NJOY THE MOMENT Photography for Life

Challenging times ahead.

July 3, 2009 – 11:40 pm

I’ve been told I’m a bit of a tease. I’ve been dropping all sorts of little hints - about Bolivia, Bolivian children, new plans (some scary, and some not so much) and challenging business ideas, but haven’t done anything to explain where all these thoughts are going. I’m not even sure I can even explain it right now, but it’s time. I gotta get it out there.
A bit over 4 years ago Matt and I took a three week trip to Bolivia. By the time we’d left to return to England, where we were living at the time, we’d made plans to return later that year, possibly long-term. That was until we discovered that whilst we had left for the trip as two, we had returned home as three. Well, two and a teeny-weeny bit that turned into three. Yep, Jaedon can unofficially claim to be Bolivian.
Bolivia might seem a strange place to holiday to some. But I guess it wasn’t really a holiday. It was more like a business trip that ended up breaking our hearts.
For some time beforehand we’d felt drawn to Bolivia, knowing nothing about it at all really. We had been financially supporting a young man and his family as they worked amongst the street children in El Alto, so we did feel a tie in that regard. So in a bold moment we booked two plane tickets, organised time off work, and decided to go see what was pulling us there. I could never summarise in a blog-sized post what we went through while we were there, but we left feeling deeply confronted by the amount of children - young children - who had no home and nowhere to sleep at night, apart from the streets through which we walked by day. At 14,800 ft above sea level El Alto isn’t somewhere you want to be sleeping in the streets at night, trying to keep warm. The only way to escape the cold is to block it out, and what these eight, ten, twelve year-olds will try in order to do that is deeply saddening, and incredibly hard to escape from itself. My figures may be a little hazy, but this is life for 20% of children in this country. So we went back to England, broken hearts in hand, challenged to help do something, anything, about it.
That was four years and two children ago. A lifetime really. Another era. Another world. As life does, it’s consumed us.

We’ve been unsure for a while just how and in what capacity we can serve/work in Bolivia. The pull is definately still there, but we have two extra little people to consider now. I do feel disappointed at times that life has moved on and other things have taken priority, and even stolen some of the passion we once felt. It’s not uncommon for me to feel caught between two worlds either. I love my job - every ounce of it, and I can’t imagine ever giving my camera up, but how does that tie in with what we once envisaged our roles, even futures, to be? What does my photography do to keep any of those young Bolivian children warm at night? Not much. At the moment. But what if I could use my photography to make a difference, or even bring about a change? What excites me at the moment is I’ve been thinking lately that just maybe I could.

There are a few photographers whose blogs I stalk. I check them every morning to see if they’ve posted something while I’ve been sleeping (as they’re mostly on the other side of the world and going about their day as I recover from mine). Some time ago one of them posted about a competition, of sorts, where the winning entry, or essay, received a $10K grant to go off and photograph something in order to bring about change. Guess where my mind went, immediately. I wasn’t eligble to enter, sadly, as I’m not a resident of the country in which the competition was being organised, but I haven’t been able to shake the idea from my head. A seed was planted the day I read that blog entry, and it’s growing wildly - though not quite out of control.
What if I could go back to Bolivia, to La Paz and El Alto, and take my camera this time. What if I could spend time documenting their lives, as it really is. What if I could bring those images back home and show you what it’s like? What it’s really like. What if they hurt your heart to look at? But what if they moved you? What if they stirred you up and got you excited too? What if you questioned what you could do to help? And what if you wondered if somehow you could make a difference? And what if, together, we could make a change?
Wow - that’s a lot of what if ’s. And, to be honest, I can’t think much past the first one at the moment. And I have no real idea how to get to that stage either. Well, actually, I do. But it involves a lot of money. Probably pretty close to 10K. Where do I get that kind of money? I don’t know. But I have a seed. Just a little itty-bitty seed. And I’m going to do my best to get that thing planted and some serious watering done.

I already have some thoughts and plans in motion, and I am genuinely excited and terrified at the same time. I believe God created each one of us with gifts, but I’ve seen so many instances where people have fallen into the trap of thinking they have to give up the things they love and are passionate about in order to do the things He’s told them to. I don’t think He rolls like that (depending what you love and are passionate about, of course). I’m thinking maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason my life’s heading down the path it is at the moment.

Now, I’m not really sure why I’m putting this out there. It’s quite a personal thing, really. But I’m excited about the opportunities ahead of me, and I’m looking forward to making them happen. Somehow. But I know it’s not just a me thing, and I’m not even going to try going it alone. I want to involve as many people as I can.
I plan to incorporate strategies within my business structure, which I’ll share as I go along. These may take time, which will be a test in itself as I’m not a very patient person. But if you’d like to be kept up to date, or become involved in any way, please shoot me an email using the link at the top of the page. I’d love to have others come alongside me on this journey, where ever it takes me.

With all that said (well done if you’re still with me) I’ll sign off with a couple of photos taken at the end of our trip (excuse the quality - these were the days before we’d made the bold leap into the world of digital photography). To cut a long story short (yes, I can do it) - these specific kids were instrumental in us feeling the way we do today about this country. Their faces as of now will be pinned above my monitor, so every time I sit down to edit, every time I answer an email, each time I upload a client gallery, I will be reminded. I will have faith.

Narrelle x

By Narrelle | Posted in Melbourne | 1 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

I ♥ faces: Wedding Bells

June 30, 2009 – 10:27 pm

Now that I have you wondering what the title of this post is all about, I was recently pointed in the direction of a photography site titled I heart faces. It’s a great community and place for photography resources and contests (you should go check it out), and this week their contest theme is Wedding Bells. The only guidelines are that the photo submitted should include at least one face and be wedding themed. And because I can’t resist a competition (especially one where the fabulous Jasmine Star is the judge) I’m gonna enter. Of course I am. It doesn’t have a 90 million dollar prize like tonight’s lotto draw, but one in a couple hundred has got to be better odds than one in a couple hundred million.
The photo I’ve chosen is still one of my favourites images, taken from this session a few months ago. While not technically taken at a wedding, it is wedding themed. It was the couple’s first wedding anniversary, and to celebrate it they chose to renew their wedding vows with each other. Their actual wedding day was a huge affair, with over 400 guests. So it’s fair to say they didn’t have a lot of time to themselves. Renewing their vows was their way of intimately celebrating their wedding, and their marriage. Apart from myself and the fabulously gorgeous couple, the celebrant was the only other person present. A far cry from the first time they pledged their love and commitment to one another.
It was a beautiful day, and I still remember it with a smile in my heart. Deep down inside this is what I live for. Love. And Love being lived out.

I’ll let you know how I go, both in the contest and in tonight’s lotto draw. Though I suspect if we’ve had any success in the latter it might be a few weeks until my next post. And it may be from Hawaii. In our new beachfront apartment.

Narrelle x

By Narrelle | Posted in Melbourne | 6 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Forgotten Gems

June 29, 2009 – 9:47 pm

One thing I love is a good surprise. The kind that puts a smile on my face and makes me feel I’ve wrung a little extra goodness from the day.
I went to upload some images from my camera this afternoon and some unfamiliar thumbnails popped up. They were tiny versions of some photographs I’d taken of Alicia-Rae a bit over a week ago. I must have been in some sort of sleep-deprived daze at the time (yep…attack of the croup again…) because I barely remember taking them. But I’m pretty sure nobody has crept into my house just to photograph my daughter, then snuck out again leaving my camera behind. So it must have been me, I guess.
It was such a treat to see them come to life on my screen - and I actually gasped a little at these first two. I can’t believe how grown up our baby girl looks. She is still a baby, right? Those lips of hers have promtped more than one comment about daddy’s need to find a big stick, to chase all those boys away. I do pity him for the thought of what he’ll be going through in 14 years or so.
$Children\'s Photography Melbourne$

And this shot below brings a smile to my face because of the sweet and innocent look that she’s mastered so well, and knows exactly when to pull it out. Don’t let it fool you though. She’s the polar opposite to Jaedon in that she has a FOUL temper. The great thing is she gets over it in next to no time. Once she’s thrown herself on the floor, and flailed around for a few seconds, to further prove her point, she simply gets up and on with life. Jaedon however takes after me. He very rarely looses his temper, but likes to dwell on his misery and make the most of his bad mood when it hits him.
$Children\'s Photographer Melbourne$

And for the technically minded people out there, I’ve recently done a very daring thing and switched back to shooting in JPEG. I found there was very little I could do in ACR that I couldn’t do in Photoshop, exept for recovering blown highlights. This has caused me to re-think the way I shoot a little as I usually push it to the verge of clipping them. I’ve never been one to fuss over ‘hot spots’ though so it shouldn’t change things too much.
Once I got over feeling like someone had nicked off with my security blanket, I actually started to prefer JPEG over RAW, as far as processing goes. I’ll still shoot in RAW, no doubt, as need be, but I’m loving the ease of opening the JPEG files straight up and away we go. If it saves me time it’s gotta be good. After all, I’ve gotta find somewhere to fit my piano lessons in now.

{ Children’s Photographer Melbourne }

We’re not impulse buyers. Not us. Noooooo

June 28, 2009 – 11:45 pm

The auction had already started when we arrived. We hadn’t gone with the intention of buying anything, but Matt registered as a bidder anyway. You know, just in case.
I’d never been to an auction before, especially an antiques auction. I’m not really an antiquey type person to be honest. I can’t tell the good from the bad, or the ugly. And trust me, there was some pretty ugly stuff there that went for a pretty high price. And who am I to question someone elses obviously poor taste. Out loud, anyway.
Finding it hard to keep track of all the goings on, my eyes wandered to the corner of the room, where a beautiful old piano sat, in amongst $300 {ugly} ceramic dolls, a battle-worn double bass, and furniture that wasn’t quite deserving of the title Antique. Not in my mind anyway.
I’ve always wanted a piano. Not that I have the slightest ability to elicit anything remotely musical from one. Apart from chopsticks. Barely. But I have a dream that one day that will change.
Before Matt and I were married, I had a housemate that taught piano. And played like you wouldn’t believe. I wasn’t jealous of her at all. While Matt and I were still engaged she was sitting at her piano one night, composing as she played. I remember closing my eyes and feeling lost in the beauty of it, and personally attached to it at the same time. I ended up walking down the aisle to it. As she was playing that night she was thinking of us, and this is what resulted.
I guess I’ve always been envious of people with musical giftings (yes, I lied earlier when I said I wasn’t jealous), and their ability to create a world into which they can disappear whenever they please. And I guess I’ve always dreamt that perhaps if I had my own piano I’d be more inclined to learn to play it. Or maybe I’d simply wake up one day and be able to. But I need a piano first for this to happen.
Well now I have one. We bid on a piano yesterday that we’d not even opened the lid on, or struck the keys (though I’d managed to swat Jaedon’s hands away a few times). And we won. Gulp. How did that happen?
Now if someone can tell us how to get a piano up 20 stairs, with a right angle turn in the middle, surrounded by concrete bannisters, we’d be eternally grateful. For now my baby is sitting downstairs in the garage, where I wander down to every now and then just to remind myself that it’s real. And to dream a little too. And to encourage the kids to make as much noise on it as they want. Though the neighbours mightn’t share my vision.

* Just a little note to add here, as Matt is researching it on his laptop beside me (a little late, but hey) and it looks like, from the serial number, it was made in the late 1800’s. How cool is that. Imagine the fingers that have danced on those keys over the years, and the dreams that have been dreamed. I’m looking forward to adding a few more to it’s story.

By Narrelle | Posted in Melbourne | 2 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Are you expecting?

June 26, 2009 – 11:00 pm

I am. Not in the I’m expecting a baby kind of way, but in the I’m expecting great things from the coming year kind of way. Exciting things. New things.
I have plans - some of them scare me, because they’ll take me way out of my comfort zone. But I believe they’ll be great for the business, because they’ll be great for me, and that kind of stuff usually has a roll-on effect. But my faith is in the fact that the effects will keep rolling once they hit me, and keep on going. But more of the scary stuff later.
The not-so-scary stuff involves newborns. They’re not scary at all. Unless you’re a man.
So I’m looking for lots of yummy newly born babies to photograph. and play with. and cuddle. and smell. mmmmm. Okay, primarily to photograph. The extra stuff is a bonus, seeing as mine are no longer babies. sniff.
If you have recently given birth (and your little one is under 2 weeks of age) or are due to deliver within the next 2 months, I am going to be running a little promotion that you’ll love. With every newborn session booked for July and August I’m going to offer a complimentary (and beautiful) 12×18 inch fine art canvas print, valued at $260. It’s my way of saying thankyou for letting me play with and cuddle you precious little bundle. And photographing him or her too, of course.
So please spread the word if a woman in your life is expecting. And if she’s (or you’re) expecting twins, even better - double the fun.
I really do look forward to hearing from all you new mums, or mum-to-be’s out there. There’s few things, photography-wise, that bring me as much joy as capturing a new life. And here’s a little taster to sign off with:

Narrelle x
{ Newborn Photography Melbourne }

McHappiness

June 21, 2009 – 11:09 pm

Happiness is…. why a Happy Meal, of course.
I have to admit - McDonalds is BRILLIANT at marketing. All of you out there with kids older than mine are nodding your heads and wondering why it took me so long to figure this out. Alicia-Rae, who is not yet two, only has to catch a glimpse of those golden coloured arches and she’s yelling at the top of her beautiful lungs, “Donnells!!!”. And Jaedon’s the same, within the first nano-second of their television advertisements. It’s little wonder us parents don’t stand a chance.
My parents had it MUCH easier. I grew up in Tasmania and, I kid you not, we didn’t have a McDonalds in our city until I was 19. Seriously!. So, yes, you all have permission to let the Tasmania jokes roll now and, for once, I’ll let you get away with it (I’ll probably even join in). I’m not sure I even set foot in one of their buildings up to that point either. This was before the days of budget airlines, when Ansett was still TAA (gasp - am I that old), and a trip across the Tasman via air or sea would set us back a small fortune. So we certainly didn’t frequent the ‘mainland’ just to get our hands on a Big Mac.
I was a bit of a laughing stock sharing this example with friends last night, but it made me wonder what our kids will think when one day they realise their mummy is older than McDonalds. That she was here before the internet, before cable TV, wii, digital cameras, central locking, cordless or mobile phones, CDs and DVDs and automobiles. Ok, I’m kidding about the last one but, seriously, how old am I going to feel when an angelic little voice says to me, “mummy, back in the olden days, you know… before i-pods were invented…”. Maybe it’s nature’s way of exacting revenge. I know for certain my mum will smile when she reads this. I’m sure I made her feel as if she was there when they built the pyramids, on more than one occasion.
It’s scary how much the world has changed in the last 10 - 15 years. And do these things really make us happier (I vote yes to the internet). And I guess I vote yes to McDonalds. Not because of their Double Quarter Pounders with Cheese, or their Caramel Sundaes, or even their Hot Apple Pies. But because they make my kids happy. At the end of a day, filled with all the fun things they can list, a trip to McDonalds just tops it all off. And it makes me feel like the bestest, most fun mum in the whole wide world. Even if it only lasts until the last of the fries is polished off.

{ Children’s Photographer Melbourne }

By Narrelle | Posted in Children's Photography, Melbourne, On being a mum, Personal | Tagged baby, child, Children, children's, engagement, family, kids, Melbourne, newborn, photographer, photography, twins | 4 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

Macro Monday

June 15, 2009 – 11:10 pm

A new post, two days in a row. Woohoo for me!

I’m still having fun with my macro lens - my other babies (the glass ones, that is) are probably feeling a bit neglected. But what can I say? Not that they’d understand anyway….
So, I’ll just get on with sharing some of the results shall I …

Happy Monday all. x

By Narrelle | Posted in Macro Monday | Tagged baby, children's, family, Melbourne, newborn, photographer, photography, wedding | 3 comments Show Comments | Add a Comment

A few more pieces of me.

June 14, 2009 – 10:18 pm

Yep. I’m very behind in sharing the photographs from my self-portrait challenge. I’ve actually taken the last month or so off, with all the sickness and holiday-making going on here, and I’m finding it a bit hard to get back into the swing of things. I have been encouraged though by the folk that have sent me messages asking where the rest of the ‘pieces of me’ have disappeared to, so I’ve plucked up the courage to share a few more.

Week 17

I really struggled with this photo. I was having a bit of an un-creative day and was starting to feel like my self portraits were all beginning to look the same. BUT I had just had my hair coloured the day before so thought I’d try and at least document that HUGE big event (I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve indulged myself enough to spend a couple of hours lounging in a chair while someone massaged my scalp - that HAS to be the best bit of going to the hairdressers…)

Week 17

I had fun with this shot. And, yes, that is a miniature version of me sitting in the palms of my hands. There are times when I wonder what I would do without photoshop.
There was a bit of a thought process that went into this shot, as well as the desire for wanting to make things a bit more interesting. The part I’ve enjoyed most about this challenge is actually discovering myself, in little ways, each week. The following was week 17’s find:

Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy.
There’s a little piece of me that seems to continually doubt herself.
She second-guesses her ability to be a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, a photographer – all the things that make her who she is.
Too often I let her affect my outlook on life, and I resent her for this.
Instead, I should be nurturing her.
Showing her some love.
Embracing her inadequacies and imperfections.

This week I’ve realised that without her I wouldn’t strive to be better.
She brings out the best in me and through her I can see the person I’m capable of becoming.
So from now on I’ll hold her tight, look her in the face, and be her friend.

Week 18

I’ve been posting my self-portraits on my flickr stream as I’ve been going along, and here’s what I wrote with this image:

I wanted to incorporate my mum somehow into this week’s challenge, being mother’s day and all that, but with us being 3 states apart it was a bit hard to pull off.
So I did the next best thing I could think of (though not the most exciting perhaps…) and snatched my treasured photo from the wall in AR’s room of me as a baby with mum and dad.
I love this image. So much the more because I actually copied it and restored it myself - by hand, before photoshop even existed probably. And I made the frame too, as well as cutting the mattboard - all things I once did in one of my former lives. So it’s something I hold dear for many reasons. But not as dear as my mum, or dad for that matter.
(When you eventually get around to seeing this, mum and dad - love you both!)

Oh, and I had to title this ‘Warm 70’s Love’ because I used that particular action from Jesh de Rox’s latest set to process it, which is quite fitting as I guess this photo is all about warm 70’s love - though I won’t tell from which end of the 70’s.

So, you should know me just that little bit better now. It’s kinda scary sharing such personal thoughts with the world, almost as scary as putting my face out there. But that’s what this project’s all about.
And at least if you’ve been thinking lately that you’d like to have yourself cloned, once or twice over, you know I’d be happy to give it a shot for you. On paper anyway. But imagine how awesome it would be if photoshop could bring to life our craziest, or most credible, imaginations. If anyone out there figures it out before I do PLEASE let me know how.

Narrelle x

{ Melbourne Portrait Photographer }

All Better

June 8, 2009 – 4:52 pm

Finally.
The kids are smiling again, back to sleeping through the night ok, and I’m not feeling so much like I’ve been hit by a truck.
It’s been a long 4 weeks. Hopefully that’s all the sickness for this year over in one hit.

It’s also been a bit quiet here on my blog as I’ve been taking a bit of time out to work on a few new ideas, and to re-evaluate where I want the business to head. This will probably be an ongoing project for a few months but I’m excited with the way it’s developing so far.

I’ve also had Bolivia on my mind a bit lately. Yes, the country. Or, more so, the children that live there. It may seem a weird thing to be thinking about to some of you. Others will understand . As I gather my thoughts over the next week or so I’ll attempt to share why. It’s something I feel gnawing away at me, and I almost feel burdened to talk about it, though I’m not quite sure what I’d say at this point. So stay tuned.

And before I sign off, here’s a shot each of Alicia-Rae and Jaedon, healthy and happy again. It makes my heart sing to see their beautiful faces lit up with a smile.

$Children\'s Photographer Melbourne$

$Melbourne Children\'s Photographer$

{ Childrens Photographer Melbourne }

Re-visiting an old post…

May 29, 2009 – 2:31 pm

This is a post I shared a while back, when both my business and blog were quite young. I know there are considerably more people that read my blog now and may have missed this in the archives, and I’ve been feeling strongly about giving it another shout out lately. I’m going to re-post the whole entry though rather than provide a link back because, if you’re anything like me, and your days are as busy as mine, it might seem like too much work to click on it. :) So here goes:

THE LITTLEST HEROES PROJECT - Capturing Miracles, Picturing Cures

What is The Littlest Heroes Project? Let me quote a piece from their website:

“The Littlest Heroes Project is a non-profit based organization made up of professional photographers nationwide that provide free photo sessions to our nations Littlest Heroes. This is their way of giving back and taking a stand for these children who sometimes feel forgotten because of their illnesses. We are here to let them know that they are heroes to many, and to share their inspirational stories and photos with the world.

If you have a child, or know a child, who suffers from any type of serious illness we are here to help. The Littlest Heroes Project provides you with a complimentary photo shoot for your hero and family … Super Sibs and the Brave Parents are welcome to participate in the session as well!

Eligibility for the project: Any child or young person (Infant-21) that is currently fighting or has fought or suffers from any of the following: Autism, Alopecia, AIDS, Bell’s Palsy, Cancer,Chiari Malformation,Cystic Fibrosis, Cerebral Palsy, CHD,Childhood Stroke, Servere Diabetes, Down Syndrome, HIV,Immune System disorders and diseases, Kidney Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Neurocutaneous Syndromes, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Sickle Cell Anemia, Spina Bifida, Tay-Sachs Disease
(If your child’s illness is not listed and you are interested, please e-mail felicia@littlestheroesproject.org … This is just a basic list of illnesses of children we have already photographed!) “

I first heard of this project through a flickr contact of mine, Felicia Reinhard (I’d encourage you to go check her profile out. Her own story is very heartfelt and encouraging. She is such a beautiful young lady).
I visited their website (http://www.littlestheroesproject.org/) and was reduced to humble tears as I read the testimonies and trials of families who’s lives have been forever altered by disease and sickness, many of which I’d never even heard of. As a parent of two young ones myself, I found it unbeliveably heartbreaking and agonising to even imagine myself in their position.
I can’t recall the amount of times I have looked apon my life, wishing I was smarter at this, or better at that, as pretty as her, as outgoing as him etc etc. I’m sure you know what I mean - we’ve all been there (if you haven’t, I wish I was more like you…. ). And perhaps it’s a stereotypical response, but as I read through the stories of these children and their families, I felt so selfish and guilty. Who am I to complain about my life. At his point in time I have everything I could ever want.
It was a pretty easy decision for me to volunteer as a photographer for this organisation. I don’t always feel like I’m the best photographer in the world (actually, I rarely do, but we won’t go there again lol) but I do know there are lives that can be touched with what I have to offer. How often do we get that opportunity in life.
So if you have a child, or know of one, that is affected by any of the illnesses mentioned above, please contact me via the contact button at the top of this page. It would be my pleasure to organise a complimentary photo session for you. It’s the least I can do.
And please check out The Littlest Heroes Project webpage (linked above, or under my links button at the top of the page) if you are after more information.

It really has been on my heart for a while now to share this post again as I firmly believe it is up to us to share the gifts we have been blessed with, to help those around us. Photography mightn’t seem like the most obvious, or even important, gift at times. But I’ve seen faces light up, brighter than I’d have hoped, and unplanned tears fall at the sight of a memory captured forever.
There are instances when a moment in time, frozen for eternity, can become a most treasured possession. I’ve seen it, and felt it myself. So from my viewpoint it’s one of the best gifts I can offer.
So if you, or someone you know, is affected by illness please contact me via the link at the top of the page.

Narrelle x

NJOY THE MOMENT Photography for Life

Hi, and welcome

Twitter Updates

Challenging times ahead.

I ♥ faces: Wedding Bells

Forgotten Gems

We’re not impulse buyers. Not us. Noooooo

Are you expecting?

McHappiness

Macro Monday

A few more pieces of me.

All Better

Re-visiting an old post…

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