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!

We all like to hibernate in winter. It’s understandable. But I say embrace it! It lasts for 4 (and sometimes 5) long months in Canberra, and that’s a big part of our lives in this beautiful city! But the sun is nearly always out, it’s easy to rug up and get outside, so I’m launching a winter special in honour of our brisk Canberra winter. Winter is a beautiful time of year for photography – gentle light, blue skies and everyone looks fantastic in scarves and beanies!

Your winter special session fee is only $100 (normally $165)!

This includes:

• 1 hour photo session
• A private online proof gallery with 25-30 images to choose from
• A complimentary 8×12″ print

Call Katie on 0402 091 949 or email katie@heartstoryphotography.com.au to book.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Available for kids only shoots, couples & families of up to 5 ($25 per extra person)
2. Sessions will take place in a selection of outdoors locations
3. A minimum spend of $550 on prints & other products applies
4. Afternoon sessions preferred (to avoid frost and fog), starting around 2.30pm
5. Sessions are available Tuesday – Saturday, July 1 – August 31. Which includes the entire school holiday season!

The first is that awake newborns are constantly moving; trying to figure out how different parts of their bodies work. In doing so, they pull strange faces, often go cross eyed, and flail their arms and legs around a lot, which when you sit and watch is fascinating and beautiful, but to capture that one perfect split second is extremely challenging. No parent really wants to see their precious beloved newborn baby pulling the world’s worst grimace, unless it’s to embarrass them with at their 21st!

But the other even more significant reason is that very young babies look quite different asleep. I think they look more like themselves, and more like the children they will soon grow into. Their faces are softer and their features seem more defined and unique. For little girls like four week old Gigi, you can really notice the soft, feminine curve of her eyelids, her pouty lips and the defined shape of her eyebrows. There’s something indescribably beautiful about sleeping babies. I quietly slip into my son’s room every night before I go to bed myself, and pretty much every night I have a moment of silent wonder as I look at his sleeping face.

When they’re asleep, I can be sure to capture every tiny, perfect detail from their squishy little toes to their perfect little eyelashes, just like these images of Gigi. Isn’t she exquisite?

Heartstory is becoming more and more sought after for newborn sessions. I typically spend 3-4 hours with your family in your home, capturing a combination of artistic portraits and lifestyle/documentary style images similar to what you see here (for more session previews, please select ‘newborn’ from the categories menu at the top of the page). I don’t bring studio lights or props – I want your collection to reflect your style and taste. I also take the time to photograph older siblings. The pace is relaxed, so there is plenty of time to attend to baby’s needs along the way. I approach each session differently, depending on you, your home and your baby.

If you have a baby arriving soon, and would like a Heartstory newborn session, please be sure to contact me before your baby is born. Sessions are best held within the first two weeks of baby’s life, however I happily accept bookings with newborns up to six weeks old. Sessions are typically held on weekday mornings. Most clients combine a newborn session with a maternity session, which is available for an additional $50 for the remainder of 2010. Please email or call me if you’d like more information: katie@heartstoryphotography.com.au | 0402 091 949

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.

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.

That is why I take newborn sessions so seriously. Why I love them so much. Why I feel blessed for hours afterwards.

These moments are more precious and more fleeting than any other moments in life that I can think of. I am so honoured to be there to capture them.

Meet sweet little Josephine, whose amazing mother loved and wanted her before she was even old enough to be one herself…

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!

This is Ella’s second pregnancy and doesn’t she look incredible?! I had such a ball photographing and editing these shots.

I hope you enjoy this sneak peek Ella, and I cannot wait to meet your gorgeous little bundle in a couple of weeks!

Heartstory offers complimentary maternity sessions with every newborn session booked, so it’s good to get your newborn session booked in at least 6 weeks before your due date so we have time to fit in your maternity session. Maternity sessions can be on your own, or with your partner and other children. Please don’t miss the chance to have this amazing and unique time in your life captured…