Elliot's Newborn Photo Shoot

When I was pregnant with Elliot I saw some newborn photos of a friend's baby and decided to book in a session for our little guy.

 I have lost so many digital photos of Rosie and Harry over the years through computer crashes and there is very little left of them in their early years. It was heart breaking.

The talented Anna at Ruby and Marie Photography is so amazing and did a great job of working with our newborn.

She had all sorts of tricks up her sleeve to settle him and make us feel comfortable throughout the session.

We are thrilled with the results and are so glad we did this as they are memories we will treasure forever.

They are only tiny for such a short time!

Summer Fun

I know that summer is officially over now (where did that go?) and autumn is on it's way, but we have really enjoyed the last couple of months. We have worked on some of the landscaping around our pool area and it is so much better than it used to be.

Rosie and Harry have spent countless hours in the pool and it has been great entertainment over the warmer months. Harry in particular has really flourished and we have hit a milestone...he can now swim across the deep end of the pool without a lifejacket! He has also experienced swimming at night and swimming in the rain, two other "firsts" for him!

Rosie is our cautious girl and still isn't quite confident to swim without the safety of her lifejacket or a boogie board. She is more than capable, but the fear of the unknown is still pretty great. She needs a lot of encouragement and patience, but I am sure she will get there in her own time. :)

Summer has never been my favourite season (I am more of a autumn/winter girl), but I have actually loved this summer. Taff had several weeks off in January and it was so lovely to just spend time together at home on little projects around the house and enjoying the sun together. Now the nights are cooler and the sun is going down earlier...I am already looking forward to next summer. :)

10 Can't Miss Photos to Take Each Month

My Project Life album is plodding along and at the moment, I am actually up to date! This isn't always the case but I try and run at a maximum of two weeks behind. Anything more than that and it can easily become overwhelming.

The hardest part for me isn't the journaling, but keeping up with the printing of photos. It takes time to upload them, categorise them and transfer them to a USB stick for printing. Then I have to set aside some time on a Saturday to pop out and print them. 

Another challenge is thinking of ideas for my POTD, so coming across this great list at http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/ was really helpful. You can also find a printable checklist so you can plan your photos each month. It is my goal to start planning my photos in this way so that I can ensure I get the snapshots I want over the course of the year. Of course, this doesn't mean there isn't room for spontaneous photo opportunities! You can find both lists here.

Changing Your Photography Angles

Since beginning Project Life I have been trying to vary the angles I use to take my photos, in the hope of capturing something a little different from my usual shots. I am a true beginner with my photography and have a basic point and shoot camera, but I am doing the best I can with my lack of skills!

In fact, it is a goal of mine this year to really try and improve in this area. Last night I took some shots of Rosie and Harry in the bath and instead of snapping from the side of the bath as I usually would, I got a chair and took the photos from above.  

I loved seeing the suds in their hair (Rosie thought it would be a good idea to wash Harry's hair!) and these pictures really show how much they enjoy playing together. It has encouraged me to try and think more creatively about the angles I use in my photography.

Thoughts on Taking Photos

As I have been making the effort to capture more photos of our family, I have been thinking about why this has become so important to me. Recently we packed up my beloved grandmother's home as it was being sold and we came across a small stash of photos. She passed away six years ago now and many of the photos were ones I had never seen before. We had a wonderful time looking through them and recalling precious memories. I loved looking at all the little details in the photos, as well as the people in them.

 The clothing, the furniture, the landscape, the cars and homes, it was all fascinating to me and I love that photos capture a moment in time that will never be repeated. It is for this reason that I feel it is important for me to snap as many moments of our life as I can, not just the big things, but the little things too. For many years I have taken photos of special events and nothing in between and as I reflect on this, this is not a true reflection of life in our family. Our life is not just about the big events, but the everyday seemingly mundane things. I want to remember what life was like in our sometimes hectic household in an honest way, and that includes messy floors and overflowing laundry piles.

 At first it felt very odd to be taking photos of anything and everything but now it is second nature to me and it doesn't feel strange. I want to remember my kids rolling in the grass, as well as a beautiful trifle for dessert. I want to remember all the little things that make up our busy life and help me to recall the memories that are attached to each one. I am really enjoying doing this and encourage everyone to capture more of their everyday life through photos. :)

My Project Life Kit Arrived!

I recently mentioned that I was considering starting Project Life in 2011.

Well guess what?

My kit arrived! Taff bought it for me for Christmas and I am super excited about starting on January 1st.

We were very lucky here in New Zealand as we were the first country to receive the kits as there was a hold up in the USA and Amazon was only able to ship them right before Christmas. Mine was safely tucked up under our tree for several days before the 25th and this has given me the chance to have a good think about the way I am going to complete the project this year.

I am so looking forward to capturing the snapshots of our daily life and journalling them next year. It has been quite a long time since I kept a regular journal so this will be a good challenge for me!