I was thrilled when I heard from Bec that they were expecting their second child, and had to pinch myself when I realised it had really been so long since Jacob was born.

So meet Bec and Mikel with their adorable son Jacob, just weeks away from welcoming Number Two to the world. Their authentic, warm-hearted and generous spirits just make you want to follow them home and hang out some more.

I have spent less than two hours with these guys, but I know that they are going to be amazing in their new roles, and their little girl is going to have a childhood full of love and joy. They totally adore each other, and their excitement over meeting their baby girl was so infectious; I couldn’t stop grinning. And Canberra turned on such an amazing day, with the most delicious late afternoon light: it was just the sweetest session. More please!

I was SO happy to be there with a gorgeous, talented and uber-supportive bunch of photographer-friends, most of whom received AMAZING results during the APPA judging. It was exciting, thrilling and inspirational watching prints being judged that belonged to some of my closest friends, and also those belonging to the many amazing photographers who lead our industry and inspire the hell out of the rest of us (not to mention, nerve-wracking, emotional and exhausting waiting and listening to my own prints being judged!).

I was utterly thrilled to receive 3 out of 3; two silvers and one silver distinction, with a score of 88 (my first ever print in that score range!). The judges were very divided on my first two images (below), and although I had two judges on each panel score in the silver distinction range (85-89), the other judges disagreed, so they remained at silver. Of course, it’s wonderful listening to your print being fought for, but disheartening when it’s criticised! (We all pour our hearts and souls into our work and so sometimes entering the awards can feel a bit like voluntarily standing on stage in your birthday suit!)  There are many factors that make up an award winning image and many factors that judges use to determine scores. It’s a fascinating process to watch and be a part of, and I would encourage any and every photographer, enthusiast or professional, who has never been or seen it, to come along next year. The judging is open to the public at both the state and national awards, and you can stay posted on dates and times via the AIPP website.

So, I made a complete fool of myself during the judging of the last print by bursting into tears of joy and gratefulness! I was so fortunate to have Jesh De Rox on the panel at the time it came up. Jesh saw something in this image (below) that not all the judges on the panel saw at first, and he argued passionately for it. When the re-score came up I nearly fell off my chair – the scores were 89, 89, 88, 88 and 88. I had one wish this year for APPAs, and that was to outdo last year’s results. This cinched the deal and I just couldn’t be happier!

The APPAs are held each June, and are national, but before the APPAs come around, every state holds their own AIPP print awards – it’s a great opportunity to put some work out there and see how it goes, without the stress and pressure of the nationals. So back in March, I entered several images in the ACT/NSW AIPP Print Awards, and was stoked to receive 5 silver awards. I didn’t post my winning images at the time, as I wanted to wait until after the APPAs. So here are the remaining two award images from the state awards which I didn’t enter in APPAs.

And then I captured some beautiful moments between mum-to-be and dad-to-be after the festivities, right at the end of the day, when the light was at it’s yummiest.

These guys are going to make the most awesome parents. You can just tell.

Here is just a taste of a gorgeous afternoon…

Guys, I wish you all the best of everything for the weeks and months ahead. “Gertie” is going to be one very lucky little girl. I can’t wait to meet her, and capture many, many more incredible moments for you. I’ll be in touch soon. xo

Then I met Jennifer and Lucas, and spent a glorious hour in a beautiful location photographing them at this never-to-be-repeated time in their lives.

I am privileged to photograph so many women in those final few weeks before their baby is born (mostly their first baby) and I just adore it. That we can grow tiny people and carry them around inside us for nine months is a mindblowing concept. And the moment that tiny person enters the world, our lives change in the most profound way. Jennifer and Lucas are standing at the edge of the new. They’re full of hope and excitement, and probably some fear too. Nothing has ever been as unknown as what lays before them. And it could happen at any moment.

Anticipation is one of the most wonderful and intoxicating emotions we can experience. And this is one of those fleeting times that should never be forgotten.

J & L, thank you so much for asking me to photograph you. You are beautiful souls. I wish you all the best for the next couple of weeks and I can’t wait to meet the tiny person you made together.

It was ridiculously freezing. My hands were so cold I had trouble changing lenses, but Mich assured me that her baby girl was keeping her warm.

I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see that she had brought a red dress and red shoes to wear for our session! If I wasn’t halfway to becoming a human iceblock, I definitely would have squealed and jumped up and down on the spot. Red is absolutely and positively my favourite colour in the world, my signature colour even. And Mich seriously rocked that red dress, dontcha think?

Something tells me her hubby is going to love these pictures.

So late last week I received an email from Melissa telling me that they were only a couple of weeks off the birth of their second child and could I please squeeze them in for a maternity/newborn session! Could I ever! It’s such a great feeling to have clients come back to me, and a real warm and fuzzy thrill to see a child whose face you know so well from when they were only one week old.

Melissa & Michael, it was so lovely to see you both yesterday and you were an absolute pleasure to photograph again. Grace, you stole my heart two years ago and you still have it! I am really looking forward to meeting your little brother or sister in a few weeks. xxx

One: it’s your last baby. Did you ever have professional photos taken for any of your previous pregnancies? If the answer is no, then do it now! You should have already had it on your bucket list! A session could be the perfect time-out for you – indulge in a new outfit and let me show you how amazing you look. Or if you fancy a belly shoot with your brood in tow, I have a head full of fun ideas for that too!

Two: it’s your first baby. Therefore, this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate you, your pregnancy, and your relationship with your partner. Because where you are right now, the two of you, will never be repeated in your lives again, and you should savour it and have your story captured before life changes forever.

Sarah and Michael chose this spot for their maternity session because it’s exactly where they became husband and wife, four and a half years ago. The journey they’ve been on between then and now is theirs, but you can see it in the images I captured of them together. Their joy is evident. Their connection is heartwarming. They’re going to make wonderful parents, and I can’t wait to meet their little one in a few weeks.

So, I understand the drop in bookings during winter, particularly outdoors ones. And to be honest, I don’t mind a bit of hibernation time myself. However, babies continue to be conceived and born regardless of the temperature outdoors, and as I approach the third birthday of my son – my very own smack-bang-in-the-middle-of-winter-baby – I thought it might be a nice time to show you my most popular product for new parents…

…the Heartstory Digital Collection…

This double box luxury set holds two DVDs, one containing your maternity collection and the other containing your newborn collection, together with a 5×7.5″ print of every single image in both collections. For most maternity/newborn combos, this is between 50 and 70 prints.

I know why it’s such a popular choice for my beautiful maternity and newborn clients. Because they can’t bear the thought of parting with any of the images in their galleries – they want to keep all of them!  This is why I love doing maternity and newborn combinations so much – to be a part of such a special time in a family’s life is an absolute honour, a privilege and a joy. Maternity and newborn collections hold the most precious, dear memories and moments that can never be repeated.  In many ways it is far more momentous and life changing than getting married, and that is why I take the responsibility of photographing it extremely seriously. Heartstory digital collections are a luxury product and presented as such. Purchasing yours gives you unlimited access to print, share and forever treasure your images. You can make albums and other keepsakes, you can make gift prints for family members and friends, you can make a slideshow to be shown at a special event, the possibilities are endless.

Heartstory currently offers a complimentary maternity session with every newborn session booked. So there really is no excuse to miss out on the chance to be photographed while you’re pregnant, especially if it’s your first or last pregnancy! Please get in touch (0402 091 949 or katie@heartstoryphotography.com.au) to find out more about maternity/newborn sessions, or hop on over to the Heartstory website.

In completely unrelated news, Heartstory will be at Mathilda’s Market in Canberra on September 12! I am super excited about this and I hope to see some of you there!

Belinda told me she didn’t think about getting photos done during her pregnancy until she saw the most recent maternity session on  my blog. And then she changed her mind. I love that! These sessions are so, so special, even more so when it’s your first baby. Or your last. Or any in between!!!

The beautiful curves, the glow of anticipation, the warm loving vibe that emanates from every pregnant woman… they were all there when I met Belinda for our session yesterday. Throw in some gorgeous, late afternoon, autumn light and my creative vision, and you’ve got a beautiful collection of portraits from an amazing never-to-be repeated time in your lives.

Belinda and Glen are such a sweet couple, and so down-to-earth; I just know they are going to make wonderful parents, and I’m so looking forward to meeting their little bundle in a few weeks!

Enjoy your sneak peek guys. I’ll be in touch very soon. xo