I decided I needed to practice what I preach. Well- more. I have had my own photo shoots in the past with various local photographers, but it was definitely time to update the walls.

Last month, I asked my good friend Bronnie to capture my family in an outdoor setting. It's always odd for me being in front of the camera instead of behind it, but Bron made it so easy. We laughed, we played, we tickled and ran. 

I wanted to share some of my favourite images from my session as well as offer some tips that helped me- from a client perspective.

A HUGGEEEE thank you to my beautiful girl Bronwyn for these priceless images!  Go check out her website here

1. Don't prepare them to "smile". I can instantly tell the children who are told "make sure you smile at the camera" - And yes, it is beautiful when I capture an authentic smile but a clenched teeth grin isn't the same thing. Sure, absolutely prepare them- tell them your friend Lauren is going to take some photos whilst you play and tickle and run around together. Tell them she will likely dance, make silly faces and run along too. Then on the day, let me work my magic. I don't need you to tell them to look at me. If I want them, or you to look at me, I will tell you to.

2. Try their clothes on well before the shoot. Not only do you want to make sure the clothes do indeed fit, if you have a child like my middle one, you may find it a struggle to get him to wear anything new. I got the boys to try their 'special photo clothes' when they first arrived, then every week up until our session. I know for sure this helped on the day. 

3. Ask for help. Getting 3 kids under 4 ready to go anywhere is fun enough, let alone to a photography session where you want everyone looking smart (& clean). If you have anyone that can offer a hand- even if it's just to watch the kids whilst you get ready, ask them beforehand to help.

4. Encourage the littles to have a sleep. If you're fortunate enough to be stuck in that in-between stage like I am- you know, where kids think they are fine without a day sleep but still actually needing it- try to encourage a little nap or at the very least, a relax/quiet time. I found it works best when they are active in the mornings and encouraged to sleep a bit later than usual. - But don't stress if they don't. We will make the session fun enough to keep them entertained the entire time.

5. Feed them babies! I always tell my clients to make sure their child is well fed before their session precedes and to bring non sticky/messy food along to the session. My middle child especially NEEDS food or else he turns into one 'Hangry' beast, so we ensured to stock him up on Low GI foods before our session started.

6. Bring spare clothes. Although we didn't need them last week, we brought along a spare outfit for my little girl as well as one set for my twins. ​You never know which kid will jump into the muddy puddle (first).

7. Bring wipes. Kids get dirty - they seem to magically collect dirt on their face every 10 minutes whilst outdoors & you will be surprised just how much the camera picks up.

8. Don't stress the small stuff. Choose your battles wisely. Our oldest can get a little carried away when he's excited & we would usually try to tone it down. During the session we had planned to just let it go & (just as it usually turns out,) it made for some great moments. - Discipline can (and did) commence again post session.

9. Please don't stand behind me to get their attention- not unless I ask. This happens so often. I get it- I do it too- you want to help. You want to make sure you get them looking at the camera. The problem is, they aren't looking at the camera when you're behind me. They are looking at you. Sometimes- very rarely, I may get you to stand behind me but try keep to the side otherwise.

10. Bring along some of their favourite toys. We brought along the boys' basketballs but you can bring anything you like. I know I will love looking back and seeing them playing with these balls, remembering how obsessed they are with them ever since they watched their cousin play at the stadium. 

​I love capturing this moment in your life, exactly how it is - they won't last forever.

Ok, I know I said 10, but i sometimes get carried away...


11. HAVE FUN! 
Above all else, you want to have fun. You want your children to look back on these images and remember what a great time you all had. You want to hear the giggles when you see that shot of dad throwing up your little one high into the sky. Don't focus on the session being about getting the right photo, but more about creating a memorable time for your kids & self.

A few months ago I was on Facebook (What's new?) and I came across a beautiful image of a new mumma breastfeeding her baby. I started scrolling through the huge amount of comments and quite frankly was disgusted with the amount of negative words from the public.
 
I feel like these days you can’t win. If you breastfeed your baby, you had better do it either in a grotty toilet cubical, under a very annoying cover (that will NOT stay on) or better yet, become a hermit and stay at home all day, every day for the entirety of your breastfeeding career. I knew mums who would carefully plan out their day so that they never had to breastfeed in  public.
And don’t even get me started on the topic of breastfeeding your baby past 6 months! “Are you going to stop feeding him?” “That’s probably why she’s so attached to you.” “You’ll be feeding him forever if you don’t stop now.” ‘Shouldn’t you just put her onto cow’s milk?”.  
 
Yet, if you formula feed your baby there are looks and remarks from people too. “If you had just pushed through a few more weeks, you would have been fine.” “You probably did have enough milk” “If it hurts you were doing it wrong” and then there’s the common “breast is best.” Ok, I want to explain that last one. Yes, breastmilk is best for baby – nature made it that way. But reminding someone of this fact AFTER they have stopped breastfeeding is in no way helpful to them and honestly, it’s a bit mean.
 
Breast milk may be best for a baby but breastfeeding or expressing is not always best for babies and it may not be best for YOUR baby. When a mother is in pain emotionally or physically from breastfeeding or pumping, it HAS to affect the baby too!
 
The comments go on and on… and on! I know, I have personally been victim to the ‘helpful’ advice that is laced with judgment. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in education from family and friends (how are young mums supposed to know how to breastfeed when they are not allowed to see a mum breastfeeding in public???) And advice is super important and helpful- WHEN it’s done in a supporting manner.
 
Why does it matter to anyone else whether you breastfeed, express feed, formula feed, combination feed or SNS feed (a little tube that goes from a bottle to your nipple so baby thinks she’s getting it from your breast) That’s right it doesn’t! It wont’ change your life if your sister, cousin, friend formula feeds and you know what,  when all you children are no longer toddlers and are getting into trouble with their group of friends, the formula fed babies will not smell, look, or act any different than the others. (let’s face it, all kids smell).  

I want to tell you a bit about my own journey, which is the reason I chose to do this little project of mine.
I have twin boys who are now 18 months old. When I was pregnant I was wanting to breastfeed but didn't want to put too much pressure on myself (like I usually do) so I went with "I will breastfeed if I can for as long as I can".

When my boys were born, I exclusively tandem breastfeed them for about 4 weeks. At this stage the pain had become so unbearable, I just couldn't continue. Although, being a stubborn girl I continued to provide them breast milk via expressing. I would cry for days just thinking about stopping.  I don't remember how long I went, perhaps 2 or so weeks - It felt like forever... until I ended up back in hospital with mastitis & 'decided' to call it quits. I felt so guilty when I stopped breastfeeding. I would almost try to avoid bottle feeding them in public because of the guilt.

I don't believe anyone should have to feel that. 

The guilt slowly went away but it was always in the back of my mind. Until, that is, the day I decided to re-lactate. My boys were about 4 months old & my milk had all but dried up. After 2 months of pumping & feeding I successfully re-lactated with one twin (the other wasn't interested).

So here I was, holding one baby to the breast whilst holding a bottle for the other who lay sprawled out on my lap. It was a pretty funny scene and those who saw me do it knew it wasn’t always easy but it was my choice to make.

I got to the point where I just didn't care about anyone's judgements anymore. In fact, I almost wished that lady (among many) in the shop giving me the stink eye said something!! I was going to feed my babies any where, any time and ANY WAY I wanted! If you don't like to see me bottle feeding my baby = DON'T WATCH. If you don't like to see me breastfeeding my baby, it's pretty simple= DON'T WATCH. Really, you don't need to watch that closely anyway.

My twins are now 18 months old. I am still breastfeeding one twin & now the other thinks he's missing out so at times asks for and takes to the breast. I'm cool with it, they're cool with it, as is my awesome husband. No one else's opinion matters. 
 
So..next time you see a formula feeding mumma, instead of passing judgement, how about smiling at them, how about encouraging them or asking if they want you to hold the screaming baby whilst they get the bottle ready. Tell her she’s doing a great job. Just remember you have no idea what journey she has been on.
 
So. next time you see a mumma  breastfeeding in public, instead of passing judgment, how about smiling at her, how about talking to her about… anything. Ask her if she wants you to pass her water to her that is just out of reach. Tell her she’s doing a great job. Just remember you have no idea what journey she has been on.

I decided I wanted to do something. But what's a new mum of twins going to do to change the world?? HAHA
Well, I can shoot. (Photos that is not a gun, I'm a really bad aim).

My message to you mummas. You know what is best for your baby! Do it and do it proudly! You are awesome no matter how you feed them!

What best way to do this than a shoot, or as it turned out, a few shoots! :) These gorgeous mummas have all had a journey of their own with breastfeeding. Some have been smoother than others, but it is theirs, no one else's.

I want to thank the girls who came along to the sessions to help me with my project!

I hope you enjoy my project.

If you want to read more about my re-lactation journey, here's a little blog I made.
https://bringingthemback.wordpress.com/page/8/


Have you been paying attention? There's a hidden message in this blog!!!

Ash

As a new mother, I always assumed that breastfeeding was just how it was supposed to be done when it came to feeding your newborn baby.

Immediately after childbirth I started to learn how to breastfeed and continued to do so until 'S' was about two months old. It was at this time that it became obvious that my milk was not sustaining 'S' and he wasn't sleeping or feeding how I felt he should have been and I reluctantly gave into advice to start bottle feeding him formula. I didn't want to and I still expressed milk for a month simply to pour it down the sink because I had hoped that one day I could return to breastfeeding.

It was only once I let go of what I feel was my ego and thinking that I wasn't providing the best start for my son if I wasn't breastfeeding him and accepted the fact that it doesn't matter how my son gets fed whether or not it was from a formula bottle or from my breast milk, the important thing was that he was fed and happy. At the end of the day it doesn't matter to anyone as long as my son's needs were provided for.

Steph

Motherhood has completely changed my whole outlook on life. I have realised to be fully present in every single moment. Breastfeeding 'E' was hard for me emotionally at the start, 'E' wouldn't latch but I was determined to breastfeed. Breastfeeding then became so natural to me that I quickly learnt to trust my own motherly instinct.

I believe that a child weans themselves. This is why I still allow 'E' to be breastfed at 2.5 years of age. Some would say that is too long, but I want to encourage mothers to do what feels good for them, and to not be influenced by others judgements.

Sasha

On December 20th, 2012 my beautiful early Christmas gift was born.  My daughter 'S' entered the world under traumatic stressful circumstances.  What followed was 12 months of hell, sickness, no sleep, depression and a breast feeding journey that ended before 6 months of age.  I was devastated, I felt like a failure so many times because I struggled with one of life’s ‘basics’.  My issues were put down to a combination of stress, traumatic birth, the exceptionally hot weather when she was born (40+) for weeks, amongst other things.   When I found out I was pregnant again with my second, I was determined to make breast feeding work for us.
 
On October 14th, 2014 my beautiful second daughter 'G' came into the world in a hurry.  She was a pure text book labour weighing in at a healthy 10lb 2oz.  From day one we started to have issues, she didn’t latch properly so my poor nipples were so cracked I cried every time I fed her.  The day after I came home from the hospital I made the decision to pump and bottle feed, it allowed my body to heal.  That night I started feeling a bit off, like I had the flu, my whole body hurt.  I got up at 2am to pump only to look down at the bottle I was pumping into, it had turned a lovely shade of pinky/red.   A quick trip to the doctor the next day revealed I had mastitis and an abscess on my right breast that had ruptured. 
 
I continued to pump and bottle feed for around 10 days until my breast was completely healed.  When I finally latched her back on to properly breast feed, I was so happy, the whole time I was pumping I had seen my breast feeding journey coming to an end way to soon.  Over the next 10 months I dealt with another 2 lots of mastitis, breast refusal, blocked ducts, 2 months of me having tonsillitis, 6 teeth, biting and not being able to eat dairy because it upset her reflux.
 
At around 9 months with a heavy heart I made the decision to wean her during the day, this was a decision I didn’t make lightly but one I had to make.  I was returning to work and I don’t work in a job that it’s practical for me to pump during the day.  I continued to feed her first thing in the morning, before bed and during the night if she needed it.  After a couple of weeks I realised this wasn’t working, my milk was starting to dry up, I was devastated, I had planned to get to 12 months but alas it wasn’t going to happen.
 
I wanted to make my last breast feed something to remember, I made the decision to do it during the beautiful photo shoot that Lauren Southwell was doing to mark breast feeding week.  Arriving was an emotional experience for me, the epic journey we had been on to get this far and knowing this would be the last time I would feel that closeness and bond of breast feeding my baby.  Lauren made me feel at ease and the setting was beautiful.  My last breast feed was peaceful, calm and amongst beautiful almond trees in full blossom bloom, it was the perfect way to close that chapter of my journey with my second baby. 
 
I can’t thank Lauren enough for the opportunity to capture such a precious time in our lives.

Elysia
'A' was a premmie baby who we just couldn't get to latch onto the boob.  It was a tough long journey to get him to feed. His journey started with a feeding tube and a syringe (used to feed him 5mls of milk). He became very attached to his bottles as that's all he could have being on prescription formula so I couldn't even express for him. We didn't find he couldn't have my milk until he was a month old. He used to scream from really bad reflux so when we used the Dr brown bottles with the right formula, it was amazing.He absolutely loves his bottles and I wouldn't change the process in a heart beat as I know the long journey found what was best for him in the end.

Kristy-Lee
As a mum of an extreme prem baby (born at 24.5weeks), breastfeeding was always going to be a challenge for us but like with everything 'S' wasn't going to give in easily. We had our first breast contact feed when she was only 33 weeks gestation and still on CPAP oxygen support. We continued for a few weeks but it was extremely frustrating for 'S' with the nasal prongs in her way of getting full contact with the breast and I had an extremely slow let down so that didn't help the situation either. After coming off oxygen support we found 'S' took to the bottle like a gun and stacked on the weight! We choose to continue with this method as all we wanted was our baby girl to be home. I expressed for 7 months until my supply just couldn't keep up. We are now full formula feeds now and I wouldn't change a thing.

Karla
when I was pregnant with my first I went into breastfeeding with an open mind, if I could I would, in not then I would bottle feed, no stress either way. I was successful breastfeeding my first two for 11 months and am still feeding my third child at 14 months. Iv had a couple of serious bouts of mastitis and A lot of my friends around me were bottle feeding but have all been very supportive of me each other which has helped. All in all I have loved my breastfeeding journey. I can only imagine the emotions I'm going to feel when it comes to an end for good. Bitter sweet.

Elizabeth
Breast feeding came easy in the beginning and everything was going swimmingly. There was a little bit of discomfort with one breast until I discovered kenacomb (prescription medication). At about five weeks my little girl wasn't putting on enough weight and I was encouraged to go on Motilium as my supply was down. It was disheartening but with the support of the lactation consultant we got through it. I also had to express milk to increase my supply. I remember one weekend when my daughter did not feed well and we were worried she was dehydrated. This was quite stressful.

My daughter was then diagnosed with reflux and was also identified with having a tongue tie. We saw an oral surgeon for the tongue tie and the GP so she could prescribe medication. It was a tough few weeks but by about eight or nine weeks we started to settle into a routine that was working. At times my husband and I had to give our daughter a bottle of expressed milk, especially the feed before putting her to bed at night. Interestingly night time feeds from day one have ALWAYS gone well as bub and I are always relaxed and I am not anxious.

My daughter is now 20 weeks and I am glad that I persevered with breast feeding as I love the special bond we share. It wasn't like that initially as it was really hard work, especially when my daughter would cry in pain. The support of my husband, the lactation consultants and the maternal & child health nurses have been invaluable and I don't think I have got through it without them. I love breast feeding as everything is working beautifully now (despite a few very hard weeks) as my daughter is gaining weight and is a happy, healthy little girl. I'm glad that I persevered but I can see how easy it is to just give up. Thank goodness for my husband who has been by my side.

Kay-te
I have three beautiful children. My first i had at only 18 and tried to breastfeed her but with so much pain and no sleep stopped after 6 weeks. I was under the impression i had no milk but now i can clearly see we both had thrush and a terrible latch. She thrived off formula and was happy!

Number 2 i was determined to breastfeed her, and from the get go everything was perfect. Great latch, liquid gold was flowing. I continued to feed her until 13 months, i stopped because she would not be apart from me, the boob was her comforter.

Number 3, he had a great latch from the start but oh the after birth pain when feeding was worse than labour, but i pushed through a week of that and continued to feed this booby baby until he was 17 months.

This photo is actually his last breastfeed ever!!!! He was ready but i was devastated, this is my last child, this is last time i will ever have this closeness. It was made easier by knowing i had a wonderful, talented photographer capturing this moment. I will cherish this for ever!

Hayley
I was a very lucky mumma, I was fortunate enough to be able to do both from the start. I expressed alot of milk as my milk came in very heavy so my husband gave her a bottle of breast milk once a day from the get go so transitioning her from breast to formula was so easy she wasn't fazed at all. I did absolutely love the connection we had when I was breast feeding but seeing my husband hold her in his arms feeding her melted me just as much. Having to return back to work so soon though made the decision to go to formula an easy and stress free thing and having such a happy go lucky baby makes all changes less stressful.

I never felt guilty for stopping because for me once she started getting the fidgets and bigger I wanted to know she was getting proper feeds not just top ups and I started to feel awkward. Plus we always gave her the bottle (breastmilk) before bed and she slept all the way through so I knew she would be happier on the bottle as she got a lot more milk alot quicker. I may have felt differently if she was a clingy or needy baby but she is very independent and has been since birth -something I am so very grateful for.

People ask me all the time why did I stop if there wasn't a problem and I simply tell them its my life my daughter my choice and I know its for the better for myself my daughter and makes a beautiful bond with my husband and daughter.

Kim
I never had an issue with breastfeeding 'N', that is if you don't count cracked & bleeding nipples, painful breasts, having those tiny hairs on the back of my neck being ripped out etc. etc. My breastfeeding journey this time has been so different to my first. I was like a Jersey Cow last time! If I wasn't feeding, I was expressing! This time I wasn't able to express. I set my goal for 6 months & surpassed that over 16 months ago & I feel so blessed & lucky that I have been on this journey with my little man for so long. I have tried to stop, but 'N' won't let me & it was only half hearted from me anyway! I love the closeness we share during feeds, it's our time, & this bond & closeness has helped reduce my PND symptoms & calmed me down & just let me be, if only for 15 minutes at a time

Erin

When pregnant I always said "I'll give it a go!" When asked if I'd breast feed but for some reason I always just imagined that I'd take the "easy option" and bottle feed!

After R was born my milk was delayed due to a large blood loss so after she lost a significant amount of weight I decided to give her formula, all the while expressing in hope that my supply would increase.

After a week, with my supply increasing I attempted to put her back to the breast and to my surprise, she nailed it and we've never looked back! I've now learnt that breast feeding is the "easy option" for me and I'm so glad I gave it a go!

Megan
Breastfeeding for me has been a very relaxed journey. Both my children were born at home, fed at the breast instantly and were good feeders ever since.

I think being 100% relaxed and committed to breastfeeding has helped make it an easy experience. I wouldn't change it for the world. It's such a nurturing, natural and healthy thing that I have been able to do for my girls.

Linda
My BF journey began almost 21 years ago, with the birth of our first child. Since then I have had the privilege of nursing each of our eight children, including our 2/12 year old twin boys (who are still breastfed).

It has definitely been challenging at times, especially meeting the needs of a large family whilst investing the necessary time to exclusively breastfeed.

Having a supportive family has been very important, and the confidence in my body to nourish our precious babies.

Krystal
Throughout my entire pregnancy I had anxiety that I wouldn't be able to breastfeed, this is still a touchy subject for me. I constantly compared my pregnancy towards others and sillily judged my ability to breastfeed based on the size of my breasts. Whilst they had grown, I just felt as though they weren't big enough to feed. 'A' was born 4 weeks early via induction due to the placenta not working, I feared that her early arrival also meant that I wouldn't be able to breastfeed her.

When 'A' was born she did have trouble latching and I had a nurse literally milk me, to just get the colostrum out. I had the "two day blues (seemed to last for a few weeks)". Two days after birth my milk came in, the nurses referred to me as a 'jersey cow', despite having the milk I couldn't feed 'A' easily. I was determined to give her breast milk and I started to express.

For weeks, every 3 hours I attempted to feed 'A' with a nipple shield, afterwards I would give her a top up with EBM and then I would express each side for 10 minutes. A week after 'A' was born, I woke up to find that my breasts had literally just disappeared and I rang the hospital lactation consultant in tears. After a visit from Bree, I continued to express and gradually built up my supply again. Unfortunately my anxiety was working against me and the more upset I got, the harder it was to feed.

Around when 'A' turned 6 weeks old she knocked the nipple shield off and refused to feed with it. From that moment I have exclusively breastfed. Sometimes it hurts and I still panic whether I am providing her with everything she needs, I find that I fixate on the numbers - especially how much weight she puts on between visits.

I am getting better at just enjoying the feeding and the bond that I have with 'A'. I love the way that she looks up at me and smiles when she is feeding, it reminds me that everything is okay and I can do it.

Isobelle
'F' started off amazingly at breastfeeding but she got very sick at six weeks old and had to be fed though an NG tube while in hospital, after two surgeries and almost 2 months of expressing we tried to get her to re-latch but by that stage she had breast refusal.

She had expressed breast milk the whole time she was in hospital but when we tried to get her to re latch she would only take a bottle so I started feeding her expressed milk, after another hard two months felicity re latched.

It was one of the best moments I wanted to breast feed her so badly to help fix her the residual hole in her heart, just after her first birthday we found out the hole had completely closed.

Felicity started to self wean just after 12 months, but she still occasionally breastfeeds. I'm so proud that we have made it this far, after all the challenges we have faced

Leonie
I felt like an absolute failure when breastfeeding didn't work for me. My son 'R' is donor egg conceived and when he was born I was already thinking that my body failed me because I couldn't produce children without assistance. Being unsuccessful at breastfeeding compounded these feelings and I felt that I was a complete failure as a woman. I also thought that I wasn't going to be able to bond with my son because I had always been told about the incredible bonding experience that breastfeeding gives mothers.

'R' spent a week in the special care nursery due to jaundice which made him too tired to latch for feeding. Added to this was a low supply of milk which medication didn't assist. I believe there is an incredible amount of pressure placed on mothers to breastfeed. We struggled for 5 weeks to make breastfeeding work and it became an emotional experience for the both of us. Too often we were both in tears during a time that was supposed to be 'beautiful' and 'bonding' for the both of us. Switching to bottlefeeding was all about accepting the fact that I was doing the best for 'R' and I was still meeting his needs in a caring and loving way. We were both happier when we changed to bottle. My MCHN explained it best to me when she said "when he is the Prime Minister of Australia, no one is going to ask if he was breast or bottle fed".

Nicole
I have attempted to breastfeed all of my children. Whilst pregnant with my first, I knew I wanted to breastfeed because it was natural and what the doctors and nurses say is best. I thought if you wanted to , you just did- it would be easy. I was quickly proven wrong. Struggling with latch problems and a lack of knowledge, we switched to formula after a only a few weeks. After the birth of each one of my children it became a little easier and I learned more, resulting in each one being fed a little longer yet we faced a different set of challenges along the way. I have seven happy healthy children who have either been breast, bottle fed or both.

'E' completes our family so I can't thank Lauren enough for capturing these moments as it represent so much more. Breast feeding verses bottle feeding really is the first of a long line of struggles you will face as a mother. As long as your doing what is right for both you an your child, it doesn't matter.

Chan
Whilst pregnant I had attended a seminar held by lactation consultant/midwife /Sue Cox which was amazing and highly recommended (Her books are great). She taught us about the baby knowing its mothers smell-how straight after birth lay baby on your chest and he actually finds his way to the breast. Skin to skin, latching on etc.

But nurses at hospital pushed my bed into recovery, left me there an hour without him and that started me off feeling really down and because I was upset, I think that contributed to the poor latching. So I didn't get skin to skin or even to feed him immediately like I wanted to. Then the nurse grabbed my boob and pushed 'M' to it and squeezed me without warning or asking me. Felt like I was a cow being milked! 'M' had jaundice when he was born and then awful refluxxxxxxx and took a bit of time to start feeding well.

He's now 17 months old and very happily still breast feeding. One of my favourite moments is when I look down at him and he stops drinking for a second to give me a big smile. 

Did any of these stories sound familiar? Would you love a breastfeeding or bottle feeding photoshoot?

Little Miss Ruby is actually my newest little niece. Ruby, her mum & sisters travelled to Mildura within her first 2 weeks of life so I was lucky enough to have a newborn session with her! She was a great little sleeper for us so we got through a few setups and got some gorgeous shots of Ruby with her two sisters!

My husband & I went to visit family for a few days recently. One afternoon the sky was looking
gorgeous so I asked my little neice, Lucy, if she wanted to go outside with me & my camera. 
She was up for it, so we trotted along together & while she played I snapped away.

Lucy loves necklaces, handbags & Icypoles (among many things) & looking back,
I really wish I had thought to bring some of her favourite things down with us for these photos. - Next time perhaps :)

I absolutely love this age for photo-shoots. You really get to capture their little personalities! :0)

You could WIN a free photo-shoot for yourself!
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Sometimes when you’re on holiday the time slips away from you & you don’t end up doing half the things you set out to do. It seems when I visit my sister & her family in Brisbane I always run out of time to have a photo-shoot session.
That’s why I am so happy that on the last day of my recent visit, we all went down to a park to have a proper session.

Ollie will be 3 in November & already he is full of mischief! He is one of the cheekiest & funniest boys I know and I just adore the time we spend together.

I can’t wait for my future trips to Brisbane to take progressive photos of Ollie getting older (and cheekier)
with his growing family.

 If anyone has any friends or family that don’t live in Mildura and are interested in a photo-shoot,
feel free to pass on my details as I am willing to travel.

My husband's Pa, Ted, turned 90 years old a couple of weeks ago and celebrated the monumental occasion with family and friends gathered around him.
I think Pa is one of the most proud men I know, he adores his family so much and we all love and adore him right back!
Here are a few snaps I took throughout the day; it was a fantastic turn out with people traveling from all across the state to wish Ted well on his birthday.