““Few parents have the courage and independence to care more for their children’s happiness than for their success.”
― Alfie Kohn, ”
So I have a friend called Jas, she’s one of my besties in the entire world and one of the reasons why I became a birth photographer.
When I was on maternity leave from my “day” job with my daughter Isa, I was bored. You see, I am someone who needs to be working, whether that is creative working or working working and being a stay-at-home mama is just not for me. So while I love both my rugrats, I love doing something else too and after I had been at home with Isa for a year, I had itchy feet, I wanted to do something else. Jas, who was my go to when I needed a rant, always listened with an open heart. I was saying, I want to get back into photography but I definitely don’t want to shoot weddings again or babies in bowls or anything studio, I appreciate it togs, but it’s not my jam. Jas emailed me photos from a USA birth photographer whose name evades me now but I know it’ll probably wake me up at 3am and I’ll shout it from my bedroom.
I got tingles down my arm. I just KNEW I had to photograph births. I had never photographed one before but I had that all knowing moment when everything just stops and you go AH-HA, this is it, this is what I am going to do and who I am going to become. I feel like I am digressing a bit, but you have to understand how pertinent this gorgeous woman is to me. Jas’s youngest daughter, Lucia, was the very first birth I attended and photographed. So if you’re a previous birth client of mine, you can send out a virtual ball of love and gratitude to Jas for planting the seed of birth photography.
It’s funny how I don’t photograph the people closest in my life. That includes my own children. It’s strange. That’s gonna change, cos I love how this session turned out and I vow to capture my kids too, soon.
Jas, Mike, Ziva and Lucia live in the hills on a beautiful rural property of umpteenth acreage. Mike was working on the day we did our shoot as he owns and runs Taylor’s Art and Coffee House in the Swan Valley. If you haven’t been there yet, do it.
Jas is one of the best mamas I know and Ziva and Lucia are just the most well rounded intelligent and gentle little humans going around. Not only does Jas homeschool the girls, she runs her own jewellery business called Wayfinder. If you’re a lover of all things silver and stone, you will adore her incredible art pieces.
So here are a few snaps from our at-home photo session with Jas, Ziva and Lucia. I love how I just slotted into their groove, the girls showed me around their homestead complete with treehouse - hell yeh! This is my new favourite session, I just potter around with you and your babes and capture how extraordinary your ordinary is.
I’d love for you to let me know what you think of these photos, because for me, they are what I would describe as alive.
Belle x
