School holidays + autumn – I couldn’t be any happier. Term 1 of this year was a long one and as usual I could not wait for school hols to get here. As luck would have it, the weather seemed to have changed just in time. Autumn in Sydney is fabulous – my absolutely favourite. It is warm and dry and the light is just to die for. Today was our first day on our own so we decided to head off to playground out of our neighbourhood. We tossed around a few ideas (ie – looked at some photos on the computer) and Rushcutters Bay won out. There is a lovely gated playground with bright and colourful equipment, a kiosk guaranteed to be open, and a view that makes you feel like you are on holiday somewhere else. Such a gem so close to the City. We arrived a little before 11am and it was packed with little ones running around everywhere. But as lunch time came and went, the crowds died out and for an hour or so we had the place almost to ourselves. We ended up staying til well into the afternoon. I can’t remember the last time we spent almost five hours at one park. The kids would have stayed longer but dinner called so off we went with promises to return again soon. Such a wonderful start to the holidays. I just know they are going to go by too fast!
I’d love to chat with you about booking your Autumn family or child session.
Do you have a favourite park? I’d love to capture an afternoon of childhood fun for you and your family. Contact me to book a session.
“I look so beautiful,” said my daughter in a voice that was not quite a whisper, but soft and filled with a mix of pride, awe, and wonder. Her voice at that moment was one of the most beautiful tones I have ever heard. I wished I could just bottle it up to play again and again. I had just played her a slideshow I created from some images I captured a few weekends ago on a stunning Sydney afternoon. It was an ordinary afternoon spent at the park – not a planned session or a special occasion. True to my daughter’s nature, she had picked a sparkly dress even though she fully intended to climb, play in the sand, throw the frisbee, and get all sorts of dirty and sweaty. Since the dress sparkled, I grabbed my camera as we left but didn’t pick it up until we were heading home. The light was amazing so we went on a little walk along the wharf. It was a walk filled with the usual six year old shenanigans – twirling in the light, playing in some water, tossing the frisbee with her brother, and playing their favourite game of Sleeping Beauty. But something about that afternoon shimmered, creating a window that allowed me to capture my daughter’s spirit – her joy, exuberance, beauty and tenderness – in a way that I don’t get to see very often.
“Of course you do,” I replied. “You are beautiful.” She looked up at me with a huge smile that literally brought tears to my eyes. I tell my daughter she is beautiful a lot. But often all those articles about how instead of saying your daughter is pretty or beautiful you should tell them they are smart or hard working or strong make me catch myself. I do tell her she is strong and smart but I equally believe that children should believe they are beautiful – both girls and boys. But especially little girls. Our culture will always put beauty on a pedestal. I want my daughter to grow up knowing she is beautiful. That her beauty radiates from deep inside. That it makes her compassionate, strong, capable, and kind. I want her to believe in beauty and how it makes the world a softer gentler place when it is used for good and not evil.
She wanted me to play the slideshow again and again. I watched her as she watched and I hoped that the true to life, candid images she was seeing of herself were being etched in her mind somewhere. So whenever she doubted herself, or felt bad, or had a bad day, one might just pop up and she’ll remember how her mum saw her on that ordinary day. And her day will rise with the smile that crosses her face as she remembers she is beautiful.
I would love to capture the beauty you see in your child. Contact me to book a session.
Even though this is our sixth year in Australia, I still have a hard time thinking of October as a month in Spring. I start to think Halloween then I look outside at all the green grass, newly blooming flowers, and Australia’s gorgeous jacaranda trees (think purple cheery trees) and I am momentarily disoriented. Am I sure I have it right? Is it Easter? What month just ended? When is Christmas? It takes a few minutes to get grounded in the swirl of weather not matching holidays. I wonder when and if I’ll ever get used to it. But it does have it’s pluses – New Year’s Eve is amazing here and the kids get to trick or treat while it is still light out. I am still not used to the warm Christmas, but I do love all the outdoor events that surround the holidays.
So while most of my photographer friends are photographing falling leaves, autumn foliage, and Halloween pictures taken at dusk, our October is full of vibrant greens, new flowers and Halloween by daylight. As part of my “4 on 4” blog circle, here are four favourites from October…
Feeding the eels and ducks on a Saturday
“Reading” his favourite Chapter book
Favourite water tap | Favourite park
Happy Halloween | 8pm at the end of trick or treating
And that is it! Please follow along the blog circle to see what the talented Ti has been up to this past month. Onwards to November!
Recently I joined a group of talented photographers from around the world with the goal of sharing images with each other and our readers. One of the monthly posts is a “4 on 4” which simply means posting four images on the 4th of the month from the month before. I love blog circles like this and being able to connect with photographers with different styles from different countries. It’s still one of the things about the internet that amazes me.
May was a bit topsy turvy in our house. I fell off the wagon of taking a photo everyday for the first week of the month. However, on the first Thursday of May, I grabbed my camera on the way out the door to pick up my daughter. Little did I know that when I got to her school, there would be the ice cream truck parked conspicuously on the corner of the street. And it was a soft-serve truck with sprinkles – with one smart driver! I have to say it was real whipped cream ice cream that was absolutely delicious. It was one of those moments that I was so glad I had my camera. On this late Autumn afternoon, the light was so pretty as the sun was already starting to get lower, bouncing off windows of the tall buildings surrounding the school. And I even used the self-timer to capture a quiet moment of my daughter and I together. Four images that capture a sweet afternoon after Kindy on a random Autumn day. Those are the best. Thanks for looking and please continue on to see the amazing work of Ti Hildebrand.
I’d love to capture your days too! Contact me to book your session