Newlife Photography

New Website

Our new website is up and running with new things being added all the time. Have a peek: Newlife Photography

I'm a little teapot...

I'm a little teapot, short and stout (sweet),Here is my handle, here is spout...

To see more delicious babies being funny and quirky visit the Attitude Gallery.

Butterfly Whispherer

This is my daughter with a butterfly sitting on her cheek for 20 mins!! This photo just captures her with her quiet pride and joy, her gentle smile and her always sparkling eyes.

Now that it is starting to cool down a bit I am taking bookings for locations shoots (before it gets to cool and I'll just want to stay in the toasty studio with the newborn babies). Have a look here for some inspiration, all the children on this page came to the studio as newborn babies and I have delighted in seeing them grow up. If you have not come to the studio with your child as a newborn you are still welcome to do a location shoot, and of course if you have I would love to see how your little one is growing up.

♥♥♥

Cheeky Baby Photos- too too cute, Newlife Photography Sydney

Love love love this little one and all the expressions that flow so freely at this uncensored age. For more babies with Attitude.

Hand on Heart- Happy Valentines Day ♡♡♡

For more newborn baby photography visit our Signature Gallery.

Just a quick reminder

Just a quick reminder that if you are thinking of having a photography session in the very newborn baby stage (from about 6 days to 2 weeks), please try to book your photo session before your baby is born (we can always reschedule your photo session as needed but at least you are in the book and we can alocate time for you and your newborn baby)- we hate to see disappointment if we can't get you in for a few weeks, this precious newborn baby stage is so brief and so magical.

For more newborn baby photography visit our Signature Gallery.

Heatwave- hot hot hot

How are you and your newborn baby coping with this crazy heatwave? I know many clients worry that their baby is dehydrating in this heat. Babies are very good at getting the fluids they need from their milk. 2 hours in the studio without a nappy and you'll soon realise how hydrated your baby really is.

My best tip, especially if you are breast feeding, is to keep yourself hydrated- it is so easy to get all worried about looking after your newborn baby that you forget yourself- breast fed babies get their fluids from mum so look after yourself!!!

To all my clients wondering when location shoots are going to resume- it is looking like not until March at this stage, depending on mother nature. I will keep you posted. I'm looking forward to getting out into the autumn light. And to all the clients who braved bring their newborns out in that heat to get to the studio, thank you and thank goodness for air conditioned cars. Keep cool.

For more newborn baby photography visit our Signature Gallery.

All Grown Up

My son started High School yesterday- I think he was more ready than me.

One minute he's my little baby, snug and safe in my belly. Then out into the world they come and gradually bet ever so fast, they grow up, in the blink of an eye, when you weren't watching. You try to watch, not to take your eyes off, not to miss a thing, yet somehow they still manage to grow, and not only grow but grow up and probably while you were busy loading the dishwasher or just juggling all the balls in the air.

I didn't realise how much his finishing primary school was going to floor me, it really knocked the emotional wind out of me. Then yesterday in his new school uniform, with his new bag and new hair cut he is off into a new world, a world of independence and big kids, a world that will bridge him from childhood to adulthood- how scary is that for a mother who can no longer deny that her babies are growing up.

It is at these moments when I feel I've lost something that will never be again that I the most grateful to have such beautiful mementos to jog my memories such as videos, kindy artworks proudly framed in the kitchen, a handmade Mother's Day card, a favorite t-shirt that I can no longer imagine fitting him, and the photos, especially the photos.

Dreaming my dreams...

 
Even when fast asleep, the babies have lots of fun in the studio. I had this little one lined up to share today and then the little 9 day old in the studio today smiled in her dreams in nearly every pose, bless her. I can't wait to share those photos.

Don't you wonder what they are dreaming about? Milk, mummy, past life good times, upcoming christmas, just life in general. What's your guess?...

For more newborn baby photography visit our Signature Gallery.

A peek into a bit of the MAGIC

We ummed and uhhhed over this one a lot in the studio. My production head thought it would be a great idea to show some of the behind the scenes processing that goes on, her arguement being that people didn’t have a clue how much work we put into their images and would appreciate them all the more. I always thought that it would spoil some of the magic if we showed all our tricks and that the images spoke for themselves. However in the light of the growing digital age where quantity is prevailing over quality I have decided to take you a bit behind the scene to see what goes on.

Firstly we shoot in raw, this is the highest quality image you can have, I always think of it as having a 3D image to work with as opposed to a 2D jpeg or tiff file, there is just that much more information to work with.
Then a rough process into a preview slide show for you to select from, with only minor cropping and tweaking, to give you a glimpse into the final product when you chose.
Once you have selected your images then the real work begins with processing them, opening them in the raw processor and pulling out the best black and white image we can before we take them into photoshop and individually work on them to bring out their true beauty and make your baby look gorgeous, removing any blemishes such as milk rash, flakey skin, late nights and so on, cropping, dodging and burning and a few other little secrets.

As shot raw image- detail

Final image

You will have to use your imagination on what we can do for a sleep deprived new mother as I just can't bring myself to put any of the before shots of a new mum up, some things should just remain magic.

Of course the real magic is capturing those special moments that the baby gifts us...

For more newborn baby photography visit our Signature Gallery.

Killling him with kindness & love

These two gorgeous little ones brought their new brother all the way from Hong Kong to come and have Newlife photos taken. Aren't they delicious!!
While this photo here shows more of the children, it is the one below that we all loved the best (that is the parents and I). It is full of emotion, and love, and a tinsy squishy bit of reality:

The babies have been giving me attitude lately

The babies have been giving me such attitude lately- so full of personality and character- I love it. Some of these little ones, and baby Chloe from the last post, are going to have to be added to the Attitude Gallery, it's just going to be, as always, difficult picking which ones...

I'm just a little bit delicious, aren't I? Just a wee wee bit...

Meet Sebastian and his lovely family

Today I got this beautiful note of gratitude from one of my clients, it's always such a pleasure to receive these letters so thank you Rebekah. You can see more of Sebastian and his beautiful family on the Stories page.

Galia,

I’m so sorry for the tardy “thank you”.
 
We absolutely love the photos that you took of Sebastian and us. My husband was taken aback by the photos, he just loved them. I find myself staring at them so often and we’ve had so many compliments from people - so well done. I will get around to actually phoning up as I have to order some more!
 
Thanks for making me feel so absolutely comfortable with the pregnancy shoot and for being so accommodating when we all came out for the family shots.
 
Last and not least THANK YOU. We’re so glad we came to you to capture our precious bundle of bliss, Sebastian.
 
Regards,

Rebekah Parks

 

For more newborn baby photography visit our Signature Gallery.

Casting Call- If you're pregnant you're perfect.

1 SPOT LEFT
2 Spots left for 28th of June Casting Call!! More to follow in a few weeks. Normal pregnancy shoots are continuing as normal.

Get in touch! I am currently seeking pregnant women to participate in photo shoots for my upcoming book 'And Then I Was Two'.

Participants will receive a free handcrafted digital wall print with no obligation to purchase. All will be expected to sign a model release and be comfortable with the studio's photographic style.

Please contact me if you have any questions or if you require further information. 02 9660 7143.

And please forward on to any pregnant women you know.

Also I just have to say that the women who have been ringing all preface the call with "I'm not sure if I'm what you're after" or essentially if I'm good enough. If you're pregnant you're perfect. This book is not about perpetuating female stereotypes or judging women but rather is about celebrating how unique we all are and how amazing our bodies are at this special time. So if you are pregnant I would love to have you involved in the book and please ring to find out more: 02 9660 7143

To see more of my pregnancy photography please visit the Blooming Gallery.

Conversations with Mamas: Annabelle, Artist & mother to 3...

Annabelle and her family found there way to my studio over 10 years ago with there first baby and we have run into each other many times since. Once, following the links as you do, I found my way to her website and fell in love with her gorgeous illustrations and beautifully haunting paintings. For me it was a surprise as I knew her to be a scientist and was delighted when she agreed to answer these questions and get a peek into her journey. Her new book Noah's Garden is worth checking out, as is her website. And if you are looking for something special (on top of stunning photos of your baby) to decorate your nursery, she is available for special commissions. Please enjoy reading how motherhood changed her.
 

How has becoming a mother influenced your working life?

Becoming a mother has helped me consider what mattered most, both for my family and for me. I had been made to believe I was a smart executive woman who loved it, when I wasn't.
I wasn't that smart because, it took 2 children to make me realise how fast they were growing and how much I was missing out. By my 3rd pregnancy I had made the decision enough was enough and they would come first. I had to find a way to organise work so I could spend more time with the kids.
I have since stopped work in R&D and I am trying to complete my shift toward working as an visual artist and illustrator (that is, try and make a living of it). 
 

 

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Illustration is usually subject to a brief from a client (publisher of a picture book or commissions for families). I try and find a common ground between what the client needs or want and my own expression. I often find inspiration in my own childhood: I love to revisit the feelings and wonders I remember as a child. I had a very happy childhood, loving parents and grand-parents, rich and diverse experiences, living on a "hobby farm" with lots of farm pets.
Then I translate these feeling into my illustrations.

 

When it comes to the artworks I produce on canvas or paper (without a brief)...these works are very personal and represent me as an individual adult.
I am very conscious of my own mortality and the passing of time (and having children makes you sooo aware that time is flying so fast); so painting, creating works is my way to dealing with the feelings, and particularly sadness, I often feel about it.
 
Luckily, been so involved with my family helps me stay sane and in touch with the reality and the positiveness of life.     

How do you resolve the double-sided guilt of not spending enough time with your children (when you’re working) and not being at work (when you’re with your children)?

I have 2 responses to this "evil" issue of the unavoidable "working mother guilt"....
 
First: practice being in "the moment". Focus on what you are doing now, do it well and enjoy it. I find that worrying about what else I could be doing at any given time is wasteful of my emotional energy. It does take practice and requires constant conscious effort though.
 
Second: It helps to do work that is meaningful to you:
I used to suffer a lot more from the "working mother guilt" than I do now...when I was working away from home, in a large corporation. I liked the job but I remember a particular day, I was looking through the windows of the meeting room where I was part of a training session on statistics applied to R&D...and thinking I was wasting minutes of my precious life for something I couldn't see any value in, while I should be with my babies...
Being able to enjoy what I do and find meaning doing it significantly reduces the guilt.
 
When my third child was born, I spent the 1st month of her life (when newborn sleep so much!) reading self-help books about finding my own values and what mattered most to me.
Research what you value most and then find a way to spend most of your working time in an area that has something to do with your values. This is the secret to a happy working life. 
 
But in the end, no matter how much time you have with them: Savour the time you spend with your children, focus on them, NOW, they will only be with you for a few years of your life.

 

How do your children feed into or inspire your work?

I love the way children see life: they see it in a more simple and fresh way than us, adults. We have forgotten.
I often have to draw children for illustration so observing them (not only mine but children in the street, at the pool, at school) has become a very enjoyable habit. Find the little things, words, movements, that make them children.

 
Describe a typical day in the life of your family.

I find it very difficult to get up early enough in the morning because I have often been up late the night before (I am currently studying), so I am usually not up before 6:45.
This part of the morning is a race to get the 3 girls up (the younger one has the head glued to the pillow), dressed, fed, hair and teeth brushed (that last part often gets missed), sandwich made (they have pretty different tastes and I more often than not have to tailor their menus every morning if I want some decent food pass their lips).
I usually find myself through the door without having had my own breakfast, barely dressed (forget the make-up), and with half what I need for my day at Tafe (on the days I study).
After the drop-off at school (usually 8:30), I rush to Tafe so I can get their by 8:55 to get a parking spot, which only happens 2 times out of 3).
Then, the time slows down a little, I am in my element, in the studio where I study and paint with a bunch of great artists and fellow students of all ages. The few hours I have there are precious and I am so conscious of it!
2:40, the "pick-up the kids" alarm goes off on my phone, I pack up my art things and rushes to school to pick up the girls. I am very happy to get them back because I love listening to the stories of their days, all the small details that remind me of my own childhood and time at school.
The rest of the afternoon and evening is "family time", with all the small but important things a parent must do: afternoon tea, help with homework (I hate that part), empty the girls school bags, tidy up the house (left in a mess in the morning), hang up a wash load, then cook dinner, welcome the husband, dinner and bed time routine....I often find myself watching a silly TV program from 9:30 pm for an hour, as I need to rest a while. Finally, around 10:30 or 11pm, I prepare my bag for the next day at Tafe, then sit at the computer to email, do assignments, pay bills, .... often until pass midnight.

 
Do you have any little anecdotes about life with a newborn that you would like to share with us?

Rather than anecdotes, I mostly remember the overall happy, fulfilled feelings of closeness and tactile emotions, when these tiny lifes depend exclusively on you (particularly if you are lucky enough to be able to breastfeed). I loved the skin to skin contact, having them asleep against my chest, early in the morning, small tight fists, elusive smiles on their face.

 
How has becoming a mother changed you?

Becoming a mum has made me so much more conscious of my impact on the world and how the world has changed so much compared to when I was a child. Seeing my children grow so fast has made my immensely aware of the passing of time. I want to appreciate every second of the time I have on this earth and try and make a difference, at my level. 

 

How has your relationship with your body changed?

The relationship with my body is a long love-hate relationship (I suffered from eating disorders as a teenager until I was a young adult). While I overcame the illness long before I had my children, I remained very self-conscious and tried to maintain a good physical shape by eating well and exercising regularly (that last part has somewhat declined to nil over the past 12mths, I have been too busy juggling other things but I now I will return to exercising a little, some time soon. But no crazy running around, Yoga would be great).
Funny enough, having children has been a blessing because I have become kinder with myself: pregnancy completely changed my acceptance of my own body. Yes I wish I had a thinner waist these days but hey! there are more important things in life and I am overall in good shape so, so be it!

 
What advice would you give to women expecting their first child?

While I can think of so many things I could advice a new mother, my only important advice would be "be kind to yourself".
There are many things that can be done in many different ways, try and do is the easiest, kindest on yourself, while satisfying for you. Children are very resilient, you only have that much energy, don't stretch yourself too much to be perfect for them in every way. You have to last the distance!

 
What do the beautiful photographic memories of the special, yet brief, time of the newborn mean to you?

They represent happiness, frozen in time! Every time I look at the photos of my babies asleep on my hand or my husband arm, I find myself back to where it started, at the beginning of a wonderful journey alongside 3 beautiful children. I had no idea back then!
 

Casting Call for Pregnant Women

Get in touch! I am currently seeking pregnant women to participate in photo shoots for my upcoming book 'And Then I Was Two'.

Participants will receive a free handcrafted digital wall print with no obligation to purchase. All will be expected to sign a model release and be comfortable with the studio's photographic style.

Please contact me if you have any questions or if you require further information. 02 9660 7143.

And please forward on to any pregnant women you know.

To see more of my pregnancy photography please visit the Blooming Gallery.

Conversations with Mamas: Anna- Honeycomb Valley Farm

Having a baby is both one of the most common and at the same time unique things you can do. We all experience its trials and joys differently but are all changed by the experience. I have started this segment of Conversations with Mamas in order to share, to learn and to celebrate our Motherhood and how it changes our working and creative lives. To kick off meet Anna and her beautiful family.

The Campbell Family Portrait

Anna and her family run a beautiful farm stay designed specifically for children. She and her family are successfully and happily living their tree change dream. Having met Anna and her growing family 3 times with their newborn children, I was very keen to take my own children to her farm to experience a lifestyle that children in the modern city are so removed from: innocent fun and freedom. My children still talk so fondly of their stay at Honeycomb Valley and hopefully they will get to go again soon. You can see some of their fun there at the bottom of this post, if you get an opportunity take your kids to experience the farm I can't recommend it enough.  Baby Josie- one of my all time favs

How has becoming a mother influenced your working life?

If I wasn’t a mother I doubt I’d be doing the work I am. It was when I became a parent I realised my choice of job should be something that would make a real difference to them and their world down the track, not just bring a pay cheque in.

Where do you draw inspiration from?
It just bubbles up! It’s like there’s this spring my parent’s filled when I was little and it just keeps bubbling out…helped along by great books, big skies, a fab husband, hilarious kids, constant discovery and lots of communing with cuddly (and not so cuddly) animals.
 
How do you resolve the double-sided guilt of not spending enough time with your children (when you’re working) and not being at work (when you’re with your children)?
We made a conscious decision to make a living from our lives together. The kids come to Farmer’s Markets with us (and like for us to wander off so they can run the stand!), they help us when guests are at the Farmstay and they join us when we’re beekeeping or honey spinning or milking the goats. So our work and lives are very closely intertwined. It’s really them who leave us (when they go off to school)…maybe they should be the ones feeling guilty! Hahaha.
 
How do your children feed into or inspire your work?
Just by being.
 
How do you juggle the demands of a high-pressured job with the new responsibilities of being a parent?
There’s always lots of balls in the air, and when one comes down, we don’t sweat it. Life’s too short.
 
Describe a typical day in the life of your family.
Morning cuddles. Farm chores. Animal feeding. Goat Milking. Vege Gardening. Orchard raid. Beekeeping. Adventure. Discovery. Menagerie management. Hard yakka. Sweat. Shower. Fresh farm food for lunch. Goat milk soap, lip balm and Farm Balm making. Pouring. Packaging. Computer wrangling. Research. Order filling. Afternoon cuddle. Play time. Egg collecting. Animal feeding.  Goat and chicken bed-time. Sibling misadventures. Solar cooked family dinner. Hilarity. Kid bed-time ruckus. Admin. Couching. Zzzz.
 
How has becoming a mother changed you?
My mum always said I taught her patience, now I know what she meant!
 
How has your relationship with your body changed?
It hasn’t changed: I love my body, it’s the only one I’ve got.
 
What advice would you give to women expecting their first child?
Make as much noise as you can so they get used to it. J
 
What do the beautiful photographic memories of the special, yet brief, time of the newborn mean to you?
Galia, now that our kids are getting older, we realize how truly important these photos are to our family. Our babies are only babies so fleetingly, and you captured that beauty and spirit. Thank you also for making it all so calm when we really had no idea what to do with a screaming, pooing, weeing baby! The photos take pride of place on our wall and everyone who comes through tries to guess which kid is which. Everyone loves the feet photo, but not as much as we do! They’re a snapshot of our family life at its earliest, capturing our love and hope for tiny little beings who were yet to even reveal their personality.
 

Click here to see our Signature Gallery showcasing the classic Newlife style that we are famous for.

Happy Mother's Day, Newborn Photography

moth·er 1  (mr)

n.
1.
a. A mother holds her children's hands for a while...their hearts forever.
-- Author Unknown
b. A little girl, asked where her home was, replied, "where mother is."
-- Keith L. Brooks
c.A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.
-- Tenneva Jordan
d. A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.
-- Victor Hugo
2. A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
-- Washington Irving

adj.
1. Relating to or being mother.
2. Characteristic of a mother: mother love.
3. Being the source or origin: the mother church.
4. Derived from or as if from one's mother; native: one's mother language.
v. moth·ered, moth·er·ing, moth·ers
v.tr.
1. To give birth to; create and produce.
2. To watch over, nourish, and protect maternally.
v.intr.
To act or serve as a mother.

Happy Mother's Day, and a special Mother's Day for those whom it is the first...xoxo

For more newborn baby photography visit our Signature Gallery.