How cute is he in his little volly’s – dad said “look at him, he looks like a little person when he wears shoes”, lol indeed he does! Also I love how the one photo where mum & dad are making fun of Jacob always poking his tongue out… he’s not! haha

side note: Sam is a fireman, yep.. a real life ‘Fireman Sam’ haha (sorry Sam!)

Clearly Leo wasn’t camera shy, and definitely kept me on my toes!

What is a Mini-Session?

Mini-Sessions are short and sweet 30 minute sessions due to take place in a gorgeous pre-selected outdoor location in the Hills Area. They’re designed to capture a few great images of your child or family as an alternative to the time and expense of a full family portrait session. One week after your session, a password protected online gallery is created for you to view your finished images (typically 15-20 images) and place your order. You have the option to purchase extra files or prints with 20% off. No minimum order.

Want to schedule a Mini-Session?

email elise@lecoco.com.au to secure your mini-session. There is only a limited number available so get in fast – if the above date does not suit you please contact me to express interested in future mini-sessions.

The fine print.

• All sessions are by appointment only.
• $100 payment is required at the time of booking to hold your slot. Up to 4 family members are included, additional members are $25 each and must be from the same immediate family. (Pets no additional charge and very welcome)
• One week after your session, you’ll view your finished images (typically 15-20 images) and make your selections.
• If you have a newborn in the family, you are still welcome to book a mini session, but please keep in mind that Elise will not be able to devote the same care and time to photographing your newborn as she would during in-home newborn sessions.
• Fees are transferable to another date due to bad weather or illness. In the case of a complete cancellation with less than two weeks notice, an admin fee of $50 will be deducted from the refund.
• 20% discount is off leCoCo’s full a-la-cart price list.

My work has been featured on a new-ish US blog which celebrates portrait photography. Let The Kids Dress Themselves!

Here is a little snap shot from the blog… you can see my full interview with them here.

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)

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 was delighted to finally meet these two spunks.. Hunter, who is almost 8 weeks, and his big brother Jack, 16 mths. More photos to come soon

Last year I had the absolute pleasure of being her friend, playing with her, feeding her and of course dressing her up pretty for photo shoots. Capturing a day in the life of little miss Charlotte was loads of fun. Here are just a select few from many many photographs taken of this baby girl. 

I miss her cute as anything toothy grin and pokey-out tongue, her giggle that I sometimes swear she was putting on to make me think I was funny. I miss her random outburst of yelling for nothing, and I think I maybe even miss her little tantrums… maybe! Most off all I miss her vast aray of expressions but I feel I was able to so beautifuly capture these that they will never be forgotten as she grows and changes.  

I hear from her mum that she is getting super fast, almost walking and climbing on everything! Go Girl!!

Happy Tuesday!