As shopping centres everywhere pull out the Santa backdrops and put up the "Wait here" signs, Mothers everywhere start mentally preparing.  From that first day I see Santa's chair set up I start thinking about "what should they wear?", " when should we go?", "Where has the best set up?", "Who has the best looking Santa?" and most importantly, "How do I get my youngest to sit happily on the jolly mans knee!?"

You might wonder why bother. Why put yourself and your children through it, especially when there is a real chance of waiting for over an hour for a photo of a screaming child running from Santa.  I sometimes wonder that myself but every year I still find myself in that line, encouraging my children to wave and high five to Santa.  So why?

Because when I look back at my own childhood photos I'm always drawn towards the Santa Photos.  Each photo clearly shows the changes I have gone through that year.  The changes in fashion, hairstyles and attitude towards Santa!  They are like a small chronicle of my childhood years and should be cherished.

Because when I look at my Santa photos I remember the magic of Christmas as I felt it as a child.  And when I see my children excited to sit next to Santa ("He is the REAL one!" my 4 year old whispered) I get a twinkle of that old Christmas feeling I felt as a child.  Its so wonderful to be young and to believe that someone would be so kind as to give every child in the world a present just for them.  Sometimes being an adult means you forget about the excitement, happiness, kindness and generosity that Christmas generates.  But watching my children climb onto Santa's knee and ask him for totally unrealistic presents makes me smile and I always want to give Santa a big hug of thanks for the joy that he has brung.  

Because my children wanted to get a photo with Santa.  My 2 year old is still a little suspicious of the big white beard but my two girls get excited even at the mention of his name.  Every time we went to the shopping centre my 4 yr old would ask when was it going to be her turn to have a photo with Santa.  So one weekend I dressed them up in Christmas shirts and took our place in line.  An hour later and they were still just as excited as when we first joined the line. A few times I had to use my stern voice when they bumped into those around us, but I found their excitement infectious.  Which made me all the more sad watching the mother and two gorgeous girls in front.  They were perfect, perfect hair, perfect dresses, perfect smiles. But she found fault in every photo.  My two year old tumbled into her whilst trying to push his sister towards Santa and she pretty much growled at him.  She never once cracked a smile and I felt her poor mood impacted negatively on her daughters experience with Santa.  For me, getting a Santa photo isn't about getting the perfect styled picture, its about capturing the perfect moment in time when your child is still young enough to just believe.    As for our own photo, it took four shots for everyone to be looking forward and I had to jump in to make my baby boy happy.  We laughed and high fived Santa and have a photo to keep. 

This year I had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with my sisters and through their day care centre organise some outdoor Santa photos.  My father graciously volunteered his time and belly to be our Santa and I have to admit that it was a wonderful experience to share with him.  Watching children interact with my father and the beautiful smiles I captured makes my heart sing.  It only added to why I love this time of year.  I really hope all those children, when they are adults, can look back on the photos that I have taken and really cherish their own memories of Christmas.

And finally a Merry Christmas to you all and may you all take many more photos in the New Year!

And if you haven't already......Go out and get a Santa Photo!

Cheers 

Michelle xoxo

My Grandmother will always be a strong influence in my life. She was the centre of my family growing up and she continues to have an impact on my life even though she has now passed. We have many many photos of her, but I wish that she was still with us so I could take her portrait.  I wish that I could take a beautiful black and white photo of her showing all her spunk and personality.  I wish that I could take a photo of her wonderful hands that were held out to me so many times, wrapped around me so many times and showed the resilience of her spirit.  I wish that I could capture a special moment between her and her daughter, my grandmother and mother.  A photo that I could gift to my mum to make her smile when she misses her the most.  I wish that I could turn back time.

There is a movie I saw many years ago called 'Step Mom'.  It's one of those movies that requires a handy tissue box nearby. I won't  go into too many spoilers but one of the main characters uses photography to enrich the final days of a mother and creates lasting memories for her children.  Those scenes really struck a cord with me and have remained with me even years later.  I remember thinking what a wonderful gift to give someone, especially at a time in their lives when emotions can be at their lowest.  As I grow more and more confident in my photography I can only imagine what an honour it would be to capture such precious moments in a photo, especially when those moments may soon pass to memories only.  

When I hear about people and families in the community having to deal with serious and terminal illness my heart aches for them, even though they are complete strangers.  Like most people my life has not been untouched by cancer. Too many people I hold dear have battled, or are battling for their life. The diagnosis of a potentially life threatening illness brings with it such a roller coaster of emotions and priorities change instantly.  I can understand that during these times organising for some professional photos to be taken would be the last thing on anyones mind.  But every time I open my wallet to make a donation to help someones health battle, I wish that I could do or offer more.  So I'm going to put it out there and say, if there is ever anybody that you feel will find strength through the gift of precious photos, please let me know so I can volunteer my time and my camera with no fees or strings attached.  And know that with every photo I take, it will be in honour of my amazing Grandmother, my Gramps. 

Please note, I don't offer this to gain any publicity or advertising.  All photos would be for the private use of the sitter only and would not appear on any advertising, website or social media of mine.  My time and passion for photography is mine to give freely wherever I want to offer it and it is always done purely from the heart.

Michelle xoxoxo

And when you have done that check out the images that you have taken. Sit down with your phone and head back to the beginning of your camera roll.  Feel the smile grow as you scroll through.  Check out Facebook and all your tagged photos, and maybe thank the heavens that Facebook wasn't around in your younger days!  Find the cherished photos of those that have passed and be thankful that a camera has helped capture the memory of those dearly loved.  There is a reason why people try and grab their photos when evacuating their homes.  Photos are like time capsules. They remind us of people and times that we fear forgetting.  

Every day my Facebook feed is full of beautiful images posted by photographers from all around the world. There are times when I don't even read any posts but just scroll to each new photo to marvel at the different images posted.  Everyone has such a different view of the world and it shows through these images. Seeing other peoples images keeps me motivated.  So tonight when you're finally sitting down and putting your feet up, search through Facebook, Instagram or Google for photographers. Choose to follow them and let their images inspired you on a daily basis.  When I first  ventured into portrait photography I stubbled across an amazing photographer from Poland. Her name is Magdalena Berny and she inspires me to this day with her talent.  Take a moment to wander through her amazing photos. 

There are many other amazing photographers of all levels that I follow and here is just a few of them:

​Jinky Art Photography                       365 Days In Woy                     Kahnivore Photography

Enjoy your day.....Go take a photo!

Cheers Michelle

Growing up in a family of four sporty girls, there was no shortage of competition between us. Family game night didn't always end happily!  But my best memories are from the times I have been able to compete with my sisters. There is nothing like winning with the people that mean the most in your life.  Our family photo albums are littered with sports related images and the best thing about looking back on them, is checking out all the outdated hairstyles and uniforms.  Those photos also remind me just how much being involved in sports has enriched my life and contributed to who I am today. 

Sport has played such a major roll in my upbringing. It's taught me how to deal with pressure and expectations, how to deal with winning and losing, and how to be disciplined and determined.  I couldn't have learnt any of these lessons without the positive support from my parents.  Yes they got upset at bad referring or poor opposition behaviour but they always remembered that they were my role model in dealing with these occurrences.  I wish all sporting parents remembered this, for in the long run poor behaviour on a side line only ends up effecting their own child.

​It's great that during the Olympic coverage you get the chance to see the parents behind the competitors.  Reaching your potential must be so much easier with the love, support and encouragement of your family. Being a parent myself now I can understand the pride that I see on each of those parents faces. I thinks its the same pride you feel for all of your childs achievements, whether it be walking for the first time, riding without training wheels, writing their name, learning to swim or maybe winning an Olympic medal.  Not every child can grow up to be an Olympian but you can help them to grow up having the confidence to think like one, and then stand back and see what they can achieve. 

So over the next two weeks I hope you all get the opportunity to watch some of the events and if you have just a few minutes spare maybe send a few words of support to our Olympians as they challenge themselves against the rest of the world.  You can also follow the Official Facebook page of the Australian Team so you can really get to know those that are representing us.

Go Aussie!

Cheers Michelle

Ultimately the dream of any artist, be it painter, songwriter, filmmaker or photographer, is to inspire something in others.  That's the challenge.  Can an artist transfer their inspiration onto someone else and manipulate how they feel after hearing, seeing or watching their work.  Often if you don't like a movie, its because you felt nothing towards the characters on screen.  Growing up, music always had the most influence on me. I learnt the piano and the flute and really cherish all the memories I have of playing in my school band.  Really there is nothing like the feeling of being surrounded by people making music and adding your own music to theirs.  Composer John Williams is an icon for me and has created some amazing music.  We use to play his Jurassic Park theme song in the band and I still remember the feeling it evoked, (I also remember the very tricky flute score.)   He is so good at pushing our emotions with his music that most of the time you're not even aware of it. 

In January 2000 I was backpacking with a friend that was greatly inspired by Art and on our travels some of that passion rubbed off.  She would walk me through some of the greatest galleries in the world and with her words opened up a new world to me.  I'd never really taken the time to look at works of art by people like Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.   One hallway at The Met in New York had a sculpture that inspired me so much I had to go and buy a book about the sculptor from the shop. Just so I could see The Kiss again.  It might be worth mentioning I was young and looking for the love of my life at the time.  Auguste Rodin inspired me so much that when I had the chance to go to Paris I made time to go to the Musee Rodin.  It was packed with people admiring his work and a wonderful way to spend a few hours.  He was masterful at putting so much emotion into his sculptures and I would be surprised if you haven't seen one of his greatest works, The Thinker.

In this day and age of a camera being in everyones back pocket, photography has become a major influencer in how we see the world.  During the Vietnam War photojournalism played a major part in bringing the war into everyones lounge rooms like never before.  There is many photos from that war that influenced people to take a vocal stance about the situation,  and it is again that images like that are influencing the world today.  With a single image you can make someone cry, laugh, smile, despair, make a difference, become fearful, and many other feelings. With my photography I love capturing the beautiful connections that can occur between people and trying to capture the soul behind the faces in front of my camera.  Thats why I take photos of people.  I want people to smile and be inspired to love each other by my images.  Lately I have seen so many images that have evoked other feelings then love. Images that cause sadness and sometimes fear.  As we age we remember so many things that have inspired us throughout our years and it saddens me so much that there are people inspired by only negative and damaging influences.  It may not always be possible, but try and fill your life with good inspirations and watch the wonderful effect it has on your soul. 

Cheers

Michelle

One of my favourite learning modules in my photography course was call Lighting.  It opened up a whole new world for me to see. I realised light can affect how we see things in so many ways.  The warmth or coolness of its colour can effect our emotions and make us feel a certain way.  The direction and softness of a light can change our perception of a person, making them more appealing or even the exact opposite.  When it comes down to it, lighting is probably the most important component to consider when taking a photo.  

That photography course encouraged me to go outside and look up and around me, and to see the world in a different way.  I took more notice of how the sun shone through the leaves in the trees and the beautiful colours that emerge on peoples faces during the "Golden Hour" of sunset.  I now try and catch a glimpse of the sunset whenever I can because no two are the same and when I'm up early enough I stand and watch the morning glow come across the horizon (albeit from the window above my kitchen sink!).

I love playing with light now, whether it be natural or artificial, and finding out how it effects my photos.  It's like an addiction! Every family walk involves me whipping my head from side to side checking out where, if I had my camera with me, would be the best place for photos. My poor hubby has sometimes had to endure one-sided conversations as my attention gets pulled elsewhere!

Even when I watch TV now I'm taking note of what lighting is used during movies, interviews and tv series.  Have a look next time you see a one-on-one interview with a Celeb.  Without doubt most of the them will have something called a hair light on them. Its a light source whose main job is to throw light onto a persons hair from behind. Here is a great example....https://www.cinema5d.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/backlight-copy.jpg. Its one of those things that I never noticed before, but now notice all the time.

​Enough of my rambles about light and how wonderful it is.  To finish off I want to ask one thing of anyone who reads this.  Next time you see a sunset or are out and about during the "golden hour" before sunset, just stop and look around you. Take note of how the setting sun makes our amazing planet look so beautiful.

Cheers and Have a great weekend.

Michelle

Being a full time stay at home mum is such a privilege these days.  I would love to be there to pick my daughter up from school everyday but I also want to be able to go on the occasional family holiday and be able to buy my children the birthday presents they desperately want. So I work part time and many of my mummy friends do the same.  I don't hate working, believe me adult time is sometimes a blessing, but for me if there was a way I could work and be there all the time for my children I would do it.   

Growing up I really did take for granted the fact that my mother was a stay at home mum.  Now I know it wasn't easy and they made many sacrifices to allow my mother to be with us.  I cannot remember the amount of times I had to ring my mother from school telling her I had forgotten my homework, sports clothes or flute and she would drop it off to me every time (Thank you MUM!).

It wasn't until my third child that I started thinking about other work options to investigate to contribute to my family.  And that led me to photography and I found a simmering passion I never knew was there.   Looking amongst my friends I can see many other mums looking outside the box as well and showing the world their own skills and passions.  Social media has helped boost these created from home ventures and I want to support a few through my blog.  My first is a beautiful mum that I had the privilege of photographing recently with her new second daughter.

Mel is a mumma of two and the creator behind Wildstitches.  As she puts it, Wildstitches is her creative vent for wall art and nursery decor.  She hand makes beautiful items and you can see through her work that her children are her inspiration.   Please take a moment to check out her Facebook page  @wildstitches1  or her website www.wildstitches.com.au.  Her products are wonderful and would make great, unique presents for new bubbas.

I'd love to feature other people in the future that are starting up their own small businesses, so if you know of any that you think are fabulous, let me know!

In the mean time, keep dry in this weather and have a great weekend!

Cheers Michelle

​When I think about where my first interest in photography came from I think of my mothers family room wall.  She loves putting up photos of her growing family around her home, and this wall in particular is filled to the brim with framed photos.  There's weddings and family shots, 1st and 21st birthday portraits, and photos of loved ones that have passed from our lives.  My mother loves her family and this is a shrine to all that she holds dear.   You cannot help but glance at all those faces every time you enter the room and they watch over us during our many and varied celebrations.  

It was one of those photos that always drew my attention when I was growing up in that house.  I was only a baby when my mother had a professional photographer capture a photo of me with my three older sisters.  Its a close cropped, black and white photo done in the wonderful age of film. We are huddled in together with our heads gently touching and my sisters all have perfect small smiles to match the feel of the image.  That one photo intrigued me so much.  How did that photographer capture our tight bond as sisters so well? I so wished I could take a photo like that, but I never thought I had the skill.​  Its that photo that I'm striving for when I spend nights up late watching youtube tutorials or drag my children out for another impromptu photo session (poor things!).  I don't know who that photographer was but he is my inspiration. 

And then something happened to make me appreciate and treasure all those photos even more. 

Two days ago we found out that while my parents where away a man decided to break in and take up residence in their home.  He made a mess looking for money and jewellery and then set himself up in our family room.  But he mustn't have like all those faces looking down on him and removed every last one from that room. Everything that reminds us of family in that room was thrown carelessly in a pile away from sight until the room was bare with just furniture.  

Thankfully we think the man is in custody, but seeing that room without those photos and mementos made me realise how bare a life would be without family.   And I am so lucky to say my life is far from bare.  

Due to distance I was unable to help restore my parents house but my three sisters and their partners got stuck in returning everything to its proper place before my mum and dad returned last night. They did a fantastic job and even though there is some broken glass and scratched photos, every frame was returned to its proper place. And my mothers home became hers again. 

So I will continue taking photos and build my own little shrine of wonderful people that I call family.

Good night everyone and keep safe.

Michelle

The three reasons I picked up a camera, and indeed why I continue to pick it up:

Child No.1, No.2 and No.3!   I got my first iPhone the year I was pregnant with my first and I think I used up all my storage in the first three months of her life. I still struggle with storage because I take so many videos and photos of my three and keep forgetting to upload them to the computer.  Every special school awards assembly or dance concert I'm busily trying to decide which photos I can delete to make enough room.  Without doubt there is always the random selfies my girls have taken of themselves, little hidden gems for me to find weeks later.  

When my last was born I wanted some beautiful newborn photos of him, like the ones I was continually seeing in my Facebook newsfeed. Unfortunately due to financial reasons and wanting to take 12 months off from work, those types of images were not an option. So I thought I would just try and take some myself and 18 months later I've almost finished a course in Photography and started my own little business so I can indulge in my newfound passion.  I still have so much to learn but that doesn't scare me, just invigorates me more than any other learning has in my life.  

My three children have gotten very used to me pulling my camera out now and they know how happy it makes me.  They also know they can ask for any bribe to pose for me and I'm likely to grant it!  If nothing else I now have some wonderful photos of my three which I can cherish when they have grown and moved from my side.

I have a 4 year old at my side now asking for some painting and attention so I better go before her demands get more dramatic.

Next blog coming soon.......

Cheers and Smile xoxo

Michelle