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

How to Choose the Right Family Photographer: 5 Questions You Should Ask Before Booking

Most families put enormous effort into choosing a wedding photographer but barely think about who will photograph their family. And yet family photos are the images your children will grow up looking at. They are the ones your grandchildren will find one day and hold onto. They are, in many ways, more important than wedding photos because they document the people your family became after the wedding was over.

If you are looking for a family photographer, especially in Sydney, do not just book the first person who comes up on Google. Take the time to ask these five questions. They will tell you everything you need to know about whether a photographer is the right fit for your family.

1. How Many Years of Experience Do You Have with Families?

Experience matters in family photography in a way it does not always matter in other types of photography. A good landscape photographer can wait for the perfect light. A good family photographer has to work with a toddler who has just had enough, a teenager who does not want to be there and a dog who has decided to sit on the backdrop.

Ask specifically about family experience, not just photography experience generally. A photographer might have beautiful work in their portfolio but if most of it is weddings or commercial work, they may not know how to handle the unpredictability of photographing children.

I have been photographing families for over 23 years from my studio in Gordon on Sydney's North Shore. In that time, I have worked with roughly 2,500 families. I have photographed newborns who screamed for the first 20 minutes and then fell asleep perfectly. I have worked with teenagers who arrived refusing to smile and left laughing. I have had dogs steal entire sessions in the best possible way. Experience with families specifically is what makes the difference between a stressful session and a relaxed one.

Look at their portfolio carefully. Are the images consistent in quality? Do the families look relaxed or stiff? Can you see real expressions or does everything look posed? The portfolio tells you more than the number of years ever will.

2. What Is Their Style, and Does It Match What You Want?

Not all family photographers shoot the same way. Some specialise in posed, structured portraits. Some work in a purely candid, documentary style. Some, like me, do both depending on what the family wants.

Before you book, look at their work and ask yourself: do these photos look like my family? If you have young kids and a dog, and every image in the photographer's portfolio shows perfectly posed adults in a studio, that might not be the right fit. If you want natural, relaxed images and the photographer's work looks stiff and formal, keep looking.

It is also worth asking whether they specialise in a particular type of family photography. Some photographers primarily photograph newborns and may not have much experience with older children or teenagers. If your kids are 12 and 15, you want someone who is comfortable working with that age group and knows how to make teenagers feel at ease, which is a skill in itself.

Do not be afraid to ask for specific examples. A good photographer will be happy to show you sessions that are similar to your family's situation.

3. Do They Have Repeat Clients?

This is one of the strongest indicators of a good family photographer. If families come back year after year, it tells you three things: the quality of the work is consistent, the experience is enjoyable, and the photographer has built genuine relationships with their clients.

Ask the photographer directly. How many of your clients come back? Do you photograph the same families at different stages? A photographer who has followed families from newborn through to school photos through to teenagers is someone who understands how families change and how to photograph them at every stage.

I have families who have been coming to me for over 15 years. I have photographed their newborns and now I am photographing those same kids as teenagers. That continuity matters because I know these families. I know which child is shy. I know which parent hates being in photos. I know the dog's name. That familiarity makes every session easier and the photos better.

Check their Google reviews. Real reviews from real clients will tell you what the experience is actually like, not just what the photos look like. If every single review is five stars with no detail, look a little closer. No business has 100% happy clients all of the time. An occasional less-than-perfect review with a thoughtful response from the photographer is actually a good sign. It means the reviews are genuine.

4. What Is Their Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy?

Kids get sick. It is not a matter of if, it is when. And it always seems to happen the night before a session you have been looking forward to for weeks.

Before you book, ask about their cancellation and rescheduling policy. Can you reschedule if your child wakes up with a temperature? Is there a fee? How much notice do they need? A family photographer who works with young children should understand that illness is part of the deal and have a flexible policy that accounts for it.

I reschedule for sick kids without any fuss. I would rather your family come in when everyone is feeling well and happy than push through a session where a child is unwell and miserable. The photos will be better for it, and you will enjoy the experience instead of surviving it.

5. Do They Have Experience with Your Family's Specific Needs?

Every family is different, and some families have needs that require a photographer with specific experience or sensitivity. You might have a child with additional needs who finds new environments overwhelming. You might have a child with a physical disability that requires modified posing. You might have a blended family with complex dynamics. You might have a child who is going through a tough time and is resistant to being photographed at all.

Whatever your situation, ask the photographer directly. Have you worked with a family like ours before? How would you handle this? The answer will tell you a lot. You are not looking for someone who has done it a hundred times, although that helps. You are looking for someone who listens, who is genuinely compassionate and who is willing to work with your family rather than trying to fit you into a standard session format.

In my studio, I adapt every session to the family in front of me. No two sessions look the same because no two families are the same. If your child needs extra time to warm up, we take extra time. If your teenager needs space, I give them space. If your dog needs to be part of every single frame, that is what we do. The session works around your family, not the other way around.

The Right Photographer Makes All the Difference

Choosing a family photographer is not just about finding someone who takes nice photos. It is about finding someone you trust, someone your family feels comfortable with and someone who understands that the best family photos come from genuine connection, not perfect posing.

Take the time to ask these questions. Look at the work. Read the reviews. And when you find someone who feels right, book the session. Because the photos you take of your family now are the ones you will treasure most in 20 years.

If you are on Sydney's North Shore and looking for a family photographer who genuinely loves working with real families, dogs and all, I would love to hear from you.

Kate x

5 things I wish I knew when I was pregnant

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, I thought I was prepared. I had read the books, talked to friends and done all the research. But there were things that nobody told me, or that I did not truly understand until I lived through them. Now, after three babies and 23 years of photographing newborns and pregnant mums, these are the five things I wish someone had told me honestly before my first baby arrived.

Labour Is Not What You Think It Is

I remember one of the first things I felt when I found out I was pregnant was fear about labour. I had seen it in films and television shows where it is always this dramatic, screaming, chaotic event. Rushed to hospital. Lots of yelling. Total panic.

I am not going to tell you labour does not hurt, because it absolutely does. But my experience, and I think most women's experience, is nothing like what you see on screen. My three births were all completely different from each other. One was long, one was fast, and one was somewhere in between. But in all three cases, the moment they placed my baby on my chest, everything I had just been through disappeared. Instantly. It is a feeling like nothing else you will ever experience.

So my advice is this: when you are scared about labour, focus on the end. Focus on the moment you will hold your baby for the first time. That is what matters. Everything else is just the path to get there.

Do Not Overbuy Baby Clothes

I spent so much time worrying about what clothes to buy before my first baby arrived. How many outfits? What size? What if the baby was bigger or smaller than expected?

Here is what I wish someone had told me: buy about a week's worth of outfits in neutral tones and leave it at that. Even if you know you are having a boy or a girl, neutral colours mean you can reuse everything for future babies. Your newborn will grow out of those tiny sizes within about four weeks anyway, so there is no point stocking up.

Once your baby arrives and you know their actual size, you can go out and buy what you need in sizes that will last longer. You will also have a much better idea of what is practical by then. Those beautiful outfits with a hundred tiny buttons? You will learn very quickly that zips and press studs are your best friend at 3am.

Sleep Now, Because You Will Not Later

I remember complaining about not sleeping well when I was pregnant. I had no idea what was coming.

If I could go back, I would take sleep far more seriously during pregnancy. A few things that helped me: going to bed a little earlier than usual, which is also a good habit to build before the baby arrives. Taking a quick nap during the day whenever possible, even just 20 minutes. And getting a full-length body pillow. This was probably the single best purchase I made during pregnancy. It supports your belly, makes side-sleeping comfortable and you will keep using it long after the baby arrives.

The sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn is real, and it hits harder than you expect. Anything you can do to bank sleep beforehand is worth it.

Learn to Trust Your Gut Now

From the moment you tell people you are pregnant, the advice starts. Everyone has an opinion. Your mum, your friends, your colleagues, strangers in the supermarket. Most of it comes from a good place, but a lot of it is contradictory. One person tells you to do one thing, and the next tells you the exact opposite.

My advice is to listen to everything, but only take on what genuinely resonates with you. There is no rulebook for raising children. The guidelines change every few years anyway. What was recommended when I had my first is different from what they recommend now.

As a mum, your gut instinct is one of the most powerful tools you have. I have heard countless stories from mums over the years who trusted their instincts about their child's health when even the doctors were saying everything was fine, and they were right every single time.

Start listening to your intuition now, while you are pregnant. Practice filtering out the noise and paying attention to what feels right for you. When your baby arrives, you will need that skill more than ever.

There is no right or wrong way to raise a child. We all want to raise happy, resilient little people who can go out into the world and thrive. You will make mistakes. That is normal. All you can do is your best. And the thing your child needs most from you is not perfection. It is love.

Enjoy Being a Couple Before the Baby Arrives

It is easy to get so caught up in preparing for your baby that you forget about your partner. Everything becomes about the nursery, the pram, the hospital bag, the birth plan. And somewhere in all of that, your relationship takes a back seat.

Pregnancy is a strange time for partners. They watch you change physically and emotionally, but for them nothing is visibly different yet. I remember my husband telling me he did not feel ready to be a dad. I think a lot of men feel that way but do not say it.

While you are pregnant, make time to do the things you have always enjoyed together. Go out for dinner. Watch a film on the couch. Take a walk. It does not have to be anything big. Just time together as a couple, not as parents-to-be planning a nursery.

When your baby arrives, your focus will naturally shift to them for the first 12 months at least. That is completely normal, and your partner will understand. But the foundation you build as a couple before the baby comes will carry you through those early months when everything feels overwhelming.

You Will Not Remember as Much as You Think

Here is the thing nobody tells you. You think you will remember everything about those first weeks. The way they fit in your arms. The weight of them on your chest as they slept. Those little sounds they made. The way their eyelids fluttered when they were dreaming. The tiny hands that wrapped around your finger. The expressions on their face as they tried so hard to focus on yours.

But life moves fast. And it all becomes a blur far sooner than you expect.

I photograph newborns within the first few weeks of life, and I do it because I know from my own experience how quickly those details fade. Your memory is not as reliable as you think it is, especially when you are running on no sleep and your world has just been turned upside down in the most beautiful way.

Do not rely on your memory for those early moments. Have them captured properly so that in 18 years, when that tiny baby is finishing school and heading off into the world, you can look back and remember exactly how it felt.

If you are pregnant right now or planning to be, I would love to chat about capturing your family at this incredible stage. Whether it is a maternity session, a newborn session, or both, these are the photos you will treasure most.

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