the über photography story

We wanted to reach out and tell you a bit more about the über photography story 

I am Kate, mum of 3 kids, Felix, Max and Millie and wife to Chris for 25 years.

über photography began in 2004, when Chris and I decided to start our photography business photographing weddings.

Chris had loved photography since we first met, and I having grown up in a family business, I liked the idea of running the business from home, while looking after our kids. We had both had corporate careers that we loved, but we realized it was time for a change. Our boys were 5 and 3 and I was pregnant with Millie. We both wanted a different lifestyle so that we could spend more time together as a family, and so über photography was born.

The name über came from Chris's German background (we had it well before uber cars existed lol). We wanted a business name that was simple and easy to remember, and it just so happened to mean the best of the best, and seemed like the perfect name...

We started out photographing some friends weddings, then before we knew it the business took off. For 5 years we photographed 50 weddings a year. We were fortunate to get hired to photograph in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Noosa, Fiji and Bali; and we loved being able to capture the stories of our couples. We felt privileged to be chosen to capture the story of our couples special day.

I had originally trained as a primary teacher, so when our brides started contacting us for family portraits, as they started having babies, I naturally offered to do this. I loved being able to capture the next stage of their lives. And I felt like I had discovered what my purpose was, to tell the story of families as they grow and change and to create a legacy to pass down through the generations.

Around 2009 , when all our kids had started school, I began to realize that things were changing. Photographing weddings meant spending at least one whole day every weekend away from them, and I was missing out on seeing them play sport, and spending the time together as a family on the weekend. So I made a decision to stop photographing weddings and to focus on what I knew in my heart made me happiest... capturing families.

Then on August 8th, 2011 my world was changed forever...

CHECK OUT OUR MODERN STUDIO SESSIONS

These are our most popular family sessions. These in our beautiful light filled space, with our simple props of our bed, fireplace and chairs

Mums Need to be in Photos Too!

As a mum, you are almost always super busy holding down the fort, right? It seems there are always lunches to be packed, clothes to be washed, outings to plan. The vast majority of the things that you do for your family each and every day goes undocumented. Heck, sometimes it even goes completely unnoticed!

Unfortunately, because mums are generally the ones doing all the “things”, they are also the ones taking the majority of the pictures. Having a ton of photographs of your kids is great! You will love looking at them and reminiscing, but since mum is almost always taking the pictures, it means she isn’t in very many of them. Oftentimes, mum is actively avoiding being caught in any of those photos due to various insecurities.

You need to fix that, mum. You’ve got to switch to being on the other side of the camera sometimes, and here is why.

Your Children Deserve the Memories

It may be hard to think about, but someday, you won’t be here anymore. And when that day comes, all your kiddos will have left is the photos of you. They are going to want to look back at those good times and see your smiling face. The way they remember it.

But if you don’t put yourself in front of the lens once in a while, they will be left with very few glimpses of the person you once were. These moments that you are all enjoying together, all these milestones, should be documented with you in the mix, not hiding out behind the camera.

You Want to Teach Your Daughter to Love Herself

Of course, you want to teach all of your children to love themselves, but in our society, it is especially important to teach your daughter that you love yourself. Society is going to be rough on your girl, mum. It is going to constantly tell her to look thinner, younger, and more beautiful. She needs to see your confidence, and she needs to see you loving yourself even if you don’t fit into society’s ideas of what is beautiful. In fact, she needs to see you loving yourself ESPECIALLY if you don’t fit into what society deems beautiful.

Every time you cringe at the sight of a camera pointed in your direction or run to hide from the flash, you are showing your daughter that you don’t consider yourself worthy of being in the photo. You are showing your children that you don’t think of yourself as beautiful. Is that really the lesson you want to be teaching them?

Give your children the memories that they deserve and show them just how beautiful each and every one of you can be. Scheduling a family photo shoot with a professional family photographer is a great way to love your photos. The photographer will know exactly how to flatter all of you and make everyone look their absolute best. You will love the memories that you are creating, and your kids will love looking back on them when they are all grown up with kids of their own.