I get asked this all the time. “Where do you find the time?” “Do you ever stop?!” “How can you fit so much into your day?” “Do you ever have any time for your kids?!”
I usually answer by saying “I sleep little, and yell alot”. 🙂
I *am* crazy busy. It really does never seem to end! But, I have five *amazing* kids, who are always willing to help, and a hubby who puts up with soooo much, and has taken on himself to become my “feeder”. He brings me food and cups of tea whenever I need them so I can work uninterrupted. What a man!
Right now, it is school holidays. I am downstairs in my office, blogging and doing bookwork as tax time looms. I can hear my littlest kids giggling upstairs as their Dad wrestles with them. I can hear saucepans clanging in the kitchen and smell yumminess wafting down the stairs as my second eldest prepares dinner for us all. The shower is running, and my 9 year old daughter is screaming out to Keegan in the kitchen to stop using the hot water as she is showering. (lol!).
Utter chaos, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
It is a team effort here at the Love Shack, that’s for sure.
Oh, and how could I forget, here is my constant assistant/off-sider. My big boy Jaimyn, aka, “Data Entry Clerk Extraordinaire” who is sitting right next to me dutifully entering all of my receipts getting ready for the tax man! What a legend he is!
…oh, and Scruffy, my permanent foot-warmer/our pet Foxy. But, he is stuck outside in the cold cause right now, with all of this rain, he smells baaaaaaaad, yo! 😉
I shot this wedding a little while ago now, but it has taken me this long to find the time to share it with you all! Mainly because there were so many gorgeous shots from the day and I was struggling to decide what to blog!
This celebration was unique right from the start. When Kate first contacted me, she explained that it would be a small, intimate day, all in and around the New Farm Park/Brisbane Powerhouse area. There would be no bridal party. There would be no “reception”. No dancing. No big speeches. This was going to be a morning to celebrate, in a beautiful, understated manner, with only the most treasured and closest friends and family that they have. They wanted to share their day with those who had supported them on their journey together, and that is just what they did.
There were tears, there were hugs, there were giggles and there were lots of heartfelt kisses too. You can see the room melt away, every time Dean looks into Kate’s eyes. A more perfect match there could never be!
This was the fastest wedding I have ever photographed! lol. An “Express Wedding”, it was! 3 hours from start to finish – it was the ultimate “wedding to go!” – and what a beautiful way to start the day! I was home in time for lunch and an afternoon with my own family, on what was a glorious April day in Brisbane. And the best part was, that not a moment was missed and it never felt as though we were rushing things at all. We just went along at our own pace, and 3 hours later, we were done. ?
 
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I count my lucky stars every day that I have a job that I love.
My work puts me in contact with some of the most amazing people a person could ever meet. I get to do stuff like fly to gorgeous locations, wake up at 4 am and chase a family of gorgeous kids around on the beach as we watch the sunrise together; how many people get to do that and get paid for it too?!
It’s so funny how the Universe works. I used to proudly exclaim how I was so “NOT maternal” (said she who went on to become a Mum of five!) and how I disliked “everyone’s” kids except for my own. I use to shoot weddings full time and loathed family portrait sessions. Apparently, it was “impossible” to be creative when shooting “groups”. How laughably wrong I was!
Something changed a few years ago. I don’t know what it was, or how it happened, but I noticed that I started connecting with “other people’s” kids. When I returned to photography, after running our shop for 2 years, I decided that I was no longer going to be a “Wedding Photographer” and that I wanted to be a “Kids Commercial Photographer”. I started meeting lots and lots of babies, and kids. I started smiling a lot more at my shoots.
I’d find myself getting all goosebumpy and teary as I looked down the lens at those beautiful faces peering back at me. Oh, man, I think I’ve mellowed in my old age! 😉 BUT, it is much more than that. You know the old adage “every bride is beautiful”? Well, I’ve realised now that it is the same with kids. The more time I spend shooting a child, the more beautiful they are to me. I can feel myself connecting to their spirit, and their eyes just draw me in to their beautiful little souls.
There is nothing pretentious about kids. There is no ego. All that there is is trust and honesty. No matter who the child is, once you really connect with them, once they truly trust that you are genuine and sincere and that you care about them, you can see it in their eyes, and they just radiate beauty from within.
I don’t feel as though I have done a child justice in my sessions, until I feel this genuine honesty and understanding between us. Until I look down my lens at them, and see them looking, and seeing, I mean, *really* seeing, me too.
When I photographed the amazing family you see here, I was so swept up in their beauty. I mean, obviously they are GORGEOUS kids to look at, but once I “got” them, and they “got” me, well, wow! I didn’t have to direct them at all, but for a handful of times, I just followed them up and down the beach and we all played together. I let them lead the morning, just injecting an idea here and there to encourage them to enjoy our time together. We shot their beach family portraits from 5am for the good light, and they just went with the flow!
…and then, as we wrapped up our session, and headed back up the beach to their house, we chatted about trying one last thing at their home. The shots we had captured on the beach were beautiful and natural, but this family has another side too, and their mum, being a photographer herself, was happy to trust me to try something fun with them! And what FUN it was! You might remember the Award shots that I posted last week? Well, these guys were the stars of one of them. And just so you can see what I mean about their “other side”, here it is again in all its hilarious glory…
This is officially one of my most memorable and favourite shoots EVER, and I am so very thankful to this beautiful family for allowing me a window into their lives for that one very special morning.
tan.x.
Ok, well, I have so much to share with you guys, and it has been a long time coming but, yes, once again, I have been dealing with hackers! grrrr!! All is back up and running now though and I can share my exciting news with you!
Firstly though, I’d like to let you into my world for a little bit. Most of you who know me and my work, know that I am very candid and honest about my life. A lot of you know too that it has been a very rough journey for my family and I over the past 7 years or so. For those who don’t know the story, here it is in a nutshell (and in no particular order)….
In the past 7 years, I have done ALL of the following:
- given birth twice
- gotten divorced
- gotten married (for the 2nd time)
- “retired” from photography
- returned to Uni to study Bachelor of Human Services in Child and Family
- opened an online store
- opened a bricks and mortar store
- been scammed (twice!) out of over $50k through our shop/EFTPOS machine
- took a leave of absence from Uni
- returned to photography
- felt like an idiot for ever “leaving” photography in the first place
- had my website hacked 3 times (and completely deleted twice!)
- spent 6 months with the flood affected people of The Lockyer Valley to create a fundraising calendar for them
- joined the AIPP (BEST thing I EVER did!)
- entered the APPAs (Australian Professional Photography Awards) for the first and second times
Ok, so it has been a tough, tough journey. But, through it all, I have always, for some reason, had you guys to bolster me and my family as each and every obstacle has been thrown at us. And now, it seems, that the tide is starting to turn, there is a wee bit of light at the end of the tunnel, and I am hoping like hell that it will mean good things for our family in the future.
I first picked up a camera in the year 2000. So, if we deduct the 2 years that I stopped shooting to run our shop, I guess that means it is my 10th anniversary this year! 🙂 I shot my first wedding in 2004, so I guess, I have been shooting on a full time, professional basis for about 6-7-ish years in total. Until January last year, I have always worked on my own. I taught myself photography, and have always kind of just fumbled through by reading lots of magazines, watching videos on Youtube and reading blogs/online tutorials to learn what I needed.
However, last January, after watching from “afar” for many years, I *finally* got the balls to submit my portfolio to and apply for membership with the AIPP (Australian Institute Of Professional Photography). I almost feel silly for not doing it sooner, it has without doubt, been the best thing I have EVER done for me and my business and my family.
Through the AIPP, I have learned that through all of these years of working alone, I have (surprisingly!) been doing many things right! I have learned how to fix the things I was doing wrong. I have been given access to resources and learning tools that I never thought even existed, and I have been put in touch with people going through the very same issues, and obstacles in their businesses as I have. I have been welcomed with open arms by literally hundreds of people, and this is probably the aspect that surprises me the most, as for some reason, I always thought that the AIPP was “elitist” and full of egos, and pompous arty farty types that thought the sun shone out of their proverbial you know whats! How completely, and utterly wrong I was!
I finally, for the first time in my life, feel as though I truly fit in somewhere. People who are just like me, with families, and many and varied backgrounds, working through their own demons and obstacles with a common goal – simply to build a business for their children and to seek acceptance from their peers.
Without banging on about it and putting you all to sleep, let me just summarise it like this – to me, the AIPP is just as important to my business now as my camera is. Its that simple.
Ok, so through the AIPP, I discovered APPA; the annual Australian Professional Photography Awards, and of course, the respective state awards, which in my state, we call the “QAPPAs” (which stands for Qld Professional Photography Awards, no idea where the extra “A” comes from tho! 😉 ) . Now those who don’t enter, might see the awards as a big of an ego thing, and it is, to a certain degree. However, to me, it is validation that what I am doing is right. I enter in the hope that it will confirm to me that I *can* be up there with the best of them, even when I am sitting here in my PJs, screaming at kids and floundering over how to edit an image in the perfect way, it reminds me that I am moving in the right direction.
An extra bonus, that I never anticipated was the level it would raise my skills and creativity as a photographer to. The APPAs (and QPPA), have pushed me to limits that I never thought were possible. I am doing things now in my photography that I only ever dreamed of. I am trying things that I thought only the “greats” do! Ok, so I’m not necessarily as successful at these things as said “greats” but at least I am trying them! 🙂
There is creativity coming from places I never knew existed within me, and ideas are really starting to flow where before I had to constantly “force” them to evolve. My cogs seem to be always turning these days!
And so, last week was my third pilgrimage to the APPAs (in Melbourne this year), and 2nd time entering. It is 4 days jampacked with judging, seminars, workshops and social events and is the highlight of the year in the Australian photography world. We photographers spend months preparing our images, coming up with concepts, shooting, editing, printing etc. It is crazy the amount of work that goes into it!
To cut a long story short, we are allowed to enter a maximum of 4 prints., my 4 entered prints were awarded with the following scores: GOLD (93), Silver Distinction (86, and 85) and Silver (83). Giving me a total score of 347 for my four prints, which were entered into both the Family Category and Environmental Portraiture Category. Can you imagine my surprise when, at the Gala Dinner, my name was announced to be the Canon AIPP Australian Professional Creative Photographer Of The Year Runner Up for 2012?!! I am not sure how that happened but am so excited and humbled to accept the title as it is only the second time I have entered the awards! Amazeballs!!
Additionally, The scores that I received also gave me 5 credit points which means that in only 18 months of being an AIPP member I have now qualified as an Associate, with 3 points to go towards becoming a “Master”. I can’t actually use the title until I have been a member for 2 years, but is exciting all the same!
I had originally really wanted to enter all 4 of my prints into the Family Category and hoped for a chance to win it due to being runner up at Qld in March, but due to restrictions on the types of images you can enter in the category, I had to move one into the Portrait gallery. When I did this, it broke my heart and crushed any hope I had of coming close to being named as a category winner, so I literally almost choked on my drink when they called my name!
The evening itself was such a grand affair and I just ADORED the ambience and atmosphere that the venue (The Plaza Ballroom, on Collins St) gave to the event. It was even Live Streamed across the world so people everywhere could watch it as it unfolded. How cool!
Soooo, it really has been an amazing week of making new friendships and being inspired by all of the awesome talent that our industry (and my new friends!), has to offer! And for me personally, and for my family, this year has been a wonderful way to bolster our business and allow us to hope for great things to come.
I can’t believe that I have two great titles to my name now – Runner Up Qld Professional Family Photographer Of The Year 2012, Runner Up Australian Professional Creative Photographer Of The Year 2012 – achieved my first ever GOLD award at APPA, AND qualified as an Associate with the AIPP, all within a few months! Next year though, with your help, I hope to be able to remove those two words (runner up) from those titles! I hope you are all with me, and backing Team Love!
So, I’d better share the images that I’ve been banging on about, I think! If you’ve managed to read this far, you deserve a break from my prattling!
Oh, and just to show that its not all about hard work, here is a series of shots of me, hamming it up with the hilarious Mark Duffus (MD Photography) captured by my very generous mentor, Stephen Jones (Arana Photography)…
…and with my awesomely talented roomie, Alicia Adamopolous (Savvy Studios)
…and finally with both Stephen Jones and Alicia Adamopolous who both have helped me with advice and direction so much this year, and to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude.
…and now back to Earth with a thud! I have a mountain of washing and editing to do! 😉
tan.x.
…Erm, so, wasn’t it like just Christmas? Didn’t I just post on this very blog last week? Looking at the date, apparently, NOT. Seriously dude, where does the time go?! The last couple of months have wizzed by quicker than I can say “Omg, I am almost 35!” (Oh, wait, actually, I think it is 36!).
The fact is, I’ve been busy. Like, I know I say that a lot, but its true! Since I last posted, I entered and attended the AIPP QPPAs (AIPP Qld Professional Photography Awards), photographed 4 weddings, 20 or so Family Portrait sessions, flew to Mackay to photograph a whole lotta beautiful families up there, ran one workshop, completed my first ever underwater shoot, attended two Cross Country races, played Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairy, spent about 60 hours at the gym, had a mini break at Bribie Island (at this awesome place here: AVON LODGE, baked two birthday cakes and a gazillion cookies and muffins, watched 4 baby budgies hatch and thrive in our little aviary, spent eleventy-billion hours in Photoshop, AND photographed, edited, printed and posted my entries for the upcoming APPAs (Australian Professional Photography Awards). PHEW!
So, whilst I did proclaim, and fully intend to pay this very blog a great deal of attention and fill it with lots of lovely (useful!) content that isn’t just “client sneak peeks”, I am the first to admit that I have been a little distracted and it hasn’t quite happened… YET! (promises, promises!).
But, I do have some awesome news to share with you all. Ok, so its more than a bit belated, but, here goes anyways! So, on March 25th, (of this year – 2012!), after sitting through a weekend of nail biting, humbling and downright scary judging, I was awarded as the 2012 AIPP Qld Professional Family Photographer of the Year – Runner Up. Beaten by only 1 point by the incredibly talented and beautiful Kelly Brown! The AIPP Awards are something quite new to me, having only begun entering for the first time last year. However, I have very quickly caught “the bug”! It is a game for sure, and one that must be “played” with deliberate consideration for the judging process and the categories that you are entering. I am still learning the ropes, and had a few hit and misses at Qld, but now that my APPA entries have been sent off ready to be judged, I can share with you some of the prints that I entered into QPPA.
(I should add that with the State Awards being prior to the National Awards, most of us who enter prefer to keep our images under wraps to avoid them being seen by judges prior to judging. Hence my decision to only show my QPPA entries now as I know that these won’t be being judged at APPA.)
I am going to share with you, both my prints that did achieve awards, and those that didn’t, as whilst those that didn’t score so well, they are still dear to me and to my clients who are in them and I am proud to share them. ?
So, I entered the Wedding Category for the first time ever! I was actually quite chuffed with the results here because I hadn’t shot a wedding in over 6 years when I capture the images from the two weddings that I entered! The result was one silver award, and one silver distinction, which I was rather pleased with!
This first shot was a “happy accident”. When I captured it, I had no idea that there was seemingly a knife in her back! (It was actually sticking out of the wedding cake that was behind her), or that those expressions matched up so perfectly with the “story” of the knife! I entered it as a bit of fun. It scored a respectable 75 points, which is considered “above standard professional practice” but not quite Award standard.
This one attracted a very healthy amount of discussion, but didn’t *quite* get there. It ended up with a 79, which is considered to be a “Bronze” or “Certificate of Attainment”:
This next one, I like to call “Dopplegangers”. ? It features both a groomsmen, and a guest at the same wedding and their “lookalikes”. Scored an 84 – A nice “Strong” Silver Award!
My final entry in the Wedding Category, and one of my favourite wedding images ever, was this lovely family portrait of Heidi, Richard and Archer. It scored an 85 – Silver Award with distinction!
Next, was an image of aspiring model, Casey, in the image I titled “Hanging By A Thread”. It received a 75, which I was disappointed with as the same image had received a Silver Award at the International Loupe Awards late in 2011 *and* came 2nd place at the Toowoomba Carnival Of Flowers Shutterbug Awards in 2011 too:
This was an image that I captured for Cushie Tushies last year, and one that always makes me smile. It scored a 78.
My final entry for the Portrait category was little Oliver. It scored low at 72. But, Portrait isn’t the most suitable category for a newborn image, so I expected that really.
Finally, was the judging of the Family Category. I had huge hopes for this category, and had the biggest butterflies when it came around! The anticipation is intense! Despite my excitement, I didn’t quite achieve the scoring I had hoped, and have regrouped and redone some images for our National Awards this month. The main image that I had my highest hopes for, did do the best of all, but was only awarded a Silver Award at 83. ? However, I still have great faith in the image and have decided to enter it into APPA this month, so cannot share it with you now. (Sorry!)
Next up was this one. It took a whole lot of planning and a HUGE amount of sewing on my behalf, and I really loved the results. I was going for a bit of an Frederick McCubbin feel. I don’t think the judges “got” it though. It barely missed an award, and scored 79 points.
Next, came the mummy of little Oliver, above. The very beautiful, and glowing Jessica. This image scored a 77, not quite an award print:
I was sitting with bated breath as my final image was up for judging. I knew that for a chance to win the category, I needed a score of at least 81 for this print. (You need a total of at least 320 points from your 4 prints to be eligible to win). Would you believe, it? That’s just what it scored! An 81! In hindsight now, I wish I had “wished” for an 82, as it would have been a draw! I am still really happy with Runner Up though, and very humbled to have the amazingly talented Kelly Brown in front of me!
And so that wraps it up, as far as the 2012 QPPAs go. Now, we are on the home straight to APPA, with just over 2 weeks to go! I have butterflies already, and can’t wait to share the results, and the images with you all!
tan.x.
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Roseann - Wow you have done so well, produce fantastic work and what an awesome family you have. Well done! 🙂
Jessica - Love this one! 🙂 The craziness of life is what makes it worth living, right?! Enjoy… 🙂