With a handful of boy names chosen and no girl names, Matt is trying to increase his chances of them having a boy! haha Murphy’s Law!!! We only have 2 weeks to wait until we find out, my guess is girl!

I am absolutely loving every image from this session, it was very hard to select just a few to show. One of those sessions where I drive home smiling, excited to have had the experience.

Meagan & Matt, enjoy this little preview and also enjoy the next couple of weeks.. as much as possible :)

5 very quick months later, they invited me back into their home to see how much Madeline had grown. A reminder of how fast these little beings change. I picked a few similar shots I took from both sessions, side by side you can see how much she has grown, into a wide eyed baby who is just as amazed by her parents as they are by her. It’s always extra special when it’s a clients first child, EVERYTHING baby does is a new experience for both parents, a time of wonder and hidden joy. So much love.

(now I know why there aren’t as many photos of me as there is of my older brother and sister as babies, my parents were no longer amazed… haha)

Well not quite that straight forward…

One story I have been waiting to share with everyone is a story of 4 tradesmen! 4 men who may have never worn ties or cufflinks in their lives! This made for an interesting getting ready session. Matt asked me when we arrived “so do you want to take some photos of us putting on each others cufflinks?” me: “no we will photograph you putting on your own cufflinks and ties etc”. Come cufflink-putting-on-time, the boys put each others on… because they didn’t know how to do their own and even this was a struggle. Don’t get me started on the ties, which were pre-tied by the tailor even (except Matt’s). As the boys put them on, took them off, switched ties, put them on, switched again… Matt… had his tied by Nicole, my assistant. Oh boys!! Lucky you were all looking so handsome and you had Matt’s mum there to get you to the ceremony on time.

However the boys had nothing on Lauren, she was utterly stunning! Her dress, the details.. stunning. Nicole was ready to pinch Laurens engagement ring as she couldn’t stop swooning over it. An antique 1920′s ring with its history in England, it is beautiful. Now girls no one will blame you if you skip right down to the ring photos below ;)

A gorgeous garden ceremony at Vaucluse House, followed by a night of eating, drinking and being merry.

Show Up As Yourself by Wendy Laurel

“Show up as yourself” is what I tell my clients when they ask me what to wear for a shoot.* The days of families wearing all white shirts paired with jeans smiling nicely for the camera are over. Or at least they should be.

Times have changed. People want to be seen for themselves. Modern Family aired an episode last year where Claire (the Mom) hired a professional photographer for an extended family portrait. She dressed everyone in white shirts (of course), but the “family picture” that Claire eventually chose was one where the kids were fighting, people were laughing, and life was documented much as it is lived. That is the family portrait I love to shoot and my clients love to buy.

Letting the kids dress themselves is the surest way to getting a fantastic childrenʼs portrait. That obsession with the Superman shirt will be gone before the parents know it. And who says that stripes and polka dots donʼt go together? It is the essence of their personalities that are important. Not their hair perfectly combed and dressed up looking like a child out of a catalog – a child the parents donʼt recognize. When it is all said and done, people want photographs of their children and family that bring them right back to that time.

Similarly, the focus should be on the people. People are the best detail in any shoot. The focus on details and props in people photography has spun out of control. Baby photography blogs are showcasing the best baby rooms and the cutest first birthday party decorations instead of the baby. Wedding blogs are guilty as well. I recently saw a wedding shoot where the photographer and/or the couple managed to work in almost every cliché prop there can be: balloons, scrabble board, chalk board, antique cameras, vintage soda bottles, analog records and a record player, just to name a few. The couple and/or photographer were so busy finding the hottest and newest props that they forgot about the couple. Who are they? Those details and the images told nothing about the couple, except that maybe they read wedding blogs. And it is a shame. Photographs of peopleʼs family and children or of their wedding day should show them as you really are. The love, the connection, the relationships, and the moments. That is what is important and what will be valued when they look back.

I love details as much as the next photographer. It is always fun to shoot people in cute clothes and with colorful props. I just love the people more. I think the focus should be the people and details that add to or help tell the peopleʼs story. If the girl loves her tutu and always wants to wear it? Well, thatʼs a relevant detail. If the couple plays Twister all the time together, then yes, it’s a relevant detail. The question is does the detail have emotional meaning for the client? Is it something that will trigger memories for them down the road? If itʼs yes, then yes itʼs important to shoot. In any case, the people are always more important. When is the last time you saw a photograph of table decorations up on the wall?

When my mom was first diagnosed with cancer, I hired a family photographer to come take photographs of her, her home, and my family. There were a ton of detail shots –shots of her straw beach bag hanging on the doorknob, shots of her holding some of her own pastel oil paintings, shots of her collection of miniature tea cups. But they were important details. Details that meant the world to her and tell her story. Details which combined with the wonderful family shots of us together gave us a full story. Details which showed my Mom and who she was. Those are the details that matter. Not details for the sake of details.

The trend is changing. People are showing up as themselves. The main focus is the people, the relationships, and the moments. As Babble.com recently said in talking about the top twenty baby photography blogs, “The emphasis on the people, unburdened by details or props, gives [Let the Kids] a touch of humanity that is infectious.”**

Showing up as yourself just means be YOU. If the family you are shooting doesnʼt walk around town in matching white shirts with collars, donʼt suggest to them to show up at your photography session in those outfits. Document their best selves if you like, but themselves. And the same applies to the photographer, show up as yourself, be real and be creative.

Written by Wendy Laurel  (http://www.wendylaurel.com)

Wendy Laurel is a wedding and family photographer in Maui. She runs the Let the Kids people photography blog along with Tory OʼLeary, a newborn and family photographer in Southern California. Let the Kids.com is a blog that features people photography of any kind (family, kids, couples, even weddings and fashion) as long as it is exceptional photography. Let the Kids is always looking for very creative and unique images where the photographerʼs voice can be heard and the subjectʼs personalities shine. You can find Let the Kids at http://www.letthekids.com. We also have a Facebook page where we run contests and talk about photography. Submissions are encouraged. Just email a link to your photographs online or images sized at 600 pixels width to submit@letthekids.com.

* I have to admit I hijacked that saying from Jonathan Canlas, the premier wedding and family photographer.

** Babble.com (http://www.babble.com/baby/baby-care/best-photo-blog-mom-baby/? page=6)

Originally published here.

I have known Jimmy since I was little, I don’t remember how little… but back when he was littler than me! We grew up as neighbors, riding our bikes around the street and cracking open macadamia nuts with hammers while sitting in the gutter. With our older siblings, there were 6 of us. Myself and my big sister Jade, Jimmy and his big brother Thomas, Vanessa and her big brother Andrew… Girls vs Boys… 3 on 3!! Water fights, lots of water fights, bike races and spying on each other, lots of swimming. One of our parents just had to stick their heads out the window and yell for us to come home… it was then or “when the streetlights come on come home”. And it was over for another day. Take me back to then please :)

Andrew, Thomas, Jade, Jimmy, Vanessa… when you read this, comment below, tell me what else you remember about back then. Before we all ‘grew up’.

Ok ok back to the point of this post… Jimmy getting married, to Monique. The gorgeous young woman soon to have his baby. His love.

Low key weddings are some of the BEST weddings, and this one was no exception, surrounded by their closest friends and family they said ‘I do’ in a crowded room at a Registry. I have done registry weddings before but none like this, they could have been in a sweet little church, an open field… anywhere… because all that mattered was them and the people they surrounded themselves with. Though the grooms family almost missed the whole thing… casually strolling in a few minutes late they didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Though Jimmy wasn’t worried, even giving the go ahead to proceed with the ceremony without them :) haha

The reception was held in the back yard of his parents home. Again surrounded by loved ones, way too much food, and some crazy people with bubbles (the blowing kind and the alcoholic kind), it was a fun and fantastic evening.

I wish them both all the love and happiness in the world, I am looking forward to meeting their little baby in a couple of months. I couldn’t be more proud of the man that nerdy kid has turned into and think about how fortunate he has been to find someone as lovely genuine and gorgeous as Monique.

<3

Mathias, Carters big brother, is one of the most energetic 2 years olds I have met. One of the photos from this session, which I have not shown here, really sums it all up: Taylor sitting pretty with her mum cuddling Carter, Dad reaching out to stop Mathias from running away, Mathias just a blur in the edge of the frame. At least I was able to capture a few gorgeous shots of him in the seconds I was granted. This was in between fighting with giant ants that looked like this and this, seriously I have never seen ants this big or with ‘claws’ like this.

It was definitely worth the trip down to The Oaks though… don’t know where that is? neither did I. Its a cute little town west of Camden. A stunning sunset made for some gorgeous photos at the end of the session. Absolutely loving the daddy and daughter moment at the end. <3

On session day I immediately felt at ease with Cathy & Bernie. They were happy to be themselves and enjoy having this special time celebrated in images. They laughed, joked and loved one another – and Lily of course – and I was able to shoot them being ‘them’. I imagine it was just like any other day in their lives as new parents – but with a photographer in the house.

Cathy & Bernie are cool people. They are forthright and real, ‘open books’ if you will about their lives and their journey to becoming parents. I appreciated that they shared this intimacy with me. Born of IVF – a miracle of modern science – little Lily is a long-awaited blessing to her parents. This precious gal was the almost perfect model. She enchanted us all with her delicious bubby faces, pouting her squidgy baby lips and furrowing her downy baby eyebrows. The occasional squeak let us know it was boob time once again but all in all Lily was a picture of tiny, milky contentment.

Lily has been named with a second name steeped in her Vietnamese heritage and will be raised in a fabulously diverse Australian home. One that harks respect to her Asian roots and embraces the wonderful life that is Sydney. What a lucky little girl. More than anything that makes this little lady the luckiest in the world is that she’s completely spoiled. Spoiled in love and caring and two-mummy doting by women that are going to show her the very best, most amazing life.

So, Cathy and Bernie – enjoy your new chapter and all the laughter and love that it brings. Here are a handful of your first ‘family of three’ portraits…

Oh – you just realized that Lily has two mummies did you? Well, yes – I didn’t think I needed to mention it. All a new baby needs is love and there’s an excess of it in Cathy & Bernadette’s home. And as far as families go, in my books, that’s absolutely perfect.

The images tell the story.

Just know one thing… this couple are surrounded by so much love, in a way that’s hard to describe. and the love they have for each other is just a reflection of that.

As I expressed when I announced the move in an earlier post the decision was not made lightly, the hardest part was knowing I would be leaving my business, my clients, my other love! While it is still a big decision, I am a little less worried as I will be leaving leCoCo and my clients in the capable hands of Megan, aka ‘the new Elise’. While I know I am not replaceable, I think I have made a wonderful decision in selecting Megan to represent leCoCo. The past couple of months have been and the next few months will be, dedicated to training her and getting her ready to tackle this new chapter in both our lives.

The main reason I hired her is that she has a daughter named Coco! Ok it wasn’t the main reason… as she didn’t even tell me till a couple of weeks in :)

With our first leWorkshop fast approaching, it is a super busy time between training, organising, shooting and processing client orders.. I am thrilled to have Megan along for the ride and just know that all my current and future clients will be thrilled with her and her amazing work.

We are working on Megan’s little bio as we speak but we will let you know when it is up so you can find out a little more about this lovely mother to 3, wife to 1, photographer extraordinaire!!

For now, feast your eyes on leCoCo’s newest photographer and her daughter Coco, photographed in a gorgeous field while a big storm threatened above!

The bump certainly didn’t stop her having a ball at the park. As you will see, Charlotte is going to be a big sister, and I am very much looking forward to meeting her little brother when he makes his way into the world. I have photographed this little munchkin before, you can see how much she has grown by checking out our last session :) those big blue eyes have not changed, thankfully!