challenge.



January 17 - A Visit to Nanny's House
It started out HOT in Sydney today so we decided a visit to Nanny's house for a swim would be a great idea.  The kids have become so much more confident in the water this year and have so much fun.  Swimming is now a relaxing activity for the adults as well.  This shot was taken while Max was reading a book to Daddy while a proud Nanny looked on, amazed at the words our clever 4 year old boy could read.  It was such a lovely afternoon.  Can't wait to do it again!



January 18 - Loose Tooth

Molly has had a loose tooth for a few days now and it reached that stage today where it felt weird and she was constantly feeling it.  We were reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets together in bed tonight when the tooth finally came out.  This will be her 6th tooth collected by the tooth fairy if you count the first two which she accidentally swallowed!

January 19 - Buttons the Cat
We seem to have been adopted by a black cat.  After being almost killed with kindness yesterday by Molly and Max (but mostly Molly) she took off late in the afternoon and we thought that might be the last we saw of her.  Molly was very sad to see her go because as far as she is concerned, Buttons (as the kids have named her) is her pet.  Well Buttons returned late last night, crying at the door hoping to be allowed inside (never going to happen due to our allergies) and to Molly's delight she was still there this morning.  I have to wonder where Buttons came from because she is very tame and obviously used to being around kids.  A mystery to be solved!



January 20 - Mud Glorious Mud
Today got kinda messy!  Max started out watering a pot plant and then a bare patch in the garden with a hole where he likes to dig.  Next thing you know we have a huge muddy puddle and what boy can resist mud.  You should have seen his face when I said "Well I guess you may as well have some fun with this mess you made!"  For the first time this week he was happy to perform for the camera .... very happy!



January 21 - Hanging Around
Big day of shopping today including a trip to IKEA where the kids had an hour in the playland area.  We were all exhausted when we got home and this was the best we could manage.

I'll be back tomorrow with Week 4.

The January Photo a Day Project - week two {Sydney Child Photographer}

January 8 - Freeloader

Once the heat of the day had passed we took the opportunity to head out for a family bike ride to the lake.  We are very lucky to live in a great place for cycling.  We have several kilometres of bike trails running through our suburb and leading to a lovely lake.  It's safe, relatively flat and starts outside our front door.  If you look closely at the image on the left you might notice that Max's feet are not on the pedals of the tag-a-long bike.  He is notorious for mucking around and putting his feet anywhere but on the pedals but when he does pedal he has really strong legs and he can propel the person on the front of the bike at a surprising pace.  The image on the right was taken when we reached the lake.  

January 9 - Birthday Party

Today M&M were invited to a 4th birthday party for Sophie (the little cutie in the middle).  I had decided this morning that my photo of the day would be of the three of them together.  Big mistake!  I should know by now, never go into the PAD with a definite idea of what you want to achieve if my kids are to be in the photo.  I picked this shot, snap shotty as it is, because it shows their personalities so well.  Molly is talking as usual, Max is sort of cooperating but not looking at the camera and Sophie is hating that she's being squished between the two of them when I asked them to get up nice and close.  It makes me laugh so here it is.  My photo of the day!

January 10 - Movie Time

It was a rainy day today so after a spot of shopping this morning, we had a relaxing afternoon at home.  Molly is crazy for anything Harry Potter at the moment and has watched the first 4 movies and read the first two books.  Here she is watching the 5th movie - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  She made it about half way through before taking a break.  The Harry Potter story lines get so much more complex as they go along and she is struggling to understand what's going on through most of the movie.  Even so she loves it.  I liked that this shot shows her varied tastes with the baby doll in the foreground.  As much as she tries to be grown up she is still very much my little girl.

January 11 - Crazy Times

Madness descended upon my house today and it was FUN!!!  No less than three sets of photographers' children and they all agreed to have their photo taken (with some persuasion).  They played great together all day and boy were they loud!  Molly was the number one culprit for lack of volume control.  This was just before they put on a show for us complete with singing and dancing.

January 12 - Two from the Park

I cheated and chose two photos today.  I was spoilt for choice after our visit to the park.  I took this first image while asking Molly to tell me what she has enjoyed most so far about these school holidays and what is on her "must do list" for the time we have left.   Her favourite thing was spending time with Mummy and Daddy and the must do activity was a visit to the aquarium.

Max is sporting his brand new bike helmet which I am pleased to say fits him so much better.  Here he was hiding from his sister behind a tree.

January 13 - Kinectimals
We had a lazy day at home today so it was a good chance to break out the Xbox360 that Santa brought and play the kinectimals game. The kids adore it.  Here Max is teaching his cub some new tricks.



January 14 - One Man's Trash ....
A quick shot this afternoon between work and errands.  These Christmas cowboy hats were headed to the rubbish at Hubby's work so he grabbed them for the kids.  Max was not at all in the mood for this photo but to his credit he did sit still!

The January Photo a Day Project - week one {Sydney Child Photographer}

I love Summer holidays! The warm weather, the relaxed pace, spending family time together, the chance to catch up with people and the opportunity to watch my kids enjoy themselves. For the last few years I have participated in a project, a challenge of sorts, to take and publish a photo every day in the month of January to record this time in my family's life. Last year I couldn't keep up and I really regret not having that record to look back on. The project has been particularly rewarding for me this year as I have rediscovered the absolute joy of photographing my own children after a period of lacking any motivation to pick up the camera on my days off. I now have a beautiful collection of images recording a month in our life and I know we will always treasure them.

So I bring you week one of the January Photo a Day Project featuring my ever gorgeous Molly and Max.

January 1 - Hot Hot Hot
Today in Sydney was HOT! I think it got to 39 at our place so we headed over to my Mum's for a visit and a swim. The kids are getting so much more confident in the pool and it was a great way to spend the afternoon. This photo was taken by my mum so I could be in it for a change. While it's not completely within the challenge rules, it does satisfy another promise I have made to myself, that I will be in more photos in 2011 so my kids will have photos with their mum. I am being a whole lot more relaxed about a whole lot of things in 2011.



January 2 - iPhone Fun
Another hot day so we stayed indoors in air conditioned comfort. The kids spent some time in the afternoon playing Shrek Kart on the iPhones. I took quite a few but Molly's expression made this one the winner for today.



January 3 - The Cubby Under the Table
The unpredictable Sydney weather continues and today we had rain. I decided to turn our dining room table into a cubby for the kids with a few sheets and some pillows and it provided hours of fun. It's still set up now after they begged me to leave it for tomorrow. Today it's Max's turn for the awesome expression. He has the best laugh and I can hear it when I look at this shot.



January 4 - iPad Scrabble
After seeing a photo yesterday of a family playing scrabble I thought I would introduce Molly to the game. I am a long time fan and can't wait till I can play with both of my kids. To maintain the enthusiasm while she learns the game we played on the iPad. It is such a fun way to play. We used iPhones as the tile racks and you actually flick your letters off the iPhone and onto the iPad to play your word. Molly played really well and she beat me by 50 odd points. You can see Max in the bottom shot sulking becasue we were hogging the iPad AND both iPhones to play the game. Oh the injustice of it all!

My wonderful husband took these for me so I could be in the photo. I think he did an awesome job since I handed him the camera in manual, set to f/1.4 and with single point focus which he doesn't know how to toggle.

January 5 - Bobble Heads
We had some fun tonight with the ultra wide lens on the trampoline. The kids were in absolute hysterics when they saw these photos on the LCD screen. This was not at all what I had planned but I decided to go with the flow and this is where it took us. They look like a cross between aliens and Bratz dolls.



January 6 - Late Summer Afternoon
It was lovely to have the sunshine back again today. After dinner we ventured to the park across the road for a bit of bike riding and general fun in the playground. The light was lovely and the weather was perfect, warm with a gentle breeze blowing. If the sun hadn't set I think we might still be out there.

I took a lot of photos this afternoon. I am rediscovering the joy of photographing my own children during this challenge. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to download the images and fall in love all over again with your kids as you see them appear on the screen with their special individual expressions. The kids are enjoying it too (so far) because they haven't had a camera pointed at them much over the last year. When I had a break from client work, picking up the camera was the last thing I felt like doing. I hope I remember how enjoyable this is when I'm busy again. It's not work, it's therapy!



January 7 - Space Hopper Race
I left the photo a little late today so I asked the kids for a suggestion of what we could do. This was what they came up with. These space hoppers were a Christmas gift so it's good to see them get some use. Max thought it was hilarious to deliberately fall off halfway through every race. It seems he doesn't just stick out his tongue on the trampoline. I hope he doesn't end up biting it off with a heavier than expected landing!!



Stay tuned as I will bring you the remainder of the month over the next few days.

A Beautiful Baby Girl {Sydney Baby Photographer}

I spent a lovely morning with the most delightful family yesterday. Beautiful little Mia is just shy of 7 weeks old which is such a beautiful age. She is smiling gorgeous gummy smiles and very aware of her surroundings. Watching this family interact was such a privilege and reminded me of how lucky I am to have this wonderful job. See for yourself how beautiful they are together.











Heidi and Rowan, thanks so much for inviting me into your home to record this special time in your lives. Mia is such a beautiful baby and there is no denying that she is completely adored by you both. I hope you enjoy your preview and I look forward to showing you all of the beautiful images we captured yesterday.

M&M on Monday Part 2 - Max's 2010 {Sydney Child Photographer}

Ok, so it's not actually Monday but I didn't want to wait a whole week to share Max's collage of memories from 2010 so I'm back already. They're my rules so I can break 'em!

What can I say about my beautiful 4 year old Max? Well for starters he is an absolute joy! He has his own special way of looking at the world, he's been described as "marching to the beat of his own drum" and with that individuality comes an amazing sense of humour, a sharp intellect, creativity, and the best darn belly laugh you will ever hear. Max can melt my heart with a smile and gives THE BEST cuddles! So what happened in Max's world in 2010 you ask? Well it was a big year of firsts for him. Firstly, he started preschool 2 days a week and loved every minute of it. Watching his big sister doing her kindergarten homework, he decided to join in and taught himself to read. His obsession with the program Reading Eggs furthered his progress and he now reads anything you put in front of him with fabulous expression. It seems he cracked the reading code and there is no stopping him now. I can only imagine how good he will be when he starts Kindy in 2012. He just can't get enough of books. It is a joy to watch and as you can imagine makes his parents incredibly proud. 2010 also saw Max start Little Athletics in the tiny tots. We discovered that, while running is not exactly his specialty, he LOVES to participate. Max's talents lie in construction and computers for the moment and when you combine those two talents into a computer program involving constructing or creating, look out! We saw a few toy phases come and go and come back again throughout 2010. We began the year loving everything Transformers but later moved onto Kung Zhu pets. The Transformers have made a recent comeback after a room tidy but he is really enjoying Lego and Meccano now as well. Max adores his big sister and is never far away from her if he can help it. Their bond is so very special and we thank our lucky stars every day to have two kids who get along so well.

So here they are - Max's moments from 2010. I hope you enjoy them half as much as I loved putting them together.



Max my precious boy, you make me smile and melt my heart every. single. day! I am so incredibly proud of your amazing achievements and of the beautiful caring soul that you are. Don't be in too much of a hurry to grow up though! You are my baby after all!

M&M on Monday - Molly's 2010 {Sydney Child Photographer}

It has been a very long time since I have posted photos of my own kids on this blog and as I look back over the year just gone, I have found some moments I'd love to share with you all. I have decided that Mondays will be the days I will share my family and specifically my kids Molly and Max with my readers. So without further ado I bring you the inaugural edition of M&M on Monday.

This collage is a collection of favourite moments of 2010 featuring my gorgeous girl Molly. Over the course of this year she has grown into the most delightful young lady who brings us joy every single day. This past year has brought us lost teeth, great achievements, exciting adventures, the discovery of new talents and a whole lot of love! 2010 was the year Molly started School and we discovered that it's not just her parents who think she is extremely clever! Molly adores school and, although a bit chatty at times, is excelling in all areas. She received the academic achievement award for her class (see December). 2010 was also the year Molly started Little Athletics and discovered she loves to compete. Molly is a very keen cyclist and has the strongest legs I've ever seen on a six year old. I can't keep up with her anymore! She is the most amazing big sister, loving and patient and incredibly cute to boot. Stay tuned for a future edition of M&M on Mondays featuring M&M together in 2010.



My darling Molly, I am so very proud of you. You make my heart sing every day. Thank you for being the perfect daughter you are xox