Family photographs don't have to be stiff.
They don't have to involve everyone sitting perfectly still and smiling directly at the camera.
And they certainly don't have to look like everyone else's photographs.
My approach to family photography is natural, relaxed and storytelling-led.
I want to photograph connection.
The In-Between Moments
Some of my favourite photographs aren't the ones where everyone is looking at me.
They're the moments in between.
A child reaching for Mum's hand.
A dad making his daughter laugh.
Siblings running together.
A quiet cuddle.
A toddler refusing to cooperate.
A family walking along the beach.
A mother looking at her newborn.
These moments may seem ordinary now.
Years from now, they can become priceless.
Auckland Gives Us the Perfect Backdrop
Auckland is wonderfully diverse.
We can photograph your family at the beach, in a park, among trees, in an urban setting or in your own home.
That means we can choose an environment that reflects your family.
If you're adventurous, let's go somewhere wild.
If you're a beach family, let's go to the coast.
If home is where everyone feels most comfortable, let's stay home.
You Don't Have to Be "Good at Photos"
I hear this all the time:
"We're really awkward in photographs."
You don't have to worry.
You don't need modelling experience.
You don't need to know how to pose.
You don't even have to particularly like having your photograph taken.
I'll guide you.
I'll give you prompts and ideas.
I'll help you move naturally.
And then I'll step back and watch for those moments that happen naturally.
Children Don't Need to Behave Perfectly
Children are children.
They get distracted.
They run away.
They laugh at the wrong moment.
They want to explore.
Sometimes they don't want to look at the camera at all.
That's okay.
I don't want your family photographs to be a record of how perfectly your children behaved for an hour.
I want them to be a record of who they were.
More Than a Family Photo
For me, a family photograph is never just a picture of five people standing together.
It is a little piece of your story.
It is your child's hand in yours.
It is the way your partner looks at you.
It is the chaos of your everyday life.
It is the love that exists between you.
That's why I say:
I tell stories. Stories of love.
And I would love to tell yours.
