The job title 'photographer' describes so many very different occupations, and the people that slot under that definition are often as different as chalk and cheese. I became a photographer not because I love gear or even because I specifically love taking photos. It's mostly because I love people, and being up close and personal with the big moments of their lives, and feeling like I contribute something a little worthwhile by saving those memories for them.

For that reason, my favourite sort of photography assignment is reconnecting with a couple after the wedding album has been put away and children arrive. Penny and Graham got hitched at Craggy Range in 2011, and I still remember just about every image I created for them on their really beautiful day.

This picture of Penny laughing as she got ready is stuck to the door of my gear room so that every time I gather up my kit before a wedding, I'm reminded what my mission is - to press pause on the most massive moments in a person's life and to captu… — This picture of Penny laughing as she got ready is stuck to the door of my gear room so that every time I gather up my kit before a wedding, I'm reminded what my mission is - to press pause on the most massive moments in a person's life and to capture how people felt in that moment, not just how they looked.

I was thrilled when Penny got in touch a couple of years later to say they were coming back to hang out in front of my lens with their honeymoon baby, little dude Sam, who had just learned to walk, the clever rascal.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Sam and his crew were back living in Hawke's Bay with a fabulous new team member, Frankie, who apparently never smiles for the camera. I LOVE a challenge, especially a flame-haired one (both kids have the most amazing hair and can credit neither parent for that little surprise!). Penny is an interior decorator and hugely creative (find her HERE), so when I suggested waking the kids up early for a sunrise shoot one chilly morning she didn't freak out. In fact she got as excited as me when we emerged above the low-slung clouds at the top of Te Mata Peak and saw Hawke's Bay below us bathed in golden light.

We chose Te Mata Peak because it's so exquisitely beautiful, but it was also where Penny and Graham had their wedding photos taken. I love creating layers of history and memory on a place. My theory with family photography is that the best thing about memories is making them. Kids hate posing and love clowning around as much as I do. During our session, we tracked down some Fussell fossils for Sam, and hunted for a unicorn for Frankie before taking a break with hot chocolate and my favourite Cornishware teacups (which are never appreciated at home in my family of boys!)

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When I asked Penny if I could blog some images from this session, it was her idea to show you some of the other great moments we've created together. Which has actually been a cool trip down memory lane for me. These are her thoughts on those times and what she got out of them...

"When we got engaged there was no doubt who we wanted to photograph our special day. An email was hastily sent from London to book Eva in. And there started a lovely tradition for our family and we have now had three sessions with her to capture our growing family. Not only is Eva a talented photographer, but she's super to spend time with, and quickly wins over the smaller people in the family with her smile-inducing stories. Her passion for her craft and her commitment to a shot mean you are never disappointed with the end results. You'll have a series of portraits capturing moments in time, that, let's face it, we don't always get back; walking down the aisle, first faltering steps, young sibling cuddles - and that, is priceless."