Back to the beach!

It's been sooo long since I did a shoot at the beach, which seems insane given that I used to be there every Saturday night! It was fantastic to get back there and rediscover how gorgeous it is at this time of year. The weather has been superb. My little subjects were amazing. Getting four littlies on board may seem daunting, but the best part of this job is that kids are gorgeous just doing their thing :) With this shoot we saw it all, an explorer, a daredevil, a grinner and a watcher...and from the photos you'd never guess which was which :) I love it when the kids surprise me.

xoxo Simone

Zane

For those that follow my newsletter, I featured Kylie, Shawn and Zane in our summer 'client spotlight' this month. This was one of my first shoots of the year and it was fantastic to see this beautiful little boy that I last saw as a teeny newborn. LOVE the chubby rolls and his divine dimples.

Kylie and Shawn, so glad you love them as much as I do! xoxo

Simone xo

A stunning new sitting option for 2011

One of the most common things my clients say to me is "We love them all! What will we do with them?". In the past it's meant loads of decision making, paring down to absolute favourites and careful planning of our gorgeous wall displays. We think we have the answer to that question. Our latest offering is a sitting unlike anything we've done before. A fun, story-telling, beautiful and inspiring shoot that will be immortalised in a gorgeous coffee table book for you to keep. You will, of course,  have the opportunity to choose your favourites to make a feature of, but all of your photos will be drawn from to create a stunning, personalised and collectable coffee table book. Each year we will feature a different limited edition design which we know our clients will love collecting to create a library of memories for their children. Our book sittings will be unique. Your real life will be captured, with the quiet times, the cuddles, the chaos and the fun all brought together to really show how you are today. Your sitting will tell a story, we can bake a cake, jump waves at the beach, run under the sprinkler or make a cubby in the backyard, but the underlying theme will always be how you love each other :)

These sittings begin at $1500 and include the sitting and your custom designed coffee table book and represent enormous value with our standard $275 sitting fee waived. Bookings are secured with a 50% deposit towards the book to ensure your appointment is held for you and then the fun begins!

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone has had a safe and peaceful beginning to 2011. It's been a quiet one for us, with children at home, both boys' birthdays in one week and a lot of catching up with friends that just doesn't seem to happen when work goes back in full force. I'm still on official leave, but am getting the chance to do the odd sitting in and around looking after kids. I say that like I'm sick of them! I'm one of those rare mums that LOVE school holidays. To get to be with my sons all day is something I don't take for granted. Even when they're bored, smelly and whiny. Ok, the smelly I could live without. This year is going to be huge, with new sittings on offer, exciting new products, more concept style shoots and of course the Through the Looking Glass project. The studio is about to undergo a revamp to make it a better place to view your images and our focus on always excelling and raising the bar by entering and (hopefully) winning awards will continue. This year marks my first decade as a photographer for me, with the first baby I officially photographed turning ten in May! I'm looking forward to celebrating with my incredible clients.

I look forward to talking to you about what we have on offer, from limited edition, collectable coffee table books, to a fantastic concept in character portraits. Bookings for February are officially open, though filling fast, so call the studio on 8340 2838 to take advantage of the beautiful weather we've been blessed with. The photo below is of the most gorgeous JoJo who raced around under the sprinkler like a crazy woman, goggles and all! How nice is it to be able to put the sprinkler on for the kids again? Bliss...

Lastly, I want to extend my love and sorrow to the people of Queensland and my absolute admiration for how amazing Australians are in times of crisis. I'm a photographer because of my love of humanity and its bonds and this incredible show of compassion has been utterly moving and inspiring. Hug your babies tight and don't take life for granted. xoxoxo

Simone xo

My Christmas Wish

and no, it's not for a new handbag, or more time in the day... Tonight I was watching Marley and Me, and cried like a baby...again...but the last line of the movie sneaked up on me, as it has before. It reminded me of Christmas, how we can take the day/gift giving/pressure of it all for granted, and completely miss the big picture. This last line is what we need to concentrate on (and yeah, ok, it was about a dog, but it sums up unconditional love for me) "How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?"

This Christmas, my wish for you is to make someone feel extraordinary. We get so few chances to make someone feel special. Take the opportunities when they're handed to you.

Much love

Simone xoxo

Studio news!

Yep, more awards! It's been the year for it, and this week saw the judging of the South Australian AIPP awards. I entered the Family Category, and came away with four silver awards for my prints. It's an incredible honour, so I was thrilled beyond belief. Christmas is fast approaching, especially with the Pageant this weekend, so if you're hoping to order for presents, get in fast before I drown in the craziness that 'tis the season and I run out of time! Orders for albums and keepsake boxes close November 16 so if you had a last minute thought that you'd like one, you'd better be fast!

Look out for our new newsletter coming soo, you can send me an email to sign up if you haven't already, and stay tuned for exciting new studio products and events over the coming months.

xo Simone

Rafferty :)

This little man has just turned one, which meant that we got to really explore his gorgeous personality. And his squidgy goodness. Divine :)

xo Simone

Milla

the giggler. How funny is that?!! Another divine, fresh and new bubba. It's been the year for them, and it's extra special when it's a family I've photographed for a long time. Welcome little Milla!

xo Simone