There are lots of things that can feel overwhelming and even a little intimidating about getting married. A photographer (or two!) following you about for the day is definitely one of those things for some people, so I really love it when a couple decides to spend some quiet time alone with me to get used to the process during an engagement session.

Join Jo, Andy and their two kids at Hawke’s Bay’s beautiful Ocean Beach for a family portrait session at sunset.

“Our eldest is in her final year of primary school. At 8 and 10 yrs old, the kids are growing so fast, we wanted to capture those childish faces, favourite toys and hobbies before we move into the next phase.”

Spending time with Mel and her family made me want to rush home and create more babies (briefly!). As a mum-of-two, normally even the thought of more would seem beyond exhausting but an hour spent with the four Macredie kids and their folks made me appreciate what an amazing unit they’d created, and I absolutely wanted to capture this while we were shooting.

One thing I learned very early on being a mum and newborn photographer is that babies have their own agenda and the only way to win with them is to be incredibly patient.

After a year of posting images of other people’s happy-ever-afters, I thought I’d sign-off for 2019 with some images of my own family

Every wedding is special for me to shoot but when I already have a personal connection to the bride, the buzz and energy is just that little bit higher for me.

English bull dog meets baby sibling…it’s becoming a bit of a theme around here!