And then there were two!

No - not talking about the upcoming March arrival. Talking about my professions! Officially gone now from three to two! (having done my last day of teaching) and making no plans to return in the forseeable future...I can now very happily say housewife/mummy & photographer are the only two things I am responsible for...and will be on maternity leave from photography for at least 6 months starting in a few days.

My last post was cut VERY short by my VERY cranky, child - who has not coped at all with the house move and seemed for a lil bit to turn into some sort of posessed demon. Not nice at all! The stress of the move finally caught up to him and he is only JUST starting to settle back into his normal self - however we are still having quite a few bouts of tants through the day - just not as bad as 8 or 9 a day requiring time out in bed as we have been! :S Dear dear!

Looking positively toward the future though - I can now visualise the  new studio - it will be GREAT once I have some time to get in and start doing stuff - (oh yeah thats right I'm having another baby what time is that again?)  - and we don't have electricty yet for air con but we will get there! And I am definately taking a turn more toward the child portrait business. Whilst I don't mind family/wedding/event photography..... I LOVE LOVE LOVE child portraiture. And its where my best work is.....being honest. So I hope that eventually I will be able to just direct my photography efforts in this direction!

I have also managed to start finally drawing a WAGE (TADA!) and have paid back all of my business debts including the purchase of all of my gear.... : ) which means my business plan is on track and even a little bit ahead of itself! However no doubt will be getting back into a little bit of debt when I go and re-design my 'logo' and business name and all of the re-registering business etc..... fun....

I am now going to endeavour to share a few of my favourite images from the past three months and explain a little about why I like them so much and some info about the circumstances in which they were taken.....if Connor gives me ten minutes peace that is : )

A teeny tiny collage of the beautiful princess Charlotte who I had the extreme pleasure of photographing on her first birthday .... I seriously need to hire this mum to decorate Connor's next birthday party! What a princess! (Mum and daughter!)

 This is the photo that started the infactuation Connor has with frogs.. : ) And was taken before he had the horrid haircut that left him without most of his gorgeous blonde locks. I got this one on the verandah at our old house - got him to sit down at his little table and asked him to lay down and look at froggy. I love this photo. Its very special to me. I love having my own personal model child ... hehehehe. *love*

This was actually taken mid June but I thought it deserved a mention. The lovely bro and sis combination of Master J and Miss T.... as my husband puts it - that looks like a jeans ad.... lol ... it was actually a break between pouring rain in the ally behind the Cri in Rockhampton.....there were a few hairy omg the camera is too wet moments on my behalf and feverish wiping ...  but it all worked out positively in the end!! Thank goodness!!! :S

This one could possibly be one of my MOST favourite shots of my photography career so far. It is of Connor and Ayla out on a farm near Comet.... in the middle of a cow paddock.... right on sunset... we were driven there kindly by Debbie Cominskey who was ridiculously helpful during our visit. And she showed us this special spot. There is a little bit of magic in the air...... I will keep it a secret that they were arguing over poses.... Connor kept putting his fingers in his mouth and Ayla kept telling him to get them out..... feel the love!

This photograph is of the lovely Miss B.... totally stunning beautiful child. And was taken at a beautiful private garden that I managed to acquire the use of for a few shoots during the last part of the year.... no I am not telling you where it is.... it's ALL MINE. :P This photo came from the Down Under Boots photo shoot...all of the children in his family are ridiculously good looking and photograph VERY well.... one of my ongoing model listings from the Ank photo shoot we had in June.

These two lovely girls were a lovely bonus to find after their mum booked in for a family shoot toward the end of the year.... are now both permanently on my model list. They know how to work the camera together very very very very well. This was another shot from the Down Under Boots shoot complete with AnkBowtique acessories. *love*



The extremely beautiful Miss T - (sister of the above Miss B) - remember the photogenic family? This one was taken out at the beach *cough cough fairbairn dam*... I really like her edgy grungy look and the colour of this photograph.

I have had quite a few journeys photographically over the last few months but everything is finally winding down and my print orders from the Dysart Formal seem to  be finishing up.... so hopefully that means its all over for abotu 6 months for me! 

Have already started to organise my new logo/business name, a 2011 Winter AnkBowtique PhotoShoot as well as some promo with Dominos for re-opening....hopefully when I'm out of zombie land and back into the swing of things.... business will kick of just as well as it finished in 2010.

Thank you to all of the beautiful families and children I have photographed last year. You have made my first official year of business a HUGE success.... until June.... keep on the look out for more family photos of the loves of my life.... !!!!!!!! Including Connor's little sister! My dream of my own personal model 'stable' has come true! He he he he he he he...



Survived September and October and now....for a house move!

Well to add total disarray to my life not only was September and October totally nuts with regard to photo jobs....we decided to throw buying a house and all of the paperwork and logistics involved with that into the equation as well! Awesome! NOT! There have been several moments over the past month where I have felt as thought I have been on the verge of a stroke of some sort!

Photo wise I have had lots of fun and met many more beautiful & friendly people however.. did I mention before that I LOVE this job? No matter how 'difficult' a shoot can be or how tricky a child may be to photograph - I never walk away thinking 'thank goodness thats' over'..... I always feel rewarded. So obviously this is the job for me!

I am going to share now just a FEW of the awesome shots I have gotten over the past 8 or so weeks. Some from shoots - some  from home. And share a little bit about each of them and their circumstance.

This wedding was awesome! The Bride wore a beautiful beautiful beautiful dress, stunning headpiece and the bridesmaids were ultra glam. And better yet - it was an Emerald one so no travel! This was taken at the Railway station...and the bride was in some discomfort at this angle but I love the shape of her body and her neck! Was worth it!

Ok - my child is now having a super tant and my uploader  has stopped working - will finish this post later! :S That's multitasking for you!



Here comes Soctober!

My Soctober - (September/October) is going to be ridiculously busy.... it pretty much doesn't stop until November. LUCKILY my morning sickness (yes those who have been living under a rock I am 14 weeks preganant and now officially 'out of the closet' about it rather than suffering in silence) has pretty much gone and I am back to feeling human again and therefore am taking on bookings again until the end of November....okay maybe early December....depending on how desperate people are. :) I figure after that it is getting too hot for an obviously pregnant woman to run around gardens etc chasing kidlets with extremely heavy camera gear hanging off her. And I won't be taking on any more bookings until at least 12 weeks after Waldron 2.0 arrives. Which should be May/Junish when its cooling down again.

I have had some fantastic photo shoots over the past few weeks. A great wedding here in Emerald and some lovely families and kiddies to have met again.

The lovely Mr and Mrs Gregg

Yes - I stole our family fishing spot and turned it into an awesome photography location!

PS Nathan fell into the Nogoa river to the left of the tree one day whilsts scooping guppies. Just thought you may like to know that for humourness purposes.

The beautiful bride

This photo was taken on the steps of the lovely church in one of the beautiful Emerald private gardens I can sometimes get access to....who said neighbourhood stalking doesn't pay off? (KIDDING!)

Another photo taken on the same weekend in the same beautiful garden of the stunning Miss A. I could seriously post about 25 photos of her and her sister they are both soooooo divine. I've added them to my 'modelling' list for future reference!

Oh me oh my how cute is this little precious gem!? I must say Connor was RATHER smitten with Miss M - and who could blame him? Check out those eyes!

Much much excited about the Photo5 competition which I have successfully registered for again this year! Woot! And since I havn't earnt over 35 grand as a professional photographer apparently the terms and conditions say I can still enter! Yay for  me! Although the laying awake at night thing thinking about how to approach the themes is going to drive me nuts it is soooooooooooooooooooooooo much fun.

On another exciting note Nathan and I are in the process of house hunting and  hopefully next year will result me me being able to open up a small studio for newborn and small portrait type sessions. NOT that I am a HUGE fan of indoor portrait photography - but I figure its better than me having to lug all of the equipment around the traps and setting up at peoples houses for newborn shoots etc. Will be much easier having people just walk in and out. And it will enable me to take on more bookings easily at home with the will then be TWO cherubs getting around the joint.

Thats it from me! May not get back to posting for at least a month....  off to Longreach this weekend....the fun never ends!

Things are winding up again!

After having a couple of weeks respite things are winding back up again! Havn't been feeling too well but am feeling much more like myself again lately and excited to be taking lots of gorgeous family photos and looking forward to the next couple of weddings within the month. Despite how much of a HUGE work load they are - its always nice for something different! :) Emerald wedding this weekend (I am taking my prodigy Sonya along with me) and then dragging the Harris family to Longreach with Connor and I at the start of the school holidays for another one! Yay! Can't wait to get back to the Station Store and catch up with the Kinnons again. What beautiful people and what a lovely place to take photos at! Also going to stay an extra day and have a bit more of a personal look around with the kids. Let Uncle Matt explore his inner cowboy,,,hehehehehehe.

This weekend gone had the pleasure of meeting two beautiful families with fantasticly adorable children...here are a couple of my favourites from their shoots.

Cute Little Master T and Master H! Cheeky little guys!

I also had the un-pleasurable eperience a week back of having to format my lap top and start over again. Thank goodness I've learnt about backing up my stuff long ago! Phew! But you should see how fast its going again! Back to its awesome self...things were getting awfully slow around here!

Adding to the pettiskirt collection from AnkBowtique again. If I know there are going to be little girls in photo shoots I pretty much throw them all in the car just in case (the skirts not the girls).....  Connor calls them the 'pretties'...awwwww cute.

That's it for the moment! Next time I post there will be lots more photos and experiences to discuss!

A Photography Interview

What did you do before photography ? Teaching - hang on - still teaching! All be it one day a week!



Did you start off doing photography, then gave up and why ? Nope - would never give it up.

Why did you want to be a photographer ? Because I love doing it. I am obsessive about documenting my son's journey in life and love that I can help other people do it too.


How have you progressed over the years ? Rather quickly! Seemed to have been able to understand a lot very quickly and am always googling to learn more!


Is being a photographer your dream job ? YES


Have you been successful ? So far..it's getting there!


What photography do you specialize in (Or your favourite thing to shoot) ? Children


Who is/are other photographers you admire ? Pretty much any child portraiture specialist - I know how hard it is chasing the little cherubs around!


What were you charging when you first started ? Nothing


What are you charging now ? More than nothing but not enough. Need to increase my prices.

What do you find is the hardest technical thing about photography? Lighting and all of the challenges it brings. Especially being a preferred natural light photographer.


What do you find is the easiest ? Composition


What's your least/most favourite thing about photography ? Running around outdoors doing portrait shoots in the HEAT of summer. Not fun.

Are you Nikon/Canon/Etc.. and why, and, if you've switched brands in the past, why so ? Canon. Just because that's the way I went at the beginning and have been happy ever since!


Where did you learn about photography ? The internet. A priceless resource.


Do you think you have your own style of photography, if so, what is it about your photos that stand out ? Creative - Candid- Natural - that's what I try to be!


What do you think makes a good photographer ? Patience and a love for it.


What was your worst client experience ? Havn't had a bad one yet! Touch wood.


What was your best client experience ? Each experience brings something different to the table that I have enjoyed.


What goes through your head right before you snap a picture ? Waiting for the focus points to light up - and GOT IT.


How do you handle family/friends asking for discounts (If applicable) ? Family is free.

How do you think that you can improve ? Everything! There's always room for growth!

Do you think you'll be doing photography for the rest of your working life (if applicable) ? Here's hoping!


If you had to pick one photo to look at for the rest of your life, what would it be ?
The picture of myself and my husband with our newborn son Connor. I didn't take it - but it's the most momentous occasion in my life to date.


What is your best photo ? I dunno. One of a little boy holding his very pregnant mum's tummy in black and white. And one of a big sister kissing her baby sister whilst sleeping.

What do you think you need help with ? Time management!!!
My gear:
Canon 5DII, Canon 50D , 80-200mm L 2.8, 50mm 1.4, 17-24mm L 4.5

False Billing Blowers at it again! Gotta give them an A for persistency!

As most small businesses are aware - false advertising billers are numerous these days. I only cottoned on to these organisations (and I use the term very loosely) - a few months back when I was receiving a call every day about such and such guide that I had apprently agreed to advertise in months ago. These calls started after I placed an ad in the local news paper. Obviously these scum like creatures check the paper for legitimate businesses to target.

I thought they had stopped but today I was delighted to receive another phone call from a woman called 'Tony' from a private number regarding the Children's 'Support Guide. She was ringing with regard to the 2011 guide to see if I wanted to advertise with. I then told her I wasn't interested. She then responded with a 'I'm confused sorry'....I explained that I wasn't interested again. She then told me that she could take me off the 2011 list but I had already agreed to the 2010 print and it had already gone to publishers. I laughed and told her that I hadn't agreed to that either and she informed me she would contact her supervisor to see what I had said. I told her that she was welcome to do so. I soooooo want her to call me back.

For those of you who aren't aware of these people. They generally ring about an ad that you agreed to months prior. Obviously this isn't the case and you never did. They are betting on that you become confused and make you think as though you have forgotten something and as you don't want debt associated with your business you generally pay up. Apparently some of them even send you a 'copy' of the guide or journal with an 'invoice' to pay. Do not be tricked - this is not proof of distribution and usually yours is the only copy that has ever been printed. Generally they are asking for payments of around $425 dollars. That seems to be their standard amount. They also have names that are very familiar. Emergency Services Guide, Child Support Guide, SES Guide, the list goes on and on. They also at times record you and try to get you to say the YES word so they can attempt to use that next time they call to solicit you into payment!  It is by the way illegal to record you without your knowledge so you can hit them with that as well if they try it on you.

Basically if you've not signed anything - don't pay it. If you  havn't initiated it - don't agree to it. Once you agree to one you seem to get a 'we've got a live one here' and you will get endless harassing phone calls.

I've even been sworn at by one of these people when I told them I knew what they were trying to do.  The next time one calls I am going to ask for their phone number so that the ACCC or the police can ring them back on my behalf. I also make a habit of reporting them to the ACCC along with their phone number (if its not private as they usually are) with the name of the so called journal and any other information I have.

It just makes me grin and think of the Karma factor.  This  blog is in the hope that it stops someone from being a victim. Word to the wise people. What losers.

AnK Photo Shoot

I organised a little while back in the piece when it was raining and people couldn't get out of their cattle stations to do a mutually promotive (omg is that even a word?!) photoshoot with AnK Bowtique. It took forever for us to figure out a mutually convenient time - but eventually we did! And that was the weekend at the start of these school holidays!

AnK Bowtique make the cutest and most photogenic little accessories for girls. Just cute as! And I had an absolute ball for 3 days taking photos of friend's little girls modelling them for us! Kristy and Angie put my obsessive compulsive organising to shame! Everything was colour coded and bagged and labelled to the extreme! I don't honestly know how they kept track of everything. I was very glad that all I had to do was chase the little ones around and press the button!

Thank you very much to all of the lovely mums who made the days as well. We couldnt have done it without your little princesses!

We pretty much took over the entire botanic gardens (well okay maybe that's not quite the case) with kids, mums and tulle! And had some awesome props that I had pre-organised or begged or borrowed from other mums.  Here is little Miss I sitting on an awesome shabby-chic style fence chair we borrowed from the lovely Robyn!

And how cute are these two? What a perfect moment caught in time. Awww you can really feel the love in this photo!

I also got to do the Marschke family photos that weekend. I love these guys! Mum is really good to talk to - a very funny lady - and the kids are just adorable! Here's one I love of the 3 oldest kids with lollypops on the grass!

Another busy week ahead - another family shoot with a newborn and a 60th birthday party on the weekend. No rest for the wicked! And I get to fit in motherhood, housewife and part time teaching duties with all of this!!! Superwoman!