Free Indeed
18
APRIL, 2018
Have you ever been challenged to come up with the meaning of freedom in your life? I met with a beautiful group of open-minded, connected women the other day and conversation was swiftly drawn to a concept of “free indeed”. I listened intently to the themes running through this intricate phrase and it wasn’t until a few days later that I finally came to my own conclusion about what this means to me in my life right now. So here goes……
Often times we are wearing multiple hats and giving of ourselves to a variety of cherished people, groups, movements and events as an everyday part of our lives. As mothers, wives, partners, business people, co-workers, sisters, friends etc we are constantly reassessing the concept of balance and whether we are achieving a fulfilling existence in what we are filling our lives with, and in fact, whether amongst all the day to day tasks, pressures, appointments, and commitments we are truly happy.
In delving into such a broad thought, the concept of letting love be the loudest voice within this free indeed state surfaced. But what does this actually mean? Life is so fast paced and busy that I often find myself waiting for a break in the flow to make time for love, but time after time having that break elude me. Straight away the enormity of love hit me as I tried to connect the two, it has so many forms, faces, actions and places in my life and truthfully is the centre of what I really value in life. But as I thought further and further the concept simplified more and more to the point that I realised that letting love be the loudest voice in my life was so simple, it was a letting go of the expectations of myself that I had built up through exposure to society and others within it, to dig deep and truly ask myself my own truth. For a long time now my concept of freedom has run an intricately entangled line with happiness, not ever connecting but constantly flowing together in an intimate space, causing much confusion in the process. Instead of being able to confidently identify each in their own right I found that I was actually addressing neither head on, as it was an easier road to take. But in the process of this, I lost an ability to consciously feel both of these important feelings in a constant way day to day…or so I thought. Instead of fulfilling everybody else’s need for love, my focus came inward to letting love be my loudest voice. What I realised was that a big part of feeling and living love and freedom meant being brave… standing up and admitting my mistakes and asking for a second chance from both the adults and children in my life. Owning my imperfection and loving myself for it and truly growing within it.
“What I realised was that a big part of feeling and living love and freedom meant being brave… standing up and admitting my mistakes and asking for a second chance from both the adults and children in my life.”
Thus followed a peaceful week of sneaking little kisses from my children, allowing my three year old to sneak into bed with us in the middle of the night, extending bedtime goodnights ten fold to allow for unique time with each of my children, lingering in my hugs with them to transfer the love and pride I have within my heart for them. Thanking my husband for the load of washing he put out or the broken umbrella he fixed or the sleep in I was afforded while he organized the crazy mayhem of breakfast, lunches and morning chores before school. Allowing myself the glances in his direction that speak a million words of love and knowing because no one but us truly understands the beautiful albeit insane life we have come to live. And so I flipped to embracing and being grateful for the little things present in my life right now that speak of love.
It dawned on me that the smiley face of toothpaste on the bathroom mirror was not just another clean up job, but brought a smile to my face and a sense of child like freedom, the trail of toys, garlic press, fishing net, fruit with one bite missing, abandoned homemade aquarium from the last beach adventure, the row of teddies on the lounge from a spur of the moment band concert the night before, and the contagious family rap session via the bluetooth microphone recently acquired from Santa coming from the kitchen complete with in depth discussion regarding the rap titles that should be given to our 6 –year old amidst raucous laughter was an innocent love of life speaking. Instead of waiting for a free day void of midwifery shifts, photography sessions, call outs for electrical faults, play dates and the ever increasing pile of paperwork to vanish, I saw that love and freedom meant being present in the moment in whatever little snippets were available to receive it.
So come Sunday night, throwing all caution and organisation to the wind, leaving behind us a trail of unfolded washing, unpondered dinner preparation, unpacked school lunches and our now beloved trail of obscure items from one end of the house to the other, we took off as a family for a bike ride; complete with un road tested scooters, (including the adult one wielded by a six foot dad), my bike with squealing three year old on the back (that I hadn’t ridden for a year), and a rather rambunctious fluffy one year old puppy trying to gnaw through his lead while tying everyone up in the process. And the result? We bravely let love be the loudest voice and for that small moment in time, with the wind blowing through out hair, kids whooping with delight, slobber flying everywhere, and everyone laughing alongside each other we were truly “free indeed”.
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Maternity- Birth - Newborn- Family- Commercial
Alstonville, Ballina, Byron Bay
Maternity- Birth - Newborn- Family- Commercial
Alstonville, Ballina, Byron Bay
frequently asked questions
Q. My kids are gorgeous, but they don’t sit still and I’m worried they won’t behave..."
A. I’m a mum of three busy kids, I get it, the more you tell them what to do, the less they want to do it! I usually start with a few ‘everyone look at the camera’ shots and then the rest of the session is pretty easy going, I might give some suggestions for things to do, or more photogenic places to go, but generally I just let the kids play and explore. Often the best photos are when your kid is doing the thing that makes them most happy! And if meltdowns happen (and they will!) I may take an adorable photo of that, and then we can take a little break or head on a different adventure.
Q. Should I wait until everything is perfect?
A. Is family life ever perfect? Your kids want to see you, with them, so they can hold those memories and feelings in their hearts. You may never lose those 5 kilos, you may never re-paint that feature wall, and that is okay. Your kids don’t care, time goes fast, don’t wait. (or if you’re like me, a photoshoot is a great deadline haha).
Q. So how does it work? Where do we start?
A. Great question – click on the contact tab above to chat with me!
Q. When should I book my family session?
A. If you need a weekend, I am usually booked out 2-3 months in advance, so get in touch ASAP to check availability. If a weekday suits you, at least 2-4 weeks notice is great. I do get the odd cancellation, so it’s always worth checking if you aren’t sure!
Q. When should I book my newborn session?
A. If you want to capture your bub when they’re brand new, book a session as soon as you can. I usually book you in for your due date initially, then whenever your little one arrives we can make a firm date and time then. I only take on 4 newborns a month so I am able to be flexible if they need to be rescheduled. My sessions however are very relaxed and don’t require bub to be asleep to perform any crazy baby yoga positions, so even if your bub is 4-6 weeks old by the time you are feeling up to photos, they will still capture all that new baby love.
Q. What if my baby arrives early or late, can we move our newborn session?"
A. Yes, absolutely! Often babies don’t like to stick to their due date and that is fine. I usually recommend booking your session for your due date, and if bub comes early or late we can work out an available date to move the session.
Q. What days/times do you do the sessions?
Outdoor sunset sessions I shoot Monday-Sunday, we start 1-2 hours before sunset, depending on the location.
Real life sessions I shoot on Sundays and the time can vary depending on the activities you choose to do and the light in your home/yard, generally 2-3 hours before sunset
Newborn sessions I generally shoot these Monday - Friday, we generally aim for a 9.30am start if that works with any older kids and naps. If you need a weekend session to include older siblings this can be arranged also.
If you have a wedding or other occasion, I do have some flexibility outside of these days/times, so please Get in touch
Q. Where can we do the shoot?
A. I absolutely love photographing families in places that are special to them, whether that is your family home, or the beach or park you always go to together, if the place is special to you, the photos will also be that little bit more special in the years to come. If it’s just a photogenic location for your sunset session you need, then head to the contact page and I’m happy to recommend some options around the Byron Bay or Northern NSW.
Q. Can my dog be in the photos?
A. Absolutely! I have a dog who is very much a special part of our family, I couldn't imagine having family photos without him! Let me know if you want to bring your fur baby and we can make sure it's a dog friendly location. They can be in all the photos if you want, or we can find a shady spot to tie them up or let them roam free if they are allowed, up to you!
Q. How much is it?
A. Head to my contact page and get in touch to find out. Alternatively my pricing page will give you a starting price for the various sessions.
Q. Can I have a discount?
A. For past clients who have had a full family or newborn session with me I offer a $100 discount off your chosen package. If my sessions aren’t within your current budget, keep an eye out for one of my mini sessions by following me on my Facebook or Instagram, as they are announced here first.
Q. Do you do mini sessions?
A. Yes! I usually do mini sessions around mothers day and Christmas mini sessions in November. These sessions are shorter than my regular sessions, with a small number of images at a discounted price. Best to keep an eye on my Facebook or Instagram as they are announced here first.
Q. What if the weather is bad or we’re sick on the day of the shoot?
A. Cloudy skies make for great photos, but I certainly don’t want to get stuck in a storm. If it looks like it may rain and this will affect our shoot, I’ll be in contact in the days prior and we can decide if we should reschedule.
If you or your little ones are sick, please try to give a least 24 hours notice, and we can reschedule when everyone is feeling better.
Q. What should we wear?
A. I’ll send you a detailed guide after you book your session, including lots of info on what to wear, what to expect and how to prep for your session. But if you have any questions, head to my contact page and we can chat!
Q. Do you photograph extended families?
Yes! The relationships between cousins, grandparents, aunts is truly special and many families gift a session to a loved one for special occasions. You are welcome to also split off into separate family groups for photos also. Head to my pricing page for starting prices on family sessions or my contact page to chat with me.