Sat 28th March - The Petie Family

Well, It was defiantly not a day for deep sea fishing, with the ocean waves rolling at a massive 3m so naturally, along with that came lots and lots of wind! But we made it work, and as a result we got some great family photos of the Petie's.  With Raylee and Darren also celebrating their 11th anniversary, the photo shoot made their day just that little bit more special. So Congrats guys, and hope you all had a great time getting sprayed with salt water, and sand! It was well worth it I think. 

Aerial Angels

I Love my Sigma 2.8 zoom lens!!! It was my first professional lens and it has treated me well. Aerial Angels is a Special Even Production agency on the Gold Coast and I shoot a fair bit of stuff for them. They have some of the most talented dancers and performers around. They have recently opened up an academy for kids where they learn to do all the crazy acrobats and aerial stunts. Its amazing to see the little tuckers flip, and bend so naturally! You will never see me in a mid air triple flip twisty turny thingy!!! I would be lucky to make my two feet leave the ground together. 

Graphic Art

I am a photographer at heart... however, I discovered design LONG before I picked up a camera! I used to fiddle around on dads computer with the 'paint' program when I was a wee little lass, and I seems to have stuck with me! I am always fiddling round with Photoshop! I like to think I am a graphic designer... but that would mean that I know how to utilize more than just photoshop and I don't really. I can get by in Illustrator and Indesign if I have to but I don't like it much! Plus I prefer to create graphic art rather than your typical kind of marketing and advertising graphics. I do most of my graphics for church. Seems to be the perfect place for the style of graphics I create. Plus it challenges me to keep on top of it - learning new tricks. I will upload some more at some point. Gotta find them. I have HEAPS of images all over the place - I don't have the most organised hard drive! 

Elephant Rock

These are a few more from my landscape series. Taken yesterday at sunset over Elephant Rock at Currumbin Alley. We took our little man for a swim and down went the sun in all its glory! 

Photographing Families

Family photography is one of those shoots that either goes brilliantly and you end up with some amazing images, OR it can go according to little Johnny, who would much rather be eating a huge wet pile of sand and running off into the water, trying desperately to make me - camera and all - follow!!! It forces a photographer to learn how to get to a child's level. We, as photographers, need to learn that cute little Johnny wont just sit there and flash his beautiful white grin and then strike pose after pose of fabulous shots. No... ha ha... he is more likely to look at you and smile, then when the camera comes out, stare and snarl his lips and pull a face that is definitely not framing material! More than that he has probably got the little booger up his nose waiting for the perfect time to make an appearance.  

Im sure every photographer has en counted Johnny before. But the key here is... Get down to his level... Let him play freely, without constricting him into a perfect frame. I have found that when the photographer stands back and merely 'observes' Little Johnny with his family, you can get some amazing shots! Sure some will be posed just to stick with tradition, but if you as the photographer can relax, and just go along with the children, follow them, play with them, they will let you into their little world that is so full of imagination and creativity. Only then can you harness their little minds and capture it on film. 

Above are some shots - some with kids, and some BIG kids - But you know what - sometimes the non- typical photo, really captures the family you are photographing.

All of a sudden our babies are toddlers!

I love babies... and with my little man growing everyday into a real little boy I am beginning to miss the little ones!

I thought the other day, as the bag of sugar came hurtling down the stairs towards me, spreading into a million little grains; followed closely buy a packet of pretzels; that is would be so lovely to go back to the cute, little, immobile, baby boy that gooed at you every time you smiled at him.

I wouldn't change him though - he is so much fun at this age... even when he tried to help clean up the sugar by bringing me the mop. 

Getting him to stay reasonably still for a little photo shoot though... Well lets just say he has a well photographed back! 

The following photographs are of a few bubs that I know quite well... They are all of similar age to my little monster and they have all enjoyed their play dates...

So - if you want to get some great shots of you baby before he/she turns into a little man/lady/monster;) then give me a ring and I will organize a stress free, mess free (Maybe), session for you. 

OR

If you already have a little man/lady or monster, then I have well trained legs made for the chasing!!

Sophie 0422316631