The Best Age for Toddler Photos (And Why It's Sooner Than You Think)

Most parents assume toddler photos happen somewhere around two or three. By then the kids can follow basic instructions, right? Here's what 23 years of photographing Sydney families has taught me: one is the sweet spot, and if you wait, you'll miss it.

Why Parents Wait Too Long

It makes sense on paper. You think, I'll wait until they're a bit older. Until they can understand what's happening. Until they'll actually cooperate.

But here's the thing. A one-year-old who's just found their feet is one of the most naturally photogenic humans you'll ever meet. They're curious about everything. They're steady enough to stand and toddle but still small enough to feel like a baby. They think you're the funniest person alive. They haven't developed the self-consciousness that comes later. They're just completely, entirely themselves.

That window is shorter than you think.

What Changes at Eighteen Months

I want to be honest with you about what happens when you wait, because I see it all the time in my Gordon studio on Sydney's North Shore.

At one, your toddler is just walking. They're wobbly and delighted about it. They're exploring, they're stopping, they're looking around, they're coming back to you. That movement is beautiful to photograph because it's slow enough to catch and genuine enough to feel real.

At eighteen months to two years, everything changes. They're not walking anymore. They're running. They have very strong opinions about where they want to go and what they want to do, and they have zero interest in anyone else's agenda. The determined streak that makes two-year-olds so wonderful to parent also makes them genuinely challenging to photograph, and I say that with complete affection for this age group.

The one-year-old will wander towards you. The two-year-old will wander away from you, at speed, towards whatever they've decided is more interesting.

That's not impossible to work with. I've photographed a lot of two-year-olds across Sydney's North Shore and I know how to get the shots. But the ease and the sweetness of the one-year-old session is something different. It's a specific window and once it closes, it's gone.

What One-Year-Old Photos Actually Look Like

I want to reset expectations here, because "toddler photos" might conjure an image of a child sitting nicely and smiling at the camera. That's not what I'm going for, and honestly it's not what you want either.

What I'm looking for at this age is the real stuff. The way they concentrate when they're figuring something out. The laugh that comes out of nowhere. The look they give you just before they do something they know they shouldn't. The way they reach for you when they want to be picked up.

None of that requires cooperation. It requires patience and someone who knows how to watch and wait. After 23 years and roughly 2,500 families photographed across Sydney, I've learned that the best images at this age come from following the child, not directing them.

Your job during the session is just to be with them. Talk to them, play with them, be the person they always want. My job is to be ready when the real moments happen.

You Belong in These Photos Too

Here's the part I'd be leaving out if I didn't say it: you should be in the session too.

Your one-year-old thinks you are the most important person in the world. That relationship, the way they look at you, the way they reach for you, the way they light up when you walk into the room, is one of the most beautiful things I get to photograph. And it's specific to this age in a way that shifts as they get older and more independent.

Most mums I photograph tell me that the images of them with their child are the ones they love most. Not because they look perfect. Because they look true. You, with your one-year-old, at exactly this moment. That belongs on your wall.

I say this because I know the instinct is to stay behind the camera. I know you're not sure how you'll look. I've been photographing North Shore mums for over two decades and I promise you, the photos you'll treasure most are the ones you're actually in.

How to Know If Now Is the Right Time

If your child is anywhere between ten months and fourteen months, now is the time. You don't need to wait for the birthday. You don't need them to be walking confidently. You just need to book it before the window closes.

If they've just turned one and you've been thinking about it, stop thinking and book it. The eighteen-month version of your child is coming faster than you expect, and as much as I love photographing them too, the one-year-old session is something I'd hate for you to miss.

I photograph families across Sydney's North Shore from my studio in Gordon, and I work with children at every age and stage. If you'd like to talk through timing or what a session looks like, get in touch here and I'll help you figure out the right moment.

Kate x

Toilet Training Your Toddler: 8 Tips That Actually Work

Toilet training. Nobody thinks about it before they become a parent, and then suddenly it is all anyone asks you about. "Is she toilet trained yet?" "What age does he need to be out of nappies for childcare?" "Oh, mine was trained by 18 months." Thanks for that.

The pressure from family, friends and daycare can make you want to throw the whole idea in the too-hard basket. And honestly, it is hard. Two to three years is the average age for children to start, but every child is different, and there is no magic formula that works for everyone.

After three kids and years of swapping war stories with mums at sessions, here are the eight tips that actually made a difference.

1. Start Introducing the Idea Early

You do not have to go all in at 18 months, but gently introducing the concept around the age of two gives your child time to get used to the idea. If your child shows signs of readiness a little earlier, there is no harm in starting to practise. Signs to look for include telling you when they have done a wee or poo in their nappy, showing interest in the toilet, or staying dry for longer stretches.

Starting early does not mean pushing. It means making the toilet part of their world so it is not a shock when the time comes.

2. Make the Toilet Less Intimidating

A full-sized toilet is enormous when you are two. Sitting on it can feel genuinely scary for a small child. A small potty chair or a potty seat that fits over the regular toilet makes a huge difference. For boys, make sure it has a front shield to contain the mess.

Put the potty in the room where your child spends most of their time. Let them sit on it with their clothes on at first, just to get used to it. The less unfamiliar it feels, the more willing they will be to actually use it.

3. Clear Your Schedule and Pick Your Moment

Do not try to start toilet training in the middle of a hectic week. Pick a stretch of days when you can stay home and focus on it properly. Long weekends and school holidays work well. I know that is not how anyone wants to spend their time off, but dedicating two or three days to really focusing on it can save you weeks of on-and-off attempts.

Summer is ideal if you can manage it. Warm weather means fewer layers to deal with, and your child will not mind running around in just a shirt and undies. Less clothing means fewer accidents to clean up and a faster connection between the feeling of needing to go and actually getting to the toilet.

4. Choose Your Language Carefully

Decide early on what words you will use for body parts, wee and poo, and stick with them. Keep it simple and matter-of-fact. "Wee wee" and "poo poo" work perfectly well for toddlers. The important thing is consistency so your child knows exactly what you mean.

Avoid negative language. Words like "gross", "yucky" or "naughty" can make your child feel ashamed about something that is completely natural. Accidents will happen, and how you react to them matters. A calm "that is okay, let's try the potty next time" goes a lot further than frustration.

5. Use Their Favourite Toy to Demonstrate

This sounds silly but it works. Take your child's favourite doll, teddy bear or action figure and put it on the potty. Explain that the bear is doing a wee on the potty. Put a pretend nappy on the toy and then graduate the toy to undies. Your child learns by watching and imitating, and seeing their beloved toy go through the process normalises it.

My kids responded to this far better than any amount of explaining. Something about seeing teddy do it first made the whole thing less daunting.

6. Use Books and Videos

There are plenty of children's books and videos about toilet training available online and at the library. Let your child watch or read about other children learning to use the potty. It helps them understand the process and realise that every child goes through it.

A practical tip: let your child look at their favourite book while sitting on the potty. It keeps them sitting there long enough for something to actually happen, and it turns the experience into something positive rather than something they dread.

7. Make It an Event

Get out the calendar and let your child pick a "Potty Day". Circle the date in a bright colour. Talk about it in the lead-up. Build some excitement around it. "Potty Day is nearly here!" might sound ridiculous to you, but to a toddler it makes the whole thing feel like an achievement rather than a chore.

Creating a positive atmosphere around toilet training makes your child more willing to try. Sticker charts, high fives and small rewards for successful trips to the potty all help reinforce the message that this is something to be proud of.

8. Once You Start, Do Not Go Back

This is the most important tip and the one most parents struggle with. Once you switch from nappies to undies during the day, commit to it. Keep nappies for nap time and sleep time only. The more consistent you are, the faster your child will learn.

If you are worried about the car seat, put a towel or a reusable nappy insert underneath them. If you are going out, pack spare clothes. Accept that there will be accidents and plan for them rather than reverting to nappies.

Going back and forth between nappies and undies sends mixed signals and extends the whole process. Consistency is everything.

Be Patient with Yourself and with Them

Toilet training is not a one-day event. It takes time, patience and a lot of cleaning up. Some children get it within a few days. Others take weeks. Both are normal. Your child will get there. They will not be in nappies for ever, even if it feels like it right now.

And if you are in the thick of it and it feels like nothing is working, take a breath. Step back for a week if you need to and try again. There is no deadline. There is no competition. Your child will be ready when they are ready.

You are doing a great job.

Kate x

Are You Really Present with Your Children?

Are You Really Present with Your Children?

How often are you fully present when you are with your kids? Not just in the same room. Not just supervising homework while scrolling your phone. Actually present. Listening. Engaged. Focused entirely on them.

If you are honest with yourself, it is probably less often than you would like. And that is not a criticism. It is just the reality of being a parent in a world that never stops demanding your attention.

I have three kids. When they were little, I was running my photography business full time, managing a household and trying to be a decent partner on top of it all. There were days when I felt like I was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Physically present but mentally running through tomorrow's to-do list while my child was trying to tell me something about their day.

It took me a while to realise that being in the room is not the same as being present. And that the difference matters more than I thought.

What "Being Present" Actually Looks Like

For me, the only way to genuinely be present with my kids was to create what I called "time alone" with each of them. Not family time where everyone is together and chaos reigns. Individual, one-on-one time where I did whatever they wanted to do.

During that time, I did not answer the phone. I did not fold laundry or empty the dishwasher. I did not think about client emails or what was for dinner. It was their time, and they had my full attention.

Some days it was half an hour. Some days it was longer. The length mattered less than the quality. What mattered was that for that window of time, my child knew they were the most important thing in my world.

What Happens When Kids Do Not Get Your Full Attention

Children are perceptive. They know when you are distracted. They know when you are half-listening. And they interpret it in a way that is hard to hear: they think they are not important to you.

That is not what you mean, of course. You are distracted because you have a hundred things to do and not enough hours. But your child does not see your to-do list. They see a parent who keeps looking at their phone, who answers every call, who says "in a minute" and then forgets.

When kids do not get focused attention, they find other ways to get it. Some chatter nonstop, trying to hold your attention by sheer volume. Some act out, fighting with siblings or pushing back on chores, homework and bedtime. Some go quiet and stop trying altogether. None of these are bad behaviour. They are a child communicating a need the only way they know how.

My Own Experience Growing Up

My mum was always busy when I was a kid. She was juggling three children and working part time, and it felt like she never had time to just be with me. She never asked about my thoughts or feelings, or how things were going at school. She never played with me or just hung out with me.

I do not say that to criticise her. She was doing her best with what she had. But I remember how it felt. And when I became a mum, I was determined to do it differently. That is where the "time alone" idea came from. I did not want my kids to grow up feeling like they were not important enough for me to stop and pay attention.

It Gets Harder as They Get Older

When your kids are little, they want your attention constantly. The challenge is finding the energy to give it. But as they get older, the dynamic shifts. My kids are busy now with their own friends, schoolwork and screens. There are days where I am the one trying to get their attention, not the other way around.

This is where the habits you build when they are young pay off. If your child has always had that one-on-one time with you, they are more likely to keep talking to you as teenagers. Not about everything. But about enough. The connection you build in those early years becomes the foundation for the relationship you have with them later.

Think About How It Feels When Someone Really Listens to You

When was the last time someone gave you their complete attention? Looked you in the eyes, listened to what you were saying, and did not check their phone or look over your shoulder? It feels incredible, does it not? It feels like you matter.

Now think about how rarely that happens in everyday life. Most conversations are half-attention at best. We are all guilty of it.

Your child feels the same way you do when someone truly listens. And they feel the same way you do when someone does not.

You Do Not Need to Be Perfect

This is not about guilt. Nobody can be fully present every minute of every day. You have a life to run, meals to cook, a house to manage and probably a job on top of that. The goal is not perfection. The goal is intention.

Thirty minutes a day of genuine, focused, one-on-one time with your child is enough. Put the phone in another room. Turn off the television. Sit with them and do whatever they want to do. Ask them questions and actually listen to the answers. Let them lead.

It does not have to be elaborate. It can be a walk around the block. Drawing together. Kicking a ball in the backyard. Lying on the couch while they tell you about a game they are playing. The activity does not matter. Your attention does.

They Grow Up Fast

I know this sounds like a cliché, but it is true in a way that only hits you when it is happening. One day you are settling a newborn at 2am and the next you are dropping a teenager at a party and hoping they text you when they want to be picked up.

The version of your child that exists right now will not exist for long. The things they are excited about, the way they laugh, the stories they tell you at bedtime. All of it is temporary. And the only way to hold onto it is to actually be there for it.

You have an opportunity every single day to give your child something that costs nothing and means everything. Your full, undivided attention. Even if it is just for half an hour.

Do not miss it.

Kate x

The 6 Most Important Times to Book a Family Photo Session

The 6 Most Important Times to Book a Family Photo Session

Life moves fast. Between the school runs, the activities and the endless pile of laundry, it can feel impossible to find time for professional family photos. But children change quickly, and one day you will look back and wish you had captured them at every stage along the way.

After 23 years of photographing families in my studio in Gordon on Sydney's North Shore, I can tell you the moments parents wish they had documented the most. These are the six key stages where a family portrait session makes the biggest difference.

When They Are a Newborn

The newborn phase is intense. You are running on almost no sleep, still figuring everything out and barely getting through each day. But those early weeks are also when your baby is at their tiniest, and they will never look quite like that again. I always recommend booking a newborn session within the first few weeks. You will be glad you did, because that blur of sleepless nights fades fast and having photos from that time brings it all back.

Before They Start School

Starting school changes everything. The child who once looked only to you for everything starts forming their own opinions, making their own friends and wanting to do things independently. It is a big shift in your family's rhythm, and having photos from just before that transition is something parents treasure. That wide-eyed, still-little version of your child deserves to be captured before the school years begin.

When They Hit the Tween Years

If you thought starting school was a big change, the tween and early teen years will surprise you. Your child starts growing into a completely different person, both physically and in personality. It happens so gradually that you barely notice until one day they look totally different from the child in your last family photos. This is a stage worth documenting, because it is a version of your child that does not last long.

When They Start High School

High school marks the beginning of the end of childhood. Your teenager is forming their own identity, becoming more independent and starting to pull away. That is completely normal, but it makes this stage even more important to capture. These are the last years before adulthood, and the way your child looks and carries themselves right now is worth holding onto.

During Their Final Year of School

Whether your child is heading to university, starting a trade or heading straight into work, their final year of school is a milestone for the whole family. It is often the last time your original family unit is all together under one roof before partners, new homes and eventually grandchildren come into the picture. A family session during this year captures that chapter before it closes.

Where Is Your Family Right Now?

It does not matter what stage your family is at. Whether your baby is brand new or your youngest is about to finish school, the time you are in right now is worth capturing. I photograph families at every stage, from newborns through to teenagers, and every session is relaxed, natural and designed to capture your family as you actually are.

If you have been meaning to book a family session but life keeps getting in the way, that is exactly why you should do it now. The stage you are in today will not last for ever.

I would love to photograph your family.

Kate x