This relaxed at home family photoshoot in the Hawkesbury was in some ways the quintessential Aussie Summer afternoon, playing in the yard, splashing in the sprinkler, cuddling the dog and having a laid-back time. By having a family photoshoot at home, your kids can have their favourite cuddly, the headband they’re obsessed with, even their favourite chicken, and rest assured - the memories can still look amazing on your walls.

I recently had the pleasure of doing this laid-back engagement photoshoot in the Hawkesbury. The couple wanted photos to announce their engagement to friends and family and to treasure this special season in their relationship. While I’m not a wedding photographer, this engagement photoshoot celebrates the ‘start-of-your-love story’, ‘start of your family’ in a relaxed and authentic way.

When family visit from overseas, it can be the perfect opportunity to get photos with the extended family all together. It’s a joyous and rare occasion but the memories will be treasured from all sides for generations. Perhaps the grandparents are around, or all the kids are back together for a brief moment. If that sounds like a great idea but you’re worried about the details, here are my top tips for an excellent family photo shoot with extended family visiting from overseas (or anywhere!)

If you have kids that you’re worried won’t be thrilled with the idea of a family photoshoot, this one is for you. Family photos document all different ages and stages of your family story, but at each point, there may be people in the family that don’t run at the idea with open arms. I want to encourage you that I’ve seen it before, and I always get the feedback after the photoshoot that it was “actually fun”.

Let’s create something beautiful to celebrate your family! Your memories deserve to be printed with care, and displayed with joy. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to know what to do with all your new photos, but I’m here to help guide you and help bring your beautiful memories to life!

I’ve heard it said that the season of grandparents is kind of like dessert. The stress and intensity of parenting is like life’s main meal but then comes the sweet and joyous next course. Wall art from family photoshoots is one way you get see your grandbabies everyday, even though they might not be close by.

With a newborn baby and toddler in tow, anything you do can feel like a bit of a juggle. It would be a shame to miss out on marking this unique time, because of feeling overwhelmed about how to manage newborn photos at home with a toddler. So, if you’re in the newborn ‘daze’ and can’t get your head around how a photoshoot would go, but don’t want to miss the opportunity to record this special time as a family, never fear. Below are three things to know about my newborn photos at home with a toddler to put your mind at ease.

With busy work and school schedules, any family knows it’s hard to get quality time in sometimes. I love how intentional the Buchanan family are in creating the time, planning these days together, and capturing them to look back on. By investing in regular family photos, they have created a visual story of their daughter’s childhood - what a legacy gift!

With so many photo printing companies on the market now, it can be so difficult figuring out where to print the best photo books in Australia. As a mum who takes lots of photos of her kids, and also a professional photographer offering premium photo products to my clients, I’ve used a few different photo book printers over the years so I wanted to share my thoughts.

A lot of families seem to get photos done when their babies are born, but then don’t think to photograph them through the years as they grow up. But here’s the thing. Primary school aged kids are awesome!! They have their own unique personalities, their own loves and hobbies, they’re loosing teeth, they scrape their knees playing sport, and they just love life!

If you’re looking for the best spots for Autumn family photos, the Hawkesbury definitely doesn’t disappoint. In this session, we were able to tell the story of the family as a whole, as well as all the important members of that family. Group shots, individual families and grandparents with the kiddos, as well as each child on their own. In big families, everything can feel like a group event, but each grandchild got their own moment to be the star and have their portrait taken.

I see you.

Always serving your family. Always making sure they have everything they need before you ask for anything for yourself.

Somedays you feel invisible. Somedays you feel lost.

In every season of parenthood, we feel like if we just get through this stage, the next one will bring more freedom, more breathing space and more time. So we put off things for ‘later’. Family photography is one of those things that’s easy to delay. But it’s also something that you’re not able to capture in retrospect. Once a season has passed, it doesn’t return.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 on March 8 is ‘Embracing Equity’. But what exactly does that mean?Equity looks differently for all women. But in every season and every role, women deserve to be loved and celebrated.

I truly am honoured and humbled any time a family trusts me with these precious memory 'seeds'. These first days and weeks with your newborn may seem small now, but over the years, with the proper care and attention needed in the early days, these memories will grow into the sturdy roots of your family tree.

Here’s a few tips to help you get ready for this special time, so we can get the most out of our time together….

Sharing is caring… here’s my favourite Gingerbread playdough recipe that’s a perfect Christmas activity for kids. Plus, it’s a win-win - making playdough is an activity in itself and then there’s the endless hours of play using different cookie cutters or building whatever your child’s imagination creates. Enjoy bringing the magic this Christmas season and making memories with your kids that they’ll love and look forward to every year.

When it comes to family photos, there are a lot of moving parts. Getting all participants on board, deciding on a wardrobe, worrying about kids misbehaving or the craziness the morning of, are all deterrents that may crop up in your mind when considering booking a family photoshoot. I’m a mum too, and trust me, I get it. So never fear, I am here to guide you through the process, from planning to post-session. In this blog, I have some solid tips to making your next family photoshoot stress-free.

There’s no argument that digital photos are appealing. In this day and age, we are lucky to be able to take and store an innumerable amount and have them right at our fingertips. But it’s not without danger. It’s easy to have a stack of photos on a USB and feel safe. You have ‘all the photos’ and can do anything with them at any time. But in our busy world, leaving your photoshoot with a bunch of files on a USB isn’t serving you and here’s why.

Luxe Branding shoots are a one-day photoshoot where we set your business up with an entire library of content. We capture all types of branding images that suit a whole host of applications (like socials, website, marketing materials and more). It’s an enjoyable day where you aren’t rushed, we can do outfit changes, move through different settings, have some fun and allow your creativity to shine through so that your audience gets a great idea of who you are and how passionate you are about what you do.

Daylight savings provides us the perfect opportunity for a long afternoon to play, explore and make memories. With daylight stretching out into the evening, there’s a special block of time to spend together as a family, even after parents come home from work or after-school activities. I still remember long summer evenings and the memories we made when I was little, and I bet you can too! Just think about the memories your little ones will be reminiscing on in the years to come. Let's take the opportunity to create something that will last to help you and your kiddos remember these fun summer memories.