sam mothersole photography

family begins at home..............

2011-10-31T02:05:00.000-07:00

and this case in particular, it sure does.................

i LOVE doing sessions at your own home....... not only are the kids relaxed, and eager to show you EVERYTHING....hehe...but its just so perfect to be able to capture your own kids, doing what you see them do ......ALL the time !!! perfect !

this fabulous family was no exception...... the cool, calm and collected mum and dad........ and the two , energetic....outgoing........infectiously funny..... and just plain awesome kids !!

As with all my shoots... the kids are in charge.........!

{or atleast thats what i let them think !! }

and these kids were showing me all their tricks and treats !! and from a photographers perspective... thats great! so much variety !! .....

where do i start.......................where have i been .....................

2011-10-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

well...... yes, i am still here....i looked at the last date i was on here... sept 9.....wow.... ages ago......and i've done so much since then....that is sooooo blog worthy.........................
but to catch you up ............ my little family and i moved house............. which for anyone who has moved house knows.... consists of days to and from new house before official move to take loads out....... and then days to and from old house after official move to clean .........."exhausting" .... to say the least................
thankfully my tallman is WAY more organised than i.......... and had everything boxed up and packed ready stacked up in the garage..... labelled.... new house.... storage unit......skip bin........ super organised..... so while he was working all hours of the day and night during the RWC , i could happily plod along and take things here and there, and we didnt need to do a mad rush at all.............. so as far as moves go .... it was quite relaxed.......and because we moved to a house that is literally half the size of our old house......we had to down size, and we were ruthless...... so there wasnt really a huge amount of unpacking.........hehe..... its so cleansing to do that..... and being in a smaller space has made me more organised, and had to make use of storage ideas and all sorts...........i am still getting to our room...... we have the largest room ( ofcourse ) .... with a walk in wardrobe and bathroom ....and i have put my work desk/ mini office in the corner of the bedroom too..... as there isnt a spare room for it ... ( though i have thought i could use my wardrobe.... but my clothes and shelves of shoes have taken over .....haha..... ) anyway......... so here i am..... sitting on my computer updating my blog.......in our new little home..... we have traded our sea views and the sea air..... for the country......... paddocks and the country air....... and loving it !!! it seems to really suit us........... the dogs are super happy.... i havent seen our crazy sampson ( german shep/husky X ) so calm..... and thats saying something......lol ....... and its all one level for our old girl Phynn...... so no climbing 100 stairs to lie on the deck.......she just climbs a couple...... so easy ...... as for the kids...........well seth and corey are looking more and more like country kids every day............. and love exploring around the perimeter.... and usually with a dog in tow...... they have a great time ............ so thats about it............... there are so many beautiful spots out here i have seen on my walks....and drives... that i hope to be able to utilise at some stage for shoots............i feel inspired to take photos everywhere i look....... and that....being a photographer.....is a great thing ! so i'll pop some shots up for you .... so you can see our mini mansion....hehe.... its an old classroom from the 50's or beyond.... converted to a house........ LOVE it !!!the deck is large....needs some comfy chairs on there..... and we are yet to do the garden...and dig some holes for poles and attach some shade sails.... its rather roasting out there in the sun.... no shade anywhere...........i have planted a large vege garden round the back.............. and will extend it bigger next week !! so yeah..... thats about it........ thats where i have been .............. and in between all this ....i have been shooting......... that never seems to stop.............thank goodness....haha....... however i purposely allowed a few weeks of no shoots over the moving time..........just for my sanity!!!
but i'll show you our house... as modelled my kids........... ;)

little rockstar .............

2011-09-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

this groovy session was so fun ............. just wandering around the streets............ its a perfect example of how you can find cool locations everywhere.....and it doesnt have to be the ''stereo typical'' photographers location.......... random stairwells, walls, back of shops........ you name it .......... some cool graffitti and a very funky mum and daughter, and you are good to go !!

isnt just the cutest little button !!!

xx

some giggly cuteness

2011-09-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

i did this session back in june....for the june simple and sweet sessions and i realised, it hadnt made it to the blog........... and she is too cute to miss out on that !!!

meet miss milly............... giggly, cheeky, and down right adorable..................... she had a great 'party' bouncing on the bed and playing with all her pretties.........................................................................

( i am flicking through what hadnt made it to the blog cos of busy times..... so hopefully you can see some new sessions you havent seen yet ......... )

i am still here....i promise...........................

2011-09-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

it seems like ages since i did a blog post.......... tut tut ..... sooo naughty.,,.....i dont even know where all the time has gone....... we have had so much going on ..........loads of shoots to tell you about , and workshops........ and we are moving house.......so alot of personal stuff going on aswell as loads of photography goodies going on too.........
but tonight............well............i'll just post a couple of teeny tiny babies i met recently............ there is something about those newborns................and yeah.....i am no newborn specialist......i am more used to older babies and toddlers and up..........once they are interacting with me and i can get that connection................. but those teeny tiny hands and teeny tiny bodies.......well how can anyone not like that !!

so on this grey saturday afternoon here in arkles bay, auckland, new zealand........... i will let you have a wee cluck cluck moment over these tiny people........................

One little man, and one little lady........... both under 2 weeks old......... and oh so precious.........i got loads of snuggly cuddles from both too......... yay......... so sweet.....................................................

i will make sure i get my organised and start posting some awesome family sessions that i have in the pipeline for you ............... so many wonderful families, and some really fun locations ..............cant wait to share !!! ........i am sooooo looking forward to summer........although i think we have finally hit spring now....thank goodness for that.....i was starting to feel like my legs and arms were never going to see the light of day....hidden under jerseys......and jeans for months now........................poor pale skin......hahaha....... i am looking forward to starting the vege garden again....and getting our gardens at the new house looking all ''ours'' and that means lots of outdoor time............ cant wait............ will be sure to let you all know when we move.....and are all settled................................. keep following my facebook if you can , there are loads of exciting things going to happen in the coming months..................................... :) i dont want you to miss out ....xoxooxo

bye for now.........
xooxxoxo

what is my style...... its taken me so many years to answer this!

2011-07-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

i follow so many great International photographers, and after seeing a posting on a blog recently about this topic, made me want to have a chat about it too.............
As a new photographer, following others for inspiration is what we do ........ getting ideas, seeing how they do things, what works what doesnt,....... yet i did, like we all do , go through many times where i would compare my work to theirs, and think....'am i supposed to be more like that ?' but yet when i would try, it would feel so wrong and strained, and i was concentrating WAY too hard !!! lol .....
a few months ago was the first time, that i saw someone write on facebook... " i can spot sam's work anywhere, she has a style thats like no other "....WOW ....biggest compliment EVER !! and since then i have really noticed that for the past 12 months, i feel i have finally found myself ! as cheesey as it sounds !
i used to plan plan plan shoots......... and now i dont ! simple as that ! ( apart from working with the family to plan location etc ) i dont put so much pressure on myself and FINALLY it seems to come naturally now..........
so i wanted to say ....... for any newbies starting out and feeling completely bewildered .......and i am so so humbled and touched that i have been getting emails from people asking me things like this.........as cliche as it sounds, be yourself ! try not to even look at what photographers in your area are doing.........it will drive you batty...... i take inspiration from photographers in other countries........ and then get off my butt and go and take photos! i seem to have a certain way that i view the world, and you will too............. do what you love and how you want to do it !! ( i have said so many times that i would happily do this all for free ! i really do love it..... and making people smile, laugh or cry when they see the images of their kids ...but we all know it wouldnt pay the bills that way..... )dont feel influenced by so many people saying you should or shouldnt offer digital files, do what ever you want............ that side has never been an issue for me...... i really wouldnt want to keep them from anyone, and feel that its a totally arrogant thing to do so............ ( just a sore spot ! haha) and hey, i have probably insulted a large majority of the industry right there.....but thats just how i feel about it.... so i do what i want to do ....... and that is why people keep coming back !

if you like darker shades, vibrant colours, and shadows....then make that work for you ....define your style....make all your coloured shots have similar tones, make them YOU ...so you can see they all come from you ! make sure all your b&w images have the same tones....to define that they are from you !!....its how you want the world to be seen......... i love showing people how i see the world......... i love showing people how i want the world to be seen...through my eyes............ and i finally feel like i have found it ! and consistently seem to manage that ........ there is no WRONG way........ make it how you like it !!! end of story !!

be you !! best advice anyone ever gave me !!!

its the simple things..............

2011-06-29T02:47:00.000-07:00

gorgeous little guy to show off for me ........check..........

sweet family moments..........check...........

big comfy bed .......... check............

gorgeous light..........check...........

its the simple things......................

gorgeous nakita ..... teen portraits

2011-06-25T01:53:00.000-07:00

In between the weather that auckland is well known for ................ rain....................i managed to get out for 30-40mins with this gorgeous 14yr old, my neighbour Nakita............we literally used our ''backyard"....and these photos are all taken within 2 mins of our houses...........on our road................. isnt it pretty...........!!
and just perfect considering the weather today ! it was pouring so heavily 10 mins before we left, and then cleared to these blue skies......... yay auckland ........... sooooooooooo unpredictable at this time of year !
hope you and your mum & dad love the photos Nakita, so much fun hanging out with you this morning ...... us rebels in the middle of the road ! lol

enjoy
xoxoxo

sam

my babies............

2011-06-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

this is a post from a mummy , who happens to be a photographer for a living..... so yes, my kids are soooooooo used to having their pic taken....... and yes...... i am sometimes a culprit for not taking enough photos of them ........... and yes, they do sometimes say NO .!! haha.....

you would have seen quite a bit of corey lately, she's at the age ( 3.5 ) where she loves having her pic taken , she loves it....but only for like, 5 mins........ hurry up mum !! lol

where as my bean, aka seth, is harder to pin down, almost six now, i cant believe it....he will be 6 in august , and my cute little bean is turning into a smart mouthed little horror....hahaha ...kidding....he is such a good boy, and yes, there are plenty of moods, and some days i arent sure who's child he is .....but my sweet , sensitive, ''stick insect'' , is growing and changing ....... he has now lost 4 teeth !! 4 !!! the most recent ones being the top front two ....so i cant resist but call him Gappy......... and say things like " mind the gap " ...hahaha ( those in or who have been on the london underground will get that one ;)

he laughs at me, and knows what i am like, so puts up with it ....hehe.... i do get the look somedays.....''its not that funny mum " ( said as i am giggling at myself and my funniness )

so i have been saying for so long............document your kids as they are........... dont go washing the dirty knees, cleaning the face of lolly evidence, or paint............... how ever your kids are right....gaps and all ...... get their photos done !!! get out your camera, dont wait for the bruise to fade....or wait for the new teeth to come in......... this is them !! why would you want to miss that !!! i will forever now remember that when i look at these pics of sethy, oh ,yeah, i called him gappy .....hehe........

so here is my seth ( aka bean - stick insect - gappy ) ........... in his room ( he is spiderman obsessed ) ........being his usual rockstar self........... hehe..........

i love his little spattering of freckles and love that i can see we have the same eyes, same eye colour too .....and the rest of him is his daddy........
oh and it goes without saying , that there is no show without punch ..........so here is the little sister too .......had to have shots on her bed too ..........

and then the two of my babies together................. their little personalities shine through so brightly.......... corey - the annoying little sister............ wants to make seth laugh etc.....
seth - mr cool dude....... cool, calm , collected.........and well............. i swear he looks at his sister with one eyebrow raised most days ! hahaaha ( i get the same reaction from his father....hahaha..... )
i am so so so in love with the laughing shot of seth ......... his lips really are that colour !! ( he gets that from me ...teehee ) its so natural and he has a little bit of mummy in there, cos he is laughing at himself....he'd pulled a face at corey seconds before this.....hehe.....

so there you have it ............. my babies............... as they are ......today !

now go and photograph yours...................

xxxx

a very windy afternoon.................

2011-04-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Windy , yes.................... i didnt realise how windy until we all got there and .....well....it was hilarious.................. thankfully there are still plenty of shots that you cant tell how windy it was............ but there are so many ''out takes'' ..... i swear we were laughing the ENTIRE time.............. that wind ! my goodness !

but we did have a wee adventure, and it was so fun ........................... 4 locations....................... ( all very close together.....)......
so we had a good variety............and here is a wee taste......................
arent they are good looking family ! and this is the 3rd time i have photographed these kiddies......................and its always the hugest compliment to be asked back.................

makes me all warm and fuzzy........................

hope you enjoy your previews, amanda and brad................ its just a small taste,,,,,
( your gallery will be up soon )

hugs
sam
xoxo

so many cuties at my house !!!

2011-04-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

I had the absolute joy, and pleasure to have so many little models at my house the other day............ all kindly volunteering to be my little pawns.....my little models........ my little smiley faces for a super cute little shoot , for one of my favourite handmade businesses...........natural star ! ............if you dont know who natural star are, then shame on you !............. or maybe you dont have kiddies....hehe.......so fair enough......the wonderful brenda, designs and knits these gorgeous vintage inspired hats and headbands......amoungst other things............ and arent they so so so cute ! i am a fan, incase you didnt know .......hehe........ so ofcourse photographing them for her was so much fun ! i thought we'd try something a little different...........and out there............ so why not use Dorris............. yes, Dorris, the Morris......... hehe.....she is well loved by all the children that she comes in contact with .................... and isnt she lovely......she is my first baby ................. way before i had kids, i had Dorris........... *sigh* ..... it was such a rainy day too.....so the odd shots from outside the car you see, are me under a brolly, and otherwise it was me , the child, and usually a mummy all cosy inside Dorris......... keeping out of the rain ....hehe...it was fun to say the least .....and all the kids were great !!! thank you to all the mummies for bringing them along......
Check out natural star and get your gorgeous kids ready for this chilly winter !

more up my sleeve.........................

2011-04-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

yes , i know...............i always seem to have something on the go................and mainly its cos i really do think i am on a quest .....hehe a quest .....funny word.....makes me feel like a knight .........but yes, a quest to find a way i can really offer something for everyone.......................
i have large packages.................yes, i have large canvas's.............yes, they arent cheap, i arent cheap......but i am not over priced either............and people seem to like my work .......hehe.......so it seems to work....so far.............
i have a ton of stuff going on ........give aways... the auction coming up on trademe for domestic violence.....
.( i'm the first to admit i probably giveaway too many ....... but anyone who knows me , knows , well i'm kind , although it could be seen as a weakness.....my kindness is by no means my weakness............it may however be my business downfall hahahaaha...... you dont make money by giving stuff away sam !!!! but i am the first to admit that ! so thats step one right !!! )
i have some exciting stuff going on right with work......working on exciting new info packs to send out to families ...........little commercial shoots up my sleeves that i am doing............ plus the exciting Real Nappies baby hunt............and the shoot for that in June ! plus my own comp on my facebook page............ ( which you need to enter if you havent yet !!! ) ......plus ofcourse all my lovely clients and families that are awaiting galleries and sessions......so its fun ! to say the least.................but me, the ever so impulsive one ............wants to try something else....and why the hotcross bun not !!!
plus its almost that time of year...........winter.......and yes, rainy season , i like to call it............ which unfortunately means for me , alot of postponed location shoots i am sure.......... sometimes we can have a cold but dry-ish one....... but hey, i am realistic............hehe....it rains ALOT !!!
Some of you may remember about 2 yrs ago now, i stopped doing mini sessions................................... but i did promise i would bring them back .........in some form or another................ and as promised.................i am currently working on how i am going to do that .......................................and i got a good little kick up the bottom and inspiration from a fabulous photographer in the US who is running something similar.........
so...........................................................................................
i have tons of parking here at home, and i have a space downstairs...............just a bedroom............with great light...............so in true 'sam style' thought i would chuck a baby or two on the bed down there and take a few pics...... i am planning what backdrop i will paint..................... but i am thinking bright, simple white...........on a comfy bed...........with pillows etc.....and have some serious fun , in a very 'sam ' way ofcourse !! jumping on the bed, sitting all cute on the bed......... kids and babies alike love beds ! they are the place i go straight away at any ''home sweet home'' shoot i do ........the comfort of mum and dads bed.......so these sessions will be for babies and young kids only..............on one day of the week...........and one only !!!
it will be a wednesday with the first one being wednesday 25th may .......................not sure how often i will do this yet.........as i currently offer my wicked wednesday photoshoot .....which is very popular..............but if the demand is there i will let this mini session day , take over that , every wednesday.....atleast until i sell our house............as i LOVE the idea i can offer ''more affordable '' mini versions of my larger shoots, for young babies, so parents can get a session done 2-3 times a year at different stages of growth.........and hey, no travelling for me, and purely digital packages only, so the outlay for me is alot less, and therefore i can offer them at a more affordable price.....................flick me an email if you would like to book, .........payment in full is required at time of booking to secure your spot...........extra dates will be announced if it turns out to be popular............................
( aimed at babies and children 5yrs and under )

"simple and sweet sessions "
(babies & children only )
wednesday 25th may .
each session to be 20 mins
time slots 10:00, 10:30,11:00, 11:30,12:00,
10-15 high res digital files.
$250

testing testing.....123

2011-04-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

now that i have jazzed up my blog.................. dont you love it ! pretty huh !!!!
i'm a photographer, i am not a graphic artist, computer techy person.....so its a real achievement for me that i can redo my own blog and website........... yay !! not saying it wouldnt be a whole lot more awesome if i had it done by a graphic designer......... but ........i like them !!!

now i was trying to figure out how to get larger photos on here........... so thought i'd test with a pic of my little corey.................looking all angelic............playing on her brother's bed......ignoring mummy and her camera....playing with the horse from toy story.....whats his name ???? i forget.........

my sweet boo........ my living doll...........

on top of the world...........

2011-04-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

I admit, i did a little happy dance when i got to this location............. i beat the family there by a few minutes and had a chance to do my happy dance......hehe....long grass that wasnt bright green !!! what a treat !! haha, i know we are blessed here in NZ to have such green grass everywhere and especially up in our area , an abundance of grassy areas........... but you have to understand , this was something i ADORE ........ long , dried, golden grass.....i swear i think i live in the wrong country..........perhaps i am destined to be in Aussie, or in a hot part of the US....... that golden-ness just suits my style so much !

What a special little corner of the world these guys have,......their section.......... so beautiful.........we had alot of fun, as you will see..........balloons galore............... and lots of laughs................
so much love here, and it was a privilege to capture that ...........there was so many favourites from this session i could've just put the whole shoot up ........... but i narrowed it to these, but there were so many i fell in love with .......

i hope you enjoy your preview Rachel and Regan , thank you so much for inviting me to hang out with you and your sweet family .

hugs
sam

xoxoxo

xxxxx

a very content, tiny man.........

2011-04-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

An afternoon spent at their farm, on a beautiful summers day.......... we parked up under a shade sail and got to work photographing and cooing over this handsome wee man.............at a whopping 6wks old..........he is certainly an old soul and looks way beyond his ''weeks''.....
so beautiful.............................as you can see , he was wide wide awake for a wee while, chatting away,,,,,and then faded.......and became the sleepy head i was waiting for................................................................cute !
this was an extra special session for us, as this wee man is my husbands younger brother......... ( half brother)..... 33yrs between them :)

beautiful baby tamati ...welcome to the family xx

hugs xoxo
sam

a surprise for mum............

2011-04-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

i cant believe i hadnt blogged about this..........we did this shoot early march........and on a beautiful late late late afternoon........ such beautiful light..........a beautiful spot........and they were so patient with me......changing the venue last minute,and adding a couch....................... and when i say last minute.............i mean last minute............sorry....rather impulsive creative one here.....hahahaa....but they were up for it and i oh so glad we did.............i LOVE this session..............and what makes it even more spesh, is that is was a surprise pressie for their mum's 40th................. which is today..........so i can blog it now................cos she will have her disk and beautiful large story-teller canvas we designed........................... this was a FULL B&W session....... which i also LOVE .............and it all just WORKED so well ! i love it when that happens !! look how beeeeautiful these kids are.............what good genes !!!! :)

such great young people.................i had such fun , and i'm so impressed they did all the weird things i asked them to do .....hehe :)

hugs xoxoxo
sam

sweet and simple...........

2011-04-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

I really have to get back into this habit.........blogging..........about everything i do.................not sure you want to know what i ate for breakfast, but maybe just a wee posting every now and then with a shoot etc ...........hehe....that i can to ..........and i do love to babble..................... so here we go............................

Firstly i have to say, i call myself a Custom Photographer, because i Customise each and every session to you ......... so as you can see when you scroll through previous blog posts, no two sessions will be the same.........yes there may be similarities, in that they liked the style i did one in...and requested that too........which is normal, but its still done completely for them, and captured them as they are............ so how can there be 2 that are the same......there cant be................ yeah sure, i can get rather impulsive and throw couches on beaches, and cots in fields..........but not all my shoots are that way...........sometimes we do simple and sweet.........such as this gorgeous family............... simple and sweet,and i'm so glad we kept it simple, there is something so raw and loving about watching a family just snuggle up and have moments to themselves, like i arent even there........hehe.... and the dog....oh that dog ! wow ! what a beautiful animal !

such a pleasure to meet this lovely family ........
hugs xoxoxo
sam

a little bit of kiwi summer...........

2011-03-30T02:55:00.000-07:00

well, i think this session deserves to be on the blog............ so i feel like i have finally had time to 'blog it' ..........
alot of thought goes into each session i do , so that its personal to you ........... your family............your kids...........you dont want to look at something on your wall where you think......oooh thats really not us....all stiff and still........... lol............ so i had a lot of fun when i was set the 'challenge' from a mummy wanting 'kiwiana'......... i straight away pictured a really old caravan park.camp ground.......... and especially seen as cool old caravans are SOOOOO hot right now............ hehhee....
so i scoped out a few places............and found the perfect spot..................and i think...........well i hope..........i managed to get a look of retro / kiwiana / old kiwi summers.............. in to our session..........you be the judge...............

the chance finding of an old tyre swing , was a bonus.......... and i love that the caravans were still visible in the background..............
i had seen this precious red caravan when i was ''scoping''out the camp ground...and fell in love with it.....as did the mum of these two gorgeous ones............. and we asked the incredibly sweet old man who was in it, if he minded if we took some photos.............. bless him , he thought we meant of him......hehe.....but he very kindly said ofcourse we could.........
we started heading back to the car...........and came across this awesome fence, and old school bus shelter........... the colours , i just love............. and well, as you can see.........these kids worked it !!!!! they were awesome !!!!

so lucky to have so many cool backdrops at our disposal..................................
but i love the challenge ................ and i love the challenge when told what ''theme'' or look or personality we are going for ..............

enjoy
xoxoxo
sam

gorgeous carter and louie............

2011-03-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

I know i havent done some blog love for since before xmas.........but lets get back into it......... and i can start babbling..............
there is one thing any photographer knows and loves.........when a family asks you back......... time and time again, its the hugest form of flattery.......... and this lovely session was no exception............ i have now photographed this gorgeous wee man , 3 times............ and this time got to meet his new baby brother aswell............
i could have stayed and played all afternoon.......... what little characters.....loved it !!!
you might recognise this wee man as one of the "ittiBitti" models from last years shoot at the beach........
we started inside on mummy and daddy's bed.....any kids fave place....and when told to 'jump'.... well....enough said really.............. we had a huge amount of laughs, this little guy is quite the entertainer....and loves having his photo taken....as you can see.....plus i am nice....hehe.... and thankfully....nothing to be afraid of....lol.
we headed out the gorgeous deck area after....for some car races .....and baby in a basket action.... and then back inside to get little louie by himself..................perfect lighting and a perfect evening for it ..........

to finish it of nicely, throw in a beautiful mummy ............................ i ADORE the ones with mummy in them....and especially LOVE the one where mum and bubs are having cuddles and carter is sitting there watching me...................... CUUUTE with a captial C !!
thanks so much laura and harley, for inviting me to your home to photograph your beautiful boys...... i hope you enjoy your preview.............. ( i just noticed i put the same photo twice...ooops )

much love
sam
xxoxoxo

giant mushrooms, wild flowers and the cutest little button .....

2010-11-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

.... playing on top of the hill at Mt victoria, here in Auckland, who knew there were that many spots to use...... we had giant mushrooms........ gorgeous wild flowers......... and well....a view to boot !
it was a super bright day.... and slightly on the windy side....but we had a great play its safe to say , she warmed to me ...... and i even got a kiss at the end...... :)

i got my fix of spring too, so many pretty flower shots....with the prettiest little poppet in amoungst them all.........

i made sure we got a few shots with her gorgeous mummy too.......

i hope you enjoy your proper preview lisa, and xxx ( blowing kisses ) to maya ...

your little parcel will be with you shortly .

enjoy
xoxo
sam

backyard playtime..........

2010-10-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

hanging out in the backyard , can be equally as cool as any location..............

this lovely family were the winners of the session giveaway back in march......... and we finally got around to meeting each other.... and had such a good laugh.

how cute is that little darling !!!!!!!

i hope you enjoy your little preview angela, and your goodies will be winging there way to you very soon ...... :)

enjoy

sam

xoxoxo

a little drive and a play in the middle of nowhere..........

2010-10-09T01:23:00.000-07:00

i knew exactly where i wanted to head with this wonderful family.......
now, although i couldnt find it at first, - it had been years since i had been there, and we went right past the street.... -
but we eventually found our way to this precious little church .......
and everything was on our side......
the rain stopped, and the late afternoon sun poured across at just the right moments.......
we had such a good play....... flying model planes, tons of cuddles, and cool hats............ the list goes on..... and i cant show you all ......... but here is a sneak peek of just a few...........

Add caption

such cool planes !!!! i really want one !! haha....
thanks for letting me be part of your afternoon, and hang with your wonderful family, lou and andy , it was so much fun .

enjoy your sneak peek, your full gallery will be up soon :)
xoxoxxo
sam

a new spin

2010-09-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

well, for those who follow my facebook page, you will have seen the new link and info for workshops......... yes, i change my mind on names more than i change my nickers........ but now its set and its going to be this !! http://loveandsoul.com.au/blog/
its very exciting and happened very fast ! but its so good when you have some one else to give you a good kick in the pants !! and get the ball rolling .......... everything will still be very me..... and the way i want it , as i had visioned , and there will be the odd ones where i do them alone, and then some where we have the pleasure of having the lovely tanya here to play in nz too ......... and the same will be for australian workshops....... some of which tan will do alone, ( although i would love to be there for all, its just not practical to keep running to oz....but we shall see ... ) and some of which i will be joining her !
i hope this 'collaboration' will also spread the word faster, and to a wider audience, nz & australia, and also at the same time , help us out with the workload, as its alot of work for one person......... so sharing the load is ideal............ and how fantastic to be able to bounce ideas off someone !!! get confidence and praise from someone ...who also shares your thoughts and feelings on so many things ! and whom i am still yet to meet !! thats right ! we have a 'facebook' /internet relationship, and i am SUPER excited to finally meet her next month !
but trust me........ together we will be hilarious !!!
whats even more exciting ....... or should i say AS exciting as all this news is the e-books !!!! i have had people, on at me for a while to do e-books for mums ........... and just expand from the saturday night ''ask sam '' episodes on fb, and really put together something that covers what i want to teach...........
and tan has helped with that !! she had started the e-books already, and i had started the workshops........ so its was just perfect that we came together at the time we did !!! *sigh* ....its meant to be and its going to be awesome !! i can just feel it !!!
for those of you who arent aware of tan's fantastic work.............. check out her website , if you havent already ...... http://lovebytes.com.au/

so here's to the future and i'm very excited that you get to take this journey right beside me !!!!!!!

xoxooxo

new package......well , bringing back an old one !

2010-09-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

well i have been thinking lately that i miss my little babies..... and when i say MY , i dont really mean my own, i mean the little darlings that i get the joy of hanging out with and staring into those larger than life eyes ! ......i think for the last 6 months i have been mainly photographing families and kiddies over 2yrs....which i adore and wouldn't change it for the world... but i do miss the special little age of 6-10mths..... oh how precious and sweet they are ! and so after much deliberation ( well to be honest i really miss bubbies so it wasn't that hard a decision) .... i have decided to make up a package purely for this age group !( well bring back one i used to have !!! ) The Precious Moments Package is back !!! This package is oooodles cheaper than my normal pricing, as i felt like because they are at that '' really cute, i just sit here age !" , i couldnt justify charging that much ! and i can do the session faster! so hence the reason why it costs less than HALF the price of a normal session with me .
i have made a pretty flyer thingee below, but the idea is that this package is for parents wanting to update the wall./ album / grandparents.... with a few recent images , rather than a huge amount of shots........ hence the reason for a 30minute session, mid week .........where my normal sessions are upto 2hrs..... and ideally aimed at ''running'' children ....haha.....I plan on doing these sessions in the same fashion as i did my infamous Mini sessions last year........ in your home, on your bed....... etc...seen as these little darlings tend to just sit or crawl.......and look beautiful ! Spaces are limited as i fit these around my other sessions.... so get your spot secured with your deposit of $99, paying the remainder on the day, or before the day!
(This is NOT a xmas special, or only on offer for a limited time.......its a new piece of the furniture so i can get my bubby fix !! )
xxx

bula !

2010-09-06T04:12:00.000-07:00

who would pass up an opportunity to have a wee holiday in fiji and go to the wedding of two very special friends.......... this trip had a couple of firsts for me.......the first holiday me and the tall man have had since we married 6 yrs ago, and the first without our kids for 5 days !!! wow !and my first wedding in 2years ( that i have photographed ) ....so i felt rather nervous...... but these two are super chilled .....and my nerves soon passed........ ( although now i am feeling nervous for these to be shown...eek )
such a special location........ beautiful weather ....... gorgeous models for me.......what more could anyone ask for........hehe...... ( someone to scratch my itchy sunburnt back would be good about now ! )
ok... here you go ..... as we are our own worse critics, i will shut up about now..... and let you judge these yourselves............be nice , xoxox

a golf cart charriot......... white sand beaches...........and just the right amount of bling..........

enjoying some 'private time' ( with me ...hehe ) and taking off the shoes !...... we were spoilt for awesome backdrops!

.......... your sneak peeks Mr and Mrs Giles .... with BIG LOVE from me to you xoxoxoxoxo

enjoy
xoxoxo
sam

The first one of my workshops !!!!

2010-08-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

well.... its been a long time in the making , and like all working mums know..... other things , like our children, always come first, and that was the case here...... i have been planning and sussing this out for a few months, and then all of sudden my big boy was turning 5 ! and i had to sort out his school stuff, and his graduation from preschool and his party !!! yes, i did know earlier that this was to happen..... but yet it still seemed to sneak up from behind !!!
so here we are...... he has started school .....( one week in ....and so far loves it ! ) and so mummy is feeling like i am getting on top of all the ''unfinished'' bits and bobs......
so for all of you who were keen for this ...here you go !!!
For the first one, i have kept the spaces limited to 6 mums, so everyone can have an opportunity to ask questions, and seen it will be just little old me..... i dont want anyone to feel like they didnt get a chance to ask what they wanted.......... and ofcourse i think its more ME , to have a group for coffee and talk about photography, have a good laugh and have some fun taking pics ! any bigger, and it would be more commercial and impersonal , i am so NOT that ! as so many of you know !!!
This first one will have a small bit of techo stuff....but as its me teaching you, i dont get too techo...... and i would rather focus on how i find the perfect light, making the most of light etc..... and all about composition and framing ( with your surroundings ) ...... creative points of view...thinking outside the square and showing you how i think and what i look for when photographing kids........ aswell as me teaching you what to say to your kids to achieve a more natural photo.....oooh i could go on..... but we get to have a good chat and you can pick my brain ! i am by NO means claiming to be AWESOME , but i know how to photograph kids, and thats what i will teach you to do !!! so you can photograph your own confidently !

i look forward to meeting you lovely mummies and hopefully you can leave the workshop feeling more confident using your camera and photographing & documenting your wee ones from now on !!

This is NOT a workshop for photographers, this is for mums with fancy cameras, who a) have no real idea of how to use them..... and b) for mums who want to take better photos of their kids !

oops almost forgot to say.......... all finer points will be disclosed to you after you have booked and paid.
Workshop location to start is Arkles Bay, whangaparaoa.

thanks everyone xoxoxoxo
i'm very excited about this !!!

xx
sam

worth the wait...

2010-07-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

well.....at this time of year i do expect to have to postpone at least one shoot due to weather, and this lovely family was one of them........ so we were waiting for a fine day - aka - not pouring with rain ! - and look at the day we got !!!! well if i was being honest, it was sooooooooo sunny ......... i prefer overcast......hahaha....but we wanted to stay in the sun, cos the shade was freeeezing !!!! .but it was great to finally get to meet them .......
there was dancing , shaking your booty, and loads of giggles during our morning session..........and there is really nothing better to any photographer, than a good looking family ..... :)
i wanted to really bring the surroundings in , so some posed ones for definitely called for...........but it was the moments in between those poses that i love the best ! ...... these kids were characters........... as you will see................

woody was also a key component to our shoot...... hehe..... .......look at those gorgeous faces !!

up on top of the world.................. super sunny......... doesnt even look like a winters day !!

plenty of little moments amidst it all............ i do love the matching shirts on the young two......soooo cute!

Thanks so much for having me at your beautiful home naomi and troy .....it was such a pleasure to meet you both and your gorgeous family ........ i hope you like your sneak peeks.....plenty more to come..........

enjoy
sam
xx

a chilly sunday morning.....

2010-07-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

wow it was cold !! it took a good 15 mins before my hands could even function to use my camera !
but it was a beautiful day ! and it was so so lovely to see this family again ! i photographed this little lady when she just turned 1. ....and after a few postponed sessions this year, we finally managed to all be healthy and the weather be fine, for us to be able to do our session , yay !!

i was surprised there were still leaves all over the ground.......... but as you can see, they were greatly appreciated, and thoroughly enjoyed !!

a lovely mix of autumn leaves and nature, and with the autumn colours of the old brickwork ....... made this place full of eye candy for me.......... i was keeping a sideways glance on the swans/geese /and ducks in the lake though......... some of them looked way too big !!!! eeeeeek.......

i hope you enjoy your little peek melissa and hedley , i had such fun following around chloe....she is a real little lady now and full of character and cheeky charm........ loved it !!

chat soon

enjoy
sam
xoxoxoxox

personal ramblings......... my big boy

2010-07-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

well, i thought i would get a quick ramble in before i head to bed............ again its midnight and thats when i get all my good ideas....... hahaha....sleep is never one of those ideas....although i need it desperately!!!
my thoughts have been here , there and everywhere, and with getting things printed for work....branding etc....and new projects happening.....my mind is fairly occupied........ but thats not what this post is about.........
this is a post as a mum........ not a photographer......... as all i can think about is that my big boy, my first born, my beloved bean, and my bestest little friend in the whole wide world is about to turn 5, and i am finally realising that he is not a ''preschooler'' , a ''toddler'' or a ''baby'' anymore .... :(
it brings tears to my eyes, and i guess only mums who have kids at school will understand this...........but wow.

i am so proud of this wee man, he is wise beyond his years, and is my little buddy and although we can butt heads too...... ( he is very much like his father to look at, and majority of his cruisy, mellow personality, but he got some of my fiesty-ness in there too......) and are as stubborn as each other..................i will feel rather lost without him ........... i have work, and a rather beautiful little angel 2 yr old to keep my company, but there is something about that first born.............and a son especially............. my bean, i love you , and i am so proud of you , and although you are more than ready for 'big school' , and are sooooo excited........ mummy will pretend to be........ :) i'm sure i will soon get into the swing of it all ...hahaha.....but for now........... i'll watch you sleep and count your wee spatter of freckles across your cheeks on that perfect little pale complexion.........as thats bound to be the only times i can get away with it..............without being told...'mummy stop staring '..........but always being followed with a 'mum i love you ' .................
my bean. xoxoxooxxo
this cheeky little face will soon be exposed to big kids, the big bad world, and school uniforms..........
the countdown has begun......4 weeks till his first day of school.............

xoxoxooxo
mummy

sandy and soaked on a sunny winters day ...........

2010-07-13T04:40:00.000-07:00

it was one of the warmest days we have had in a wee while............ and thank goodness for that too !! as we were hitting the beach !!! yes, hmmm its been reeeeealllly cold here lately...... winter has hit, thats for sure ! but i am thankful for this day..... the sun warmed me up.....as did chasing around the golden sand after this busy little man........... oh and my boots are still drying out.............. one week later..........hahahaha......... that water was ICEY !!!! bbbrrr but there was so much to explore and he is just at that age where everything is AWESOME !

the first shot, is him copying me ....lol..... i used my large lens for this session..... so that is his one :)

yay he looked at me !! hehe.... the beach has its pros and cons....cons being....there is way more cooler stuff there for a little boy than some lady with a big fancy camera........... ... but enough silly remarks and saying that there was iggle piggle in my camera did the trick :) sssshhhh trade secret !!!

Belinda, here is your sneak peek.....of your big boy that is !! your wee one is still to come....... but i will surprise you with those when your gallery is up xxxx hope this keeps you going a few more days :)

enjoy
xoxoxo
sam

so perfectly cheeky...

2010-07-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

There just really isnt anything more gorgeous than baby skin......how flawless.....how perfect.....translucent.....etc etc etc........ everything i want my skin to still be .....hahaha....... thats a whole other blog post !!! :)
This gorgeous wee creature was pure joy to photograph, and yes i am always clucky and love all the babies i photograph, just as well, huh .....cos if i didnt like babies, i wouldnt be a very good baby photographer ! hehe

we went for simple...............as you will see......... this little one is a model in the making , giving me so many LOOKS ...... her range of expressions was so entertaining.......i LOVED it !!!

had to get some with her extra cute big brother ...aka spiderman................... i love it when i manage to capture a wee moment like this.............. any parent will know...... these moments of 'love' overshadow the zillions of times they are trying to kill each other :) and as for the 'sock shot' well they were poking out ...!! how could i resist !! hehe

There are so many more , this is just a wee taster...........
Kevin and Bianca, i hope you love your sneak peek, and i'll get the rest all done for you very soon ......
They are such little cuties ! xxx

enjoy
xxx
sam

a special pressie for my niece.....

2010-06-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

As a present for the last 2 years in a row, i have done photoshoots with my gorgeous ( almost tween ) niece.... with a special friend invited along for some fun aswell, as you can imagine.......there were loads of giggles............. 9/10 yr old girls, thats all they do , right ??? hehe....and pose ofcourse !!!

we went for a soft, vintage-ish feel to this one............ and utilised my vintage suitcase and armchair......

where as last year was all about the surroundings of downtown auckland, very urban , modern clothes....... cool buildings........... this time we were at a very picturesque park in lovely coatesville, and i was pleasantly surprised that there was still traces of autumn leaves, which i wasnt expecting at all ...............

this is my gorgeous niece.....look at all that hair !!!!! and those legs that go forever !!!!

we were running under cover ( thank goodness for the gorgeous coatesville hall ) every 15 mins when the rain would come across.........i am so surprised we didnt all fall flat on our faces !!! it was muddy, slippery, you name it....... but when the rain went away.......... the light was devine !!!!!

and i pulled my 70-200 f 2.8 out of hibernation ....... i know i know........ i'm sure most of you photographers will be saying....what !! why dont you use it all the time??? well i dont know........ its heavy !!! and i was put off using it after doing weddings with it.......... but i had such fun with it on this session, i think it might just make an appearance more often..............

did i say giggles ?????

oh and the umbrella blew inside out a few times too !!!!

Happy birthday to my lovely chrissie xoxoxo

i hope you had a great time, and love how beeeautiful you look !!! ( and your gorgeous friend polly too ! )

big hugs

aunty sam

xoxoxoxoxo

just pure cuteness..............

2010-06-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

Its always a huge compliment, if not the hugest !! compliment, when families come back for more...... and thats what this one was...... and i am so happy they did ! i photographed this gorgeous big boy when he was just 6 months old.................... so seeing him again, almost a year later, with his cousins, was lovely .
i had such fun photographing these monkeys, they gave me plenty of variety , thats for sure........ we were out , we were in .....and with a beautiful house as our backdrop, i was in heaven.
there is just something simply beautiful about dark floors and white walls..... so striking and simple, and as you can see, look awesome in b&w !
all wrapped up warm, we ventured outside for a wee play on the 'neighborhood swing' ....

it was one of those perfectly overcast days............... the colours really popped !!

as you will see, inside, i got rather carried away ----- there was just cute little faces everywhere i looked !!!

crisp , simple, glorious b&w........... yep, i am a fan ......
look at their special little brother and sister moment ..... it melted me while i was editing these....there are lots of these !!!

trying to get the three cousins together in one shot.....hhhmmmm well....... we got some ...... kind of ....LOL

but hey, its them being them............. and who would want to change that !!!!

hehee
cute little darlings !!!

such a pleasure ........... thank you so much libby and mel, i hope you enjoy your sneak peeks......

xoxo
sam

a little bit vintage ..........

2010-06-18T05:10:00.000-07:00

Everything i love ........... tea parties, vintage china, cakes.......... and a cute family to boot !!!
it was such a pleasure to do a session with these lovelies, we have such similar taste........
starting off in the park......... a cute little tea party........ well....... a cake party...... and i tell you , those cakes didnt last long at all !! hehehe..... for a little lady ,she had a great appetite that morning .... i had to snap the cake shots fast......
what a picture of cuteness, she had me in stitches! and kept making get-a-ways.....

after the 'feast' we had some mummy and daddy cuddles too...... and although we were interrupted with the 'sugar strops' ( aka, sugar mood swing ) ....... this little darling , and her gorgeous parents, did so well....... and we had a wee play before heading to the car...........

back at their home, we had some very special playtime on mummy and daddy's bed...... did some reading ........ some bouncing, and most importantly had some cuddles xoxoxo ......
i adore the colours and pattern of the duvet !!
the whole house has so many cool little design aspects.......... and this gorgeous mummy is not only a pretty face, but has her own blog too .....if you are into renovations and interior design ..... follow http://destitutedesigner.blogspot.com/ to watch the progress ......... so inspiring !!

i hope you enjoy your little sneak peeks, nat and nick..... it was such a pleasure .

( gallery up v.soon xx)

enjoy
xoxox
sam

why choose me over the run-of-the-mill photographer ?

2010-06-15T03:34:00.000-07:00

Custom Photography as something "special"

Custom photography is more of a luxury than your entry level cookie cutter chain experience. Custom photography truly is not for everyone, it requires a level of commitment, investment in time and money, forethought and planning on the part of the subject/client and requires a larger time commitment for the photographer as well.

Clients who enjoy taking a more active role in the creation of their families’ memories have the desire to have portrait art that is truly personalized. These more discerning clients have been known to budget and allot time for a custom photography session. Many clients opt for it to be a once a year special experience, some opt to have custom photography sessions done to record their child's stages in life. Having said this, it is clear that custom photography is not in everyone’s budget, it is something that most families save for to splurge on from time to time to memorialize their children as they really are (not posed and primped in the cookie cutter studio setting).

There is a great deal of time involved in creating high end custom photography sessions for a client. The luxury of great service, better choices and a supberb end product. The result of all this are heirloom quality images. The time invested at the session is only a small portion of time involved in this process.

Custom photography has been likened to purchasing a fine vehicle. To get to point B from A let's face it, even a bus ride would suffice. If you want to luxuriate in a finely appointed vehicle, customizing your own experience by listening to smooth jazz while sitting in a climate controlled setting adjusted purely for your comfort in a body hugging leather interior, perhaps that Lexus you so desire is your cup of tea. Custom photography is much the same cup of tea. It is the Lexus of the photography world. It is where the intangibles make the experience truly wonderful and the images themselves make the investment of money and time truly worthwhile.

Custom photography can be broken down into even more levels. There are on location, studio, mixed studio/on location, specialty location and destination type photographers. The beauty of custom photography is in the choices and in the luxury of thoses options. The customized service level you are sure to experience will be amazing. The knowledge that your final images are the result of someone caring about those moments so much that they take extra time ensuring that the artwork you receive is good enough to stand by with their name on it. That level of quality and commitment is all but lost in the age of "mass produced," "mass marketed," corporate "everyone is a number". Custom photography is based on being unique to you. How great an experience would be, to be able to sit back and allow a photographer to do this highly custom work for images that you will most likely cherish for a lifetime?

Keep in mind more than anything that the Lexus will never appreciate in value the way your portraits will. The portrait art you become invested in from your custom photographer will no doubt increase in value and become more priceless as the years pass.

................................................................................................................................................................

This fabulously worded article is from the website link below , written by Marianne Drenth of Marmalade Photography ( USA ) and is definitely worth a read, whether you are a photographer, or looking for a photographer, it gives a great , realistic view , on what you , as a client can look for, and why - WHY - you would save your pretty pennies to choose someone like me over the likes of pixi foto...or one of the others who stick you on a backdrop and say 'smile' ..... ( trust me , there are alot !!) .... this is why i am more expensive - because we plan, we customise the shoot FOR YOU !!! i can vouch for alot of photographers , i am sure, when i say this - before the shoot, i plan , with an idea of what look we want to achieve ( because we have spoken of what you would like ) ..... , there is planning done on my part, and ofcourse the amount of brain activity on the day is unbelievable, i dont just stand around and take pretty pictures.......its all done with precision , and talent and ok, the odd fluke ...hehe............ and then the hours spent editing your images afterwards..... its not a 5 minute job........... that is why you choose someone like me, someone who makes it special to you and can capture photos of your special family moments, or the kids being themselves, and have spent the time to talk and play with them.............

http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com/information/?page_id=18

i just felt completely inspired and got a good kick up the bum after reading this and other related articles........ and i felt it was worth sharing - pricing is such a hard thing for alot , if not all , photographers............ and if you as a photographer were second guessing yourself............ this article will help ! and if you are client reading this, then it will also help you aswell.............

On a side note- i have decided to wait until i have my studio up and finished, ( in a few months ) ....so i can have the M.O.M workshops here ...... i think it will definitely work out better that way, and people can then pay per person, and show up ...rather than trying to organise others to have it at their house ......... so WATCH THIS SPACE !! :)

ramble over , for now.................................

toy boxes, trampolines and a newborn....

2010-06-12T01:04:00.000-07:00

This session was special, as it was for the winner of a giveaway i did with the coffeegroup.org site at the start of the year............ and its always exciting to be able to go and do this for some one who has ''won'' it...... its like giving them a special present..... i like it alot....hehe
this session was hilarious..........4 cherubs in total ( from two families ) .....and as always i allow time for the kids to get used to me....... and i am totally on their time...... seen as its all about them................ these guys had me in fits........ and while one turned it on...the other turned it off............ hehe...... just to start with anyway........................ he soon warmed to me .............
as for the babies............... super easy little bubs......... although the precious little newbie, didnt feel like posing for us , and was far from settling...... but i still got a few shots for his mummy :)

best to start where they are the most relaxed and their favourite place............ outside..... toy cars, and ofcourse, the trampoline ..........

hehehe..... and then there is the toy box................ enough said really..........................

and last but certainly not least........... some bubba goodness.......................cluck cluck.......

i hope you enjoy your sneak peeks ladies................ it was such a pleasure meeting you , and getting to hang out and play with your little monkeys.........

enjoy
xx
sam

a cosy session...

2010-05-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to spend a morning with this lovely couple and their very special little treasure, in their family home.......... amidst renovation - but your wouldnt know it - looks pretty darn good to me :)

The little guy was so tired and but he did so well and pulled out some good shots for me too :) such a cute little cheeky face .... hehe

some cute little cosy family moments , and giggles were had ............

i like the warmth in the colours of the room we used....... i havent fiddled with them at all ..... it looks so cosy and soft.........

Thank you so much for inviting me into your home kelly and anton... i hope you enjoyed your session and your previews.......... give your sweet little darling a cuddle oxoxoxo
talk soon
xx
sam

in one little room............

2010-05-30T04:05:00.000-07:00

It was a miserable, rainy day when i had the privilege to meet up with this gorgeous family.... and we did the entire session in one little room ! it was perfect light for my high key style from the rainy, misty sky outside, and combine that with an incredibly photogenic family and away we go ........... i thoroughly enjoyed the time i spent with them, and feel very humbled that they chose me .
As you will see , we had a laugh , and there were many special , tender moments aswell......... with a scrumptious new 10day old little boy and his beeeeeautiful sister...... ...lots of cuddles were had.....ofcourse !!!

lots of bouncing on the bed , and alot of posing for the camera !! she was a photographers dream !

mmmmmm newborn cuddles......... and that blue hat !!! i love it !!!

i love the one on one shots with each mum and dad....... and as for the " oh no face" above.... hehehe..... pure cuteness !

i found it really hard to choose my faves for this preview ........ i got rather carried away !

Thanks so much for inviting me to do this for you alice and SK, it was my pleasure :)
i hope you enjoy your previews .
xxx
sam

autumn sunshine goodness........

2010-05-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

.... late in the day on a sunny saturday, we met up ........hoping for some of that golden light right before the sun sets........ " the golden hour " ..... and with all the autumn leaves still about, and the sun slowly going down in the background, it couldnt have been more perfect for us........ and i got some flair in there too ...hehe..which i love.....

it was a very chilled out family session , and it was so great to play and photograph the littlest member of the family for the second time!

this fantastic mummy has referred me to so many other families, and so it was great to finally get a chance to photograph her family for her .......

such scrumptious family cuddles........................

just hanging out ..........

i hope you enjoy your sneak peeks karen and marco .,

it was lovely to see you again....and that little lady made it so much fun !!

big cuddles to her xoxoxoxo

xxx

sam

leaves leaves glorious leaves....

2010-05-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

a gorgeous day, beautiful autumn, ah yes......... plenty of leaves !

such a fun and special session , i had the pleasure of photographing this little man when he was teeny weeny, and to be asked to photograph them as a family , is always a huge compliment, when families keep coming back :)

so we had a fantabulous play in cornwall park, and i think we walked around most of the park ! he was go go go go ..... little man on a mission ....

such a fun morning, i hope you guys enjoy your sneak peeks .

a stroll around the neighborhood...........

2010-05-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

i have finally gotten around to putting up some sneak peeks for this lovely wee family................
i had the pleasure of photographing them a couple of weeks ago, and we had a lovely wander around the streets of their neighborhood.... beautiful autumn..... i couldnt resist a stroll under all those trees.........
we got rained on too......... but that didnt dampen the mood.......... i had such fun ,and i think they did too...lol....
we were all wet, and had muddy knees by the end of it :)

how cute and loving are they !!!! such a pleasure to photograph a family who is so close as these guys clearly are. xoxoxox

i hope you enjoy your sneak peek Sophia and Kole, i thoroughly enjoyed your company xxxx
the rest will be up next week sometime in your gallery.

enjoy
xoxoxo
sam

cute little cousins from each side of the globe ..........

2010-05-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

these two little cutie pies, are cousins who live 12,000miles apart.......... its always very cool to photograph for someone who will then take my images back to another country..... just a wee buzz i get :)

how gorgeous are these little posers !! although one little guy wasnt very interested to start with, we still had plenty of time to get a few shots for his mummy......
and i hope you are both happy with the results........ such cute little poppets, make my job very easy!!

i had such a great morning hanging out with these two and their mummies at their house..............
and i am super excited to be asked to photograph their wedding in march aswell !
thanks maria !! i hope you all enjoy the sneak peek , and i'll get the rest up into the online gallery very soon !

enjoy
xx
sam

boys will be boys...................

2010-05-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

yes, i say it for all my sessions, but I really did have such fun with these guys !!!!
and its true, i do have fun on every single session i do, cos i love what i do, and i love the people i meet........ and i hope it comes through in the photos that i make sure they are having fun too!!!

anyhoooooo......... these little guys were no exception .......... had me in stitches,and totally performed for me ...or was it for the camera ??
perfect time of day, we chose to have it later afternoon, so we managed to get some shots in the ''golden hour'' ..... where everything looks so perfect and lovely.......... my favourite time of day !!
and yes, i do it alot.......... perhaps it my trademark now....... lens flair...... shooting INTO the sun ........( forget everything you were told !! sun behind you ...pppfffttt ) ...sunlight streaming straight into the lens......... LOVE it !!!! hehe...and it was so low, how could i resist......... :)
we had alot of fun ,as you will see.............

enjoy your piccies karyn xoxoxoxoxo

sam

high winds, airplanes and big guns ......

2010-05-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

I always love who i get to meet through this job........... and all the clients i meet that i become friends with ...........

but there is something extra special when you get to photograph good friends , you have known for ages......... and i have the chance to really let their personalities shine through............... this was one of those times !

as you will see , we had some fun!!!! ... i am so excited i finally managed to squeeze them in for a family session !! long overdue !............

This was a very fun session............ it was a super windy day, and where did we choose to go ........... on top of North head ! it was wicked ! .......... i think we actually ran around it a couple of times, sooooo funny !! purely following little Boston.......... he was on form...... and we followed his lead..........

from 'being' airplanes down the windy alley............ to rolling down the hills.......... it was a non stop session............ i think we all had a good workout .....hahaha....................
we managed to grab Boss for a few semi still ones in the tunnels etc.........and then we were off again !
thats where my background as a sports photographer, always comes in handy....... photographing , running......photographing....... hahaha...fast trigger finger !

cute little monkey , he had a ball !!!!

then we found the grassy hill........... so down he slides........haha...... in view one minute...gone the next !

enjoy your sneak peeks Mel and Clint ....love you guys xoxoxo

sam

xoxoxoxoxo
and as a wee plug........... for tattoos by an all round amazing , friendly , talented guy.........
Check out their tattoo studio in auckland : www.bluelotus.co.nz

cute little legs.....................

2010-05-01T02:38:00.000-07:00

well, here we are........ i have been an editing machine ............i was getting a bit behind with editing, with some family things we are experiencing right now............ but here i am............. and i have edited a few of these to this beautiful little family can see our trip to muriwai wasnt a complete wasted trip !!! although little lady wasnt having a bar of it....heheh...... how can that little darling NOT look cute !!

i had to get some shots of these gorgeous wee legs !!! how cute is she !!!!
we were thinking beachy shots/ black sand etc........ but here is a prime example of how you cant 'plan' too much when it comes to little ones....... she HATED the sand...... so we ended up on the small reserve by the carpark .....lol.............

For you , willy and lisa........ i hope you enjoy your little previews...........
enjoy
xoxoxo
sam

teeny little feet ........

2010-04-27T03:34:00.000-07:00

a little bundle of joy, a sleepy little bundle of joy .............well, except for one shot ..hehe............ but oh so teeny weeny............................

here are some sneak peeks for this little guy's oh so patient parents xxoxox

kaye and steve, here is your littlest man....... so peaceful and sleepy.......... hope you like them ..

i do like how he woke up and went all ""braveheart "" on me...... look at that arm position ! cuuuute !! haha

enjoy

xooxo

sam

eating bark and watching giant swans....eek

2010-04-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

i had the pleasure of hanging out with this little family in the domain, one sunny day.........

here's just a wee peek ..............

we wandered around all over and came across a few different back drops............. that little cutie pie, was such a treasure !!

just a wee sneak peek for you guys....... i had fun hanging out with you shar and brian...... and that delicious little lilly.........xoxooxox see you soon , sam

just a wee ramble...........

2010-04-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

i was thinking i hardly do just have a good old ramble on here..........so you're gonna get one!
i feel like the last few weeks have been consumed with me making my website....... so inbetween all the editing i have been doing, i have also been doing my NEW website........ as some of you may know.......... well, i tell you , i now know why the designers take so long....hahahaha....crikey......... and not only the time, but my god, i changed my mind so much........oooh i like that way better....ohhh no , actually................. i think its safe to say my husband...aka tall man.... really tunes out and gets a hazey look in his eyes whenever i start talking about the site, pricing packages, and generally anything to do with that !!! and fair enough to , it consumed me !!!!!!! ...... but now its done and waiting to go live.......... i can relax............. a little, and concentrate on the editing and my lovely clients waiting...........( not that i ever stopped editing....i just felt like i was always on my website admin)

easter was good here.....quite a weekend of visitors, which i love !!!
we had the 'easter egg hunt' on sunday , and the kids went mad....it was hilarious...and although they didnt eat nearly as many eggs as i expected them too.....the excitement of the day and all the visitors was their sugar high !

sooo..... with another cuppa tea........ i am here , blogging......... and thinking how chilly it is today !!! the sun is shining , yes....but wow.....its definately autumn here now !! chilllllllllyyyyyyyyy.........but i love autumn colours for photo sessions!!!

when i daydream, its generally about 2 things........................ my dream studio space....( which i will show you one i love !!!!!) and going on holiday !!! hahahahaa.....
here is a studio i found .....how drool worthy is this !!!!!!

she is in the states.....http://jenthompsonphotography.com/#home/ and is a very lucky lady !!!! one day !! its in my 5 yr plan !! hehe

i always end up talking about ''work''' ............ maybe as my work is my passion...........and now i sound like a website........... hahahaa...... i am constantly thinking and researching ideas for packaging, and different ways to offer presentation pieces for clients...............so its great to keep my mind working............ and dont worry, not for one moment, do i forget my kids.....hahhaah...i'm typing this with little easter egg eating fingers wrapped around one arm....as she wants another one !!!!!! oooh now i am getting beaten !!!! time to log off................

wow its good to vent.... and just realease my thoughts into the universe............. so universe.....as boring or as interesting as they are........... HERE YOU GO !!!

xoxoxoxoxoxox

back soon
sam

way too much fun.............................

2010-03-31T02:52:00.000-07:00

I love sessions like this one......... a gorgeous dare devil 3yr old, and his delicious little brother.................
I had such fun hanging out with these two........... starting at their house, the way i like it !! :) xxx

that hanging chair was FAB , i love all the shots i got in it, and the light was really pretty too...........
and yes.........in the B&W the little monkey is actually standing on the window sill...... hhahahhaaaaa.....cheeky little cute smile though isnt it !!

couldnt forget this one though............ loved the hat so much !!!

and we managed to get some shots of them together............................................................

after hanging out at the house , being thoroughly entertained and having a great cup of chai tea ( thank you ! ) ,
we then headed out.......... to an awesome little spot i had never been before..............

Hope you enjoy your little previews kellen and nick..........xx
thanks so much for having me in your home and letting me hang out with those beautiful little boys of yours !

enjoy
xx
sam

my entry for Beyond Snapshots 'lola bag' comp..................RED

2010-03-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

i am quite drawn to this shot........... hence why it is also my profile pic for FB.........i love it because it was so out of the blue, she just grabbed her mums lippie and went to town...........the whole look , spotty dress and all, makes it one of my faves, for sure !!!

Beyond Snapshots are running a photo comp ( i love their blog and their comps ) .........where your pick has to say RED....................
this is my entry............
( although i had a few that i was tossing between.........hard choice .............seem to love red bits lately!!!)

pop over to http://www.beyond-snapshots.com/blog/ if you are interested in photography and learning !

xoxoxxoxoxo
sam

sandy, soaked and so much fun............

2010-03-25T02:52:00.000-07:00

well, here we are, some super cute babies......as cute as a button...........it was such a funny day, the sun was coming and going......the wind suddenly picked up and i swear i almost had more sand in my hair and down my tee shirt than the babies by the end.........but it was fun !

some babies liked the sand........and others............well...........they wanted to get WET !!!

and so they did !!! hahahaha......remember the angle of which these are taken....... i am actually standing in the water looking back to shore............and for some strange reason Browns Bay decided to have some little waves that day ! hahaha........ but i LOVE the colours of the 'wet ones' , their brightly coloured clothes with the moody colours of the water...........

Thanks ladies for an entertaining morning ............ i hope you enjoy your previews .

xoxoxoo

sam

2010-03-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

check out these cuties !!!! can they get any cuter !!!????? i LOVED this session, not only for the cuties, but because this was the second time i have had a session with these little darlings....... and its soooooo awesome to see them again ( and their lovely mummies ofcourse ) ......

we had a great location for our session, mixing it up with some concrete and amoungst the leaves........ i definately didnt think it was that time of the year yet , that there would be leaves on the ground !!! i was pleasantly surprised :) it looked awesome too......... although all the bubs were completely and utterly distracted by them.......hahaha

i love the mixed bag........ amazingly all done at the same place....... and tigger ended up looking pretty cool too !!!

the littlest one of them all, couldnt quite sit yet, so we were playing aeroplane and allsorts...........very cute indeed :)

i hope you all enjoy your little previews.......and these keep you going until i finish up the rest for you xxx

enjoy
xoxooxx sam

more little sweet peas...........

2010-03-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

That hat !!!! it looks awesome !!! love all the blacks and whites........ what a cutie !!
and the beautiful little man in the blue shirt......looks wise beyond his years .......... oh and those eyes!!
its amazing what a 10 minute nap will do .....this little angel in the cream, was all smiles after his 'mini nap'.....and was such a joy photograph aswell..........
such a sweet little group, as always, each bub is soooo different to the next and 'work' the same stage, so so so differently ! its great !

The cuteness just doesnt stop :)

i HAD to put this shot up..... that face...just makes me melt !!! he has his friend eyore ( sorry, wouldnt have a clue how to spell that ) ....and that helped a little, but it was so precious how he was switching between happy and sad....... such a tired wee soul....... bless ........ how cute is he !!!!!

and then we have some more gorgeous smiles............that smile is contagious !!! so cute !!!

such a sweet little mini session ........... i hope you all enjoy your previews ladies :)

definately some little sweet peas there !!!!
thanks so much for inviting me to take some shots for you
enjoy
xoxo sam

a sweet little mini session , full of sweet little peas...........

2010-03-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

oh so sweet........ and quite fascinated with me - or my camera - i'm never sure which ....... one thing i do love , is when the little feet poke out the front like that ...teehee.....just adds to the cuteness ....xxx

oh he looked like he was really in his own little world, that i didnt want to interrupt ... :) oh thomas the tank, how much do i love you .....haha....sooooo precious......... and then he pulled out a cheeky smile or two for me...........
this little lady was another cheerful little darling, that was laughing at me the whole time ! she is beautiful, i love the colours of her dress against the colour of the wall.....
i really love the colours of this whole session, the room we used was perfect for this ......... thanks so much ladies for having me ( i'm still so sorry i got lost and was late !!! ) ..... here are a few previews, and there will be more very very soon ......
enjoy
xoxoxo
sam

early morning at the beach......

2010-03-18T02:09:00.000-07:00

These handsome young brothers were part of a session already uploaded on here the other day.............
such a gorgeous family !! i had such fun .......... and got very sandy and wet while i was there !

All part of the sneak peeks for you mel
enjoy
xoxo
sam

some itti bitti images......

2010-03-17T02:13:00.000-07:00

xoxoxoxo
sam

beachy goodness.............

2010-03-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

a few shots of this little darling at a recent session on the gorgeous long bay beach............it was beautiful weather....from a photographers point of view.......super overcast and creating a really lovely diffused light......i loved it ......... and ofcourse, how could i not love spending a morning with this little cute face !! hehehe...she is still as delicious as she was the first time i photographed her !!

and that hair !!! this gorgeous young lady is the cousin of the cutie pie above.......... and isnt she just stunning !!! we had a great time playing and doing lovely poses and she soon got into the swing of it all...after a weeny bit of a shy start....... but she rocked her whole session , and did awesomely!!!!!

more from this session to come.......... but i hope you enjoy your sneaky peaks so far mel and sandra.........:)
xoxoxoxo
sam

the sweetest little soul.............

2010-03-09T03:28:00.000-08:00

as you can see i was liking the sunshine coming through the trees..... and HAD to get some flair in there...my favourite thing lately :) ......... but nothing could distract me from this gorgeous wee face......... this little sweet heart was awesome ! sooo cute, as you can see........ and so full of personality.....i loved him !! we chilled on the lawn for a bit before scouting out other locations around the house..........

i loved the amount of white around the house.....and really love this shot above of him screaming......no tears came, but he was showing us he wasnt happy AT ALL with not being allowed to go up onto the garden all by himself.....hehe............had to put this shot in......... how could i NOT !! hehe....

these old gates were a great find......... and made for a different kind of challenge for him......... could he stand and hold them, while looking through the gap........tricky stuff.....but made for cutey pie photos.......

i had such fun spending the morning with little Mateo and his mummy....... thank you for inviting me to your home , i hope you enjoy your previews..........
xoxoxo
sam

late afternoon sun.........love it..........

2010-03-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

i spent a late sunday afternoon with this gorgeous family, who drove all the way up to my neck of the woods, to have their session at shakespear regional park........and i am so glad we did....it was a perfect day...... although the sun was surprisingly still strong , at that time of the day, there was definately a few little pockets of special light poking through the trees etc and i had quite a play with the sunlight........... .....
i seem to have a plenty of diverse shots, thanks to the adorable 3yr old , who kindly turned it on and off for me through out the session....... she was awesome!! so i managed to get some crazy giggles aswell as some more quiet moments.........like the one of her posted here............
i hope you enjoy your little peek Natalie and hugo, it was a pleasure to meet you all and i hope you had fun!
xoxox
enjoy
sam

cheeky smiles.........

2010-02-25T01:13:00.000-08:00

this little dude, is a cheeky charmer...:) he thought i was pretty cool! or maybe it was my camera!??
just a few shots for his lovely mummy xoxoxox
here's your beautiful little man , cee.....enjoy xoxo sam

an afternoon spent with a gorgeous family................

2010-02-20T03:32:00.000-08:00

I had a pleasure of hanging out with these gorgeous people all afternoon, and capturing some special little moments between them.............

it was so fun ! this is just a very weeny sneak preview , as i took loads !! and i could hardly decide what to put up on here ! :)

starting in the house is my ideal, i love kids bedrooms, and this session was no exception...... not only was the light beautiful in there, but the two little models were pretty darn cute aswell !

Its always a huge compliment to be asked to photograph a photographers family................. i had a great time!

thanks kirsten, mike, emma and frankie for letting me hang out with you on a lazy sunday afternoon..xooxoxxo

sam

so teeny, so girly, so beautiful..........

2010-02-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

watch out tall man ( aka husband ) all these newborns have been making me c.l.u.c.k.y !! ( hehehe)
this delicate little lady was without a doubt a joy to photograph........... there's nothing like the sound of a sleeping baby .... and thats pretty much all she did............ bless.......... LOVE it !!! probably had a lot to do with the fact she was 6 days old.......... ( all together now.......awwwww) ...... and as you can see, oh so girly........
she allowed me to move and poke and squidge and undress and wrap up and somehow suspend myself above her cot to take shots............ and she wasnt bothered at all........ what a good girl !! all in the name of a good shot ! they learn early ! xx hehe.....
she is delicious ! i really enjoyed our morning together xx
thanks sarah and brent ( and aunty vikki ) for introducing me to Elise....she is precious ! i hope you enjoy these little sneak peaks.......xoxox sam

a teeny little man......and a gorgeous big sister.......

2010-02-15T23:52:00.000-08:00

I was delighted to be asked to come photograph & meet this 3 week old little man.............. after having photographed his sister last year, and his gorgeous mummy's tummy ( with him in it ...) ...it was a pleasure to meet him !!!!

he was a wriggly one to start with, but soon mellowed out.... hehe....... so teeny and sweet..and wrinkly.......... and big sister maddy just adores him, and was kissing him all over ... xx

thank you amanda for inviting me back to meet noah , he is such a handsome wee man, and it was lovely to see you all again xoxox i hope you enjoy these xoxox sam

mini's are changing...........

2010-02-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

i wanted to share my thoughts........ and ofcourse this blog is the way i can ...... in a fuller form more than fb.......after alot ALOT of thought...and trust me , i have taken a while to reach this decision, as i felt i was letting people down etc...and i am way tooooo much of a "pleaser" type...... but its time to do whats right for my business and i have decided to make march the final month for mini sessions as they are ............i have been completely overwhelmed with the response to them last year.......... and it totally took me by surprise........ as my plan was quite simply to do a little marketing idea that would perhaps give me the odd weekday session once my little corey starts preschool in january.......( that was my thought at about august last year ) ...........well...... i would have to say that from mini sessions alone i have now met over 100 babies!!!!! all the space of august-xmas !!!! so as you can imagine.....thats alot of work !!!!!!
i still want to be able to offer alternatives to clients, and will do special monthly deals, where the mini's may pop up again......... but as far as having them as a permanent option...... i'm afraid not.
i can see my work/style has changed and has blossomed over the last few months.......... and i'm now very aware of what style photographer i am ( trust me, us photographers fight with ourselves about defining what we are .....emotional -creative types...hahahaha) and really want to focus on giving TIME and QUALITY to each family i have the pleasure of meeting................ i am starting to feel that mini's make me rush and alot of the time is turning into a style thats not 100% me .......... as i prefer to spend time with each client ( be it , child or family) and have shots in their own environment, and then on location............ dont get me wrong, i enjoyed every single one i have done last year !!!! and met some very amazing people who i still keep in touch with !!! but focusing on giving ONE family a perfect experience, rather than the minimum 4 ........ makes for a lot less work .......and with two little ones, i have to think about that , as i am sure some of you can understand............
wow i hope that makes some sense ..... knowing me ,i was babbling...............!!!
i dont feel the need to justify, i just wanted to explain !!!!!
those who know me know how much i want to NOT be one of those crazy expensive photographers...... but i just need to charge more than i do for the mini's and focus on full sessions and giving the FULL service of printing etc too...

thanks for stopping by to take the time to read my babble.............

a special session ..........

2010-02-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

i do feel incredibly honoured to be asked to visit and photograph this little darling...........when her mum ( a very fabulous photographer from new plymouth ) asked me if i would do it, all i could think of was my corey, same age, and how i would want someone to do this for me too.................
well, this little one has taken a piece of my heart ................. she is truly a gem xxx
she is a very brave little girl, and when you look at these photos , you'd never know how sick she is.......
she is so very gorgeous, and we had a ball playing hide n seek and running from room to room........
she made me laugh so much , she is so feisty and full of character, and that little face....... well.......you can see it ........ how cute is that !!!!

for a 2yr old she is without a doubt beyond her years.......... and i could have quite happily stayed all day xx

i look forward to seeing you all again soon and i hope this was the fresh perspective you were after xoxoxoxox very warm wishes and lots of love..........sam

family time.....

2010-02-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

for Jean and her family, thanks for a very entertaining afternoon.............. here are just a few snaps from our session.............. will pop a few more up for you aswell............. thanks for being such good sports ! hope it wasnt too painful !!

so lovely to meet you all..... i hope you enjoy them xx sam

photo-a-week.......my boo-delicious.........

2010-02-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

i thought i would carry on (kind of ) with the photo a day challenge from january, as i recieved so many lovely messages saying how much they loved seeing pics of my kids.............and plus i really enjoyed it too!!!

perhaps it made me look at them differently.......i'm not sure........ i always take a ton of photos of them anyway, but having to take "proper" creative portraits of them, as i would for a client, made me stop, look, and observe my babies ( my son hates it when i call him that ) .........in a whole new way......... ;)

they are little posers, dont get wrong...... as you would have witnessed already from january.......... but its moments like this below....... where i manage to capture the moment before she says "cheese" and pulls out one of her cheesiest smiles and funny faces ( as cute and hilarious as that is ...hehehee) ..... this is my corey-boo....... my boo-delicious ..........my mini-me............ and i think i just fell in love with her all over again xxxxxx hope you like it .

i wanted to keep this one !!!

2010-02-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

well this gorgeous wee man melted my heart from the second i saw him ...........xoxoxoxox ......it could be that his mummy is a good friend of mine, or it could be that he is just SOOO beautiful !!!

he was such an angel...... sleeping throughout as i moved him around his house, and stripped him off etc.......i even got my fair share of delicious newborn snuggles and shoulder sucking..... he made me sooooo very clucky !!!!

i just adored this photoshoot and capturing the love between him and his mummy xoxoox.........

( for you nell and dave - hope you enjoy them , as much as i did taking them for you - he is devine ! )

cheeky .......

2010-02-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

how can i resist this delicious wee thing........ i had such fun on my session with her !!!
here's just a couple from our shoot....... bright and cheery !! loved the colours !!! so summery !!!

a new look.......... until i change my mind....again...............

2010-01-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

well, it has been a little while since i 'blogged' ............ and i was reading some of my favourite photography blogs and thought, i think i will try my best this year, 2010, to really use this blog with some personal things aswell as clients sneak peaks......... i had such fun doing my photo - a - day for january of my little cherubs, ( the idea also came from an inspirational photographer i follow ) and i thought, well..........maybe you'd like to know what me and my kiddies are up to sometimes......... would you? i dunno ................. but i feel like sharing and i have a blog........so i can ......hehe.......... i have so many things i want to do this year, a holiday overseas is one of them, but we shall see what happens there.......... and it all lies on how much work i do this year too ....as my work/pay, is 'extra money' , so i am wanting to save as much of it as i can in order for us to do this...........a vicious circle....haha....but............ there are always things i want to do in between now and then..........courses, work shops , there is one in australia, me and a great friend ( fellow photographer) were thinking of heading over to, but then i went bought the 5D camera ! ........that cost as much as the weekend workshop over there ! hahahaha......maybe next year i will set aside some time and money to do some 'learning' .......and we all still need to learn, and keep up to date and new things......... and get inspiration !!
us creative types , most of the time it is already there, waiting to be let lose, but sometimes, we just need something to pop out and say , hey try this.......... this will get your creative juices flowing........ cos like with everything else, and lots of other jobs, i dont enjoy doing the same shots all the time.......its nice to spice it up and think out of the box and give you ( and me ) something different............therefore...new inspiration is always welcomed !
well..........this has been a wee ramble, so i will leave you with your thoughts........... thanks for following my blog, i only hope that one day i am as successful , and 'followed' as the remarkable photoblogs that i follow .
thanks for all the support, here's hoping 2010 brings many more exciting rambles ;)

a room full of cuties..........

2010-01-15T03:18:00.000-08:00

a wee preview for this sweet little shoot , done just before xmas too..............

as always the challenge of going to peoples houses is not knowing where i can do the shoot , what sort of lighting etc i will be faced with ,and its always pleasantly surprising when i am presented with a room all to myself to use and the room was awesome, great lighting , plus the awesome chair, and everything was perfect......... perfect little posers too!!

such little darlings, i had a great time playing with each one..............

thanks for inviting me into your home cassie..... hope these tide you over for a couple of days till your cd's arrive.......

enjoy xxx

sam

a medley of ages.........

2010-01-09T03:46:00.000-08:00

Just before christmas , i had the pleasure of photographing these little lovelies..............each one as gorgeous as the next, and so many different ages, which keeps me on my toes............;) it was lovely and so flattering to be asked to do this shoot, as it was for an existing client....... and there is no bigger compliment than being asked to do another shoot for them , and only a couple of months later!!! thank you kerry , for inviting me into your home, and letting me have a wee play with these munchkins.......plenty of laughs were had , thats for sure. i hope you enjoy your previews....... cd's will be couriered monday !!!

enjoy xoxoxo sam

pre christmas....

2010-01-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

well, it seems like forever since i was last blogging..... its almost 4 weeks !!! with the crazy rush for xmas shoots to get all done , it was a blur to say the least ........but with xmas over and the new year well and truly started, i can now get around to popping up some more shots from the last few shoots done right up until christmas...........
firstly i have to say , i have had a great ride the last few months, and am rather humbled that people seem to like my work that much that i was so booked up beyond belief ! i am hoping it wasnt a fleeting thing and will see this year 2010 equally as busy !! i am feeling more inspired than ever, and look forward to meeting so many more delicious little babies and kiddies with their lovely mummies............. although i may have favourite shots, from previous shoots, i adore all my babies equally and feel very privileged to be invited into your home to capture your little darlings .so , thank you !
below are a few shots from a shoot i handed over literally on xmas eve !!!! a little medley of ages, it was great fun, and i am more than happy with the results.......... so many cuties !!!!

flowers flowers flowers.....

2009-12-13T01:56:00.000-08:00

such a pretty setting.......... and ofcourse a beautiful little group of toddlers............and what a location.........with its perfect lighting, and as for the backdrop..... well it speaks for itself........ i love the fun, vibrant colours.....so summery and pretty.....( who would have known it was torrential rain outside !!)

3 little flower fairies and little delicious wee man...who braved the weather.........

i had such fun on this shoot.........and really enjoyed my time with each little darling........ and a wonderful group of mummies......braving that weather too!!!

so stacey's ladies...........here are your previews...................

enjoy xoxoxo sam

a cute little bunch...

2009-12-13T01:31:00.000-08:00

a cute little bunch , a mix of ages, ......kept it simple and sweet with wooden floors and white walls.........its all about the little darlings after all...........so many little personalities..... little entertainers............had a great laugh..........

enjoy your previews ladies...your cd will be ready very soon .

xoxo sam

camera shy....

2009-12-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

Throw a large bed spread over a bookcase and 'voila' ....... neutral background.....add beautiful little babies that aren't camera shy at all........ and thats all you need for a fun shoot !

these little lovelies pulled out all the poses and kept me entertained along the way ...xx i did enjoy sliding along on the wooden floors too......... oh the simple things ......

The eyes truly are the windows to the soul with these little angels.........

enjoy your previews ladies...... xoxo sam

a mixed bag...........

2009-12-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

such an enjoyable shoot............ i love it when its all a mix of ages and i get to do some inside and some out............. this was such a fun morning................ some cute little monkeys..........and a delicious wee newborn...........mmmmm yummy ......... unfortunately he kept waking up when we popped him on the bed....hehe...nosey little man.........i do love sleepy baby photos....... note to self ; newborn photoshoots are best done before 2 weeks old..........6-10 days ideally .......... haha.........

we were blessed with a beautiful sunny - if not rather bright- day, which was awesome for the active toddlers of the group....... so we ran outside for a play ...........

here are some previews for you tracy and your lovely mummies....... it was a pleasure to meet your corey !he had me in stitches !!

enjoy xoxox sam

a beautiful family..........

2009-12-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

i love taking photos of beautiful people/kids, and this family was no exception........

lucky for me, they are special friends of mine, who had been waiting patiently to do some family shots.....

i love the colours and how they pop from the background !

this is just a small selection for a preview...ofcourse there are tons more !! its hard to decide what to put up .........

so here you go , my special little friends........ your beautiful family.xoxoxox

props galore.........

2009-12-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

i do love it when i go to a shoot and they pretty much have everything under the sun to use ..............we had some gorgeous little things for the little darlings in this shoot, from vintage handbags and jewellery, to the rocking horse......balloons...........it was awesome to have so much to choose from.

i am a firm advocate for 'less is more' so was pulling things out and putting things in ......... but what i really love and enjoy , is when mums think outside the box and really prepare for options to have in the shoots and thats exactly what these lovely mummies did !! ofcourse i have creative license......but having the choices there is great !!!

one day when i have my own studio..there are going to be some very cool things in there !!!

i had such a great morning with these ones........ the mums were so full of energy.....( preschool teachers....) and the kids were awesome!! we even had a seperate 'house' for our 'studio' , it was fantastic !!! so here is a weeny little preview ......

enjoy angela and mummies..........

xoxo sam

teeny weenies.........

2009-12-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

i have been doing so many 'big kids' compared to these little teeny weenies........ its a completely different shoot , as ofcourse they arent really moving much at all and are all floppy and stuff...... so cute !!!! so with this age........... its all about the eyes.......and the little iddy biddy bodies !!

4 little men and 1 little lady..........

here's a few little previews for you , to keep you going.........

i do love little fingers and tiny toes.......

enjoy xoxox sam

party party party

2009-12-02T03:15:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of meeting some real little cuties at their joint First birthday party!....... and as you will see, majority of them LOVED my camera ...or me ? ...not sure which .....but i do love a bunch of posers !!! makes my job very easy indeed .........and makes me giggle...xx

such bright little eyes and big smiles............ all of them were moving and climbing around the big double bed ( away from the party for less distractions ) .........

such an enjoyable couple of hours.......... and i love the complete diversity of shots from each child.........

special thanks to all the mums and dads , for all the singing and dancing ! ;)

here's a little peek to tide you over till after the weekend.......

thanks mel .......enjoy ......xoxoxox sam

little roses amoungst the weeds..........

2009-12-02T02:28:00.000-08:00

wow....... it seems like forever since i was last babbling on here..... well, 3 weeks ago ish....alot has gone on in those 3 weeks and i will apologise now to anyone from recent mini sessions/or private shoots that are still to see their 'previews' ..... at this stage , sometimes you are likely to get your cd's first....or see your previews only days before getting your cd's........ purely with this xmas rush , i have very little time to scroll through every shoot , until its turn to start editing it...... ..but here i am ...and in between starting to edit this particular shoot and my sick kids....( what a week i tell you !! ) i thought i'd pop some previews up........ even though i plan on dropping the cd's off this weekend..( sunday/monday) ....... so at first glance..... here are some peeks at a gorgeous shoot we did at longbay...... i do love outdoor shoots... and on this particular day , the rain was on and off and that made for a gorgeous moody sky and perfect light........ the mums were awesome and we were sticking these little darlings on sandy banks, where some , didnt really like the feel of...but were such troopers.... and all full of personality, making my time spent with them , very enjoyable !!! thanks for letting me play with these little darlings........i'm glad i could get some cute shots for you all xoxox enjoy ...sam

beach babes

2009-11-23T00:47:00.000-08:00

a very cool mini on the beach........ the tide was very far in and coming in fast , but it worked very cool with the chair.......... the kids were awesome, although i am sure a few of them thought they were going to float out to see when the waves started coming in around the chair legs....haha....i did have to be aware of how low i was crouching on occasion......haha.... it was a laugh ! i had a ball! awesome parents that were very up for me putting their kids in the ocean.......( nearly) and such awesome kids too........ such a novelty the little darlings didnt quite know what to do..... least they didnt run away.... they couldnt . ;-) yay for summer and more outdoor shoots to come !! believe it or not, outdoors is what i have done my whole "photographer life" , and indoors has only really been within the last year........

a sneak peek for the lovely mums from arkles bay shoot........... enjoy xoxo sam

2009-11-23T00:29:00.000-08:00

2009-11-23T00:03:00.000-08:00

2009-11-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

2009-11-22T23:31:00.000-08:00

precious poppets....

2009-11-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

this shoot was fun - like pretty much all my shoots are -but i do really love it when the mummies are really into it too......... i adored all these little beauties and it always fascinates me how each one interacts and moves so differently to the next...... ..it was such a laugh aswell..... i loved all the singing and dancing that was going on just behind me...... by the mummies !! i know they were all exhausted by the end of it !! hehe....you all did so well ladies !!! and it was such a pleasure to meet you and hopefully i have captured your little ones the way you know them to be xxx

here are your previews - josie's group - i hope this will tide you over until i can finish your cd's up ...wont be long ! your next on my list !

xxx enjoy