Emma in Autumn - Family portrait photography in Hawke's Bay

Here’s a little slice of lovely from my favourite time of year, with my favourite type of light and landscape. And to throw in just one more ‘L’ because I’m a writer too…this blog is all about the best ‘L’ word of them all…love. You really think you’ve nailed that feeling when you meet The One. But it’s not till one + one makes two that you really, truly experience what love means (well, that’s how it happened for me, at least). Trying to explain and freeze that feeling for other people is my life’s passion. Getting to be a Hawke’s Bay photographer and in the Golden Hour with people in love is one heck of a cool job.

A little bit of advice for parents….the toddler years go by faster than you can blink an eye. And on reflection, it’s the most lovely stage as a parent, but it’s so damned busy and exhausting it’s hard to appreciate this till it’s all over. Pressing pause on the joy of this time of life is something you can’t put a price on (well technically I suppose you can and the details for that are over on my ‘family investment’ page lol).

I try to shoot as many family sessions as I can in the golden hour before sunset because that what gives me my creative hit and it’s how I most love to tell my stories. In autumn and winter, that light is perfectly timed for toddlers…it’s that playful time right before dinner and bed. I can’t capture this during summer since I’m so busy with weddings then, and babies and toddlers are fast asleep at sunset, which is around 8.30pm. Right now my weddings are all done for the season and I’m reconnecting with my love for family portrait photography, which I’ve missed over summer.

Every time I ask and the answer is ‘yes’, I’m blown away by how amazing it is that families like Emma’s so generously allow me to share such beautiful, intimate moments. But then again, this is family art and art is something that warms the heart and soul, even better than apple crumble and cream. So if you can share that around, why not