Why get family photos?
Life goes by way too quickly and before we know if our kids are all grown up. We capture from newborns, to teenagers and grown up kids. So no matter what stage you are at in your families journey, we are there when you are ready to capture your familes photos.
Why you should get family photos done (and stop making excuses)
My mum always said she would get family photos done, but there were always the same excuses:
I need to lose 10 kilos first
We just don't have the time as life is so crazy busy
We'll get them done when you kids don't have gaps in your teeth, or when your brother's braces come off
When I can talk your father into it, as you know how much he hates having his photo taken
We'll need to save some money, as things are a little tight at the moment
But unfortunately, all those things got in the way and it just never happened.
In 2011 my dad had a heart attack and suddenly he was gone forever. Now it was too late.
I would give anything to go back and take an hour out of our busy schedules to capture those photos with him.
I would love just one photo that captures the amazing friendship my dad and I had. The incredible granddad he was to my kids. How much my mum and dad still loved each other after 49 years of marriage.
Those memories are in my mind, but I would give anything to have that captured in a photo that I could look at every day.
My Dad and I
The purpose behind über photography
This is the purpose behind the über photography brand, to make sure every child has a photo with their parents to treasure as time goes on.
I understand it's hard to find the time to take that important photo of your family. I photograph families in a relaxed, natural way that tells the true story of your family, unlike those awkwardly posed family photos with false smiles.
I photograph everyone from newborns to teenagers to extended families, so no matter what stage your family is at, I can capture that time in your lives for you.
Imagine having beautiful family photos you will proudly hang on your wall, that capture real moments with your kids that you can share and treasure forever.
My own family photos
When I lost my dad I made a decision that I never wanted my kids to not have photos with me, so I've hired a photographer every year since.
I hate having my photo taken, and I used to make every excuse:
I'll lose some weight first. My kids have never once mentioned my weight in photos.
Running a business and having 3 kids doesn't leave much spare time. But I just block it on the calendar now and make it happen.
We've had kids with braces and missing teeth. But I think that is part of my family's story and they are actually some of my favourite photos.
As a photographer, I don't enjoy being on the other side of the camera. But I know in my heart that it's more important to capture those memories than to worry about an hour of feeling uncomfortable.
Like all parents, sometimes the bills all seem to come in spurts and money can be tight. But when you really understand how important it is, you always seem to find the money when you need it.
This is my family's journey.
How I make updating your photos as easy as possible:
My online booking system makes it easy to find a time to suit your family. I'll send you my online calendar which shows all my availability for the next 6 months, so you can sit down with your family and find a time that suits everyone. I know if you're a busy family there are sports and activities to work around, so I make it easy to find a time.
My beautifully designed studio means that no matter what the weather is, your session can go ahead. I have ducted air conditioning so that on a hot day everyone stays cool during your session. No one wants to be sweating away during their session. In winter and for newborn sessions, I can pump up the heating so the studio is cosy, warm and comfortable.
My information guide makes picking your outfits for your session easy. I understand every mum's first thought is "what on earth are we going to wear?" So I have a custom guide that makes it simple and easy to choose outfits for the whole family.
My simple pricing structure makes it easy to understand the costs. I'll give you every cost upfront. I believe in total transparency with pricing. I understand that every family is in a different place with their budget, so I have a range of options to suit every budget. I take the time to sit down with you and work out the option that suits your family best.
My in-person ordering session where I take the time to find the right size photos to suit your home. At the end of your session I'll make a time for you to come back into the studio to view and order your photos. I'll show you your photos on a large screen and help you pick your favourites.
My easy payment plan options so that if the budget is a bit tight, you can still order exactly what you'd like but have a way to pay it off easily over a period of time to suit you.
My in-house framing service. Once you've decided on your favourite images, I can help you choose which frames work best for your home and your photos. I arrange custom framing for you, so all you need to do is take your gorgeous framed print home and get it hung on the wall. I can even recommend someone to do that for you, if your husband isn't too handy with that.
Why I wish I had more photos with my dad
When my Dad died from a heart attack in 2011, it was sudden. He wasn’t sick, and him dying came with no warning whatsoever. I lost my best friend in an instant, and all that I had left where the memories and the random photos were taken over the years. Don’t let that happen to you.
Why I wish I had more photos with my dad
When a house burns down or is destroyed by some other sort of disaster, what do people most regret losing? Barring people and pets, the things that people tend to miss the most are the family photos and other precious keepsakes.
All of the furniture, clothes and electronics can be replaced, but those school photos of the kids or old pictures of grandma and grandpa are irreplaceable. Many people overlook the importance of family photos until it is too late.
My dad was my best friend
Growing up, my dad was my best friend. Whenever I had a problem or was upset about something, I knew that he would be there to help me talk it out. If it was something that couldn't be talked through, he was the shoulder I could cry on. He celebrated my wins with pride, and he helped pick me up again when I failed.
When he died from a heart attack in 2011, it was sudden. He wasn't sick, and him dying came with no warning whatsoever. I lost my best friend in an instant, and all that I had left were the memories and the random photos that were taken over the years.
One of my biggest regrets was not taking more pictures with my dad as I got older. Sure there are always plenty of pictures from the growing up years, but as we all get older, our family photos tend to switch to our new little created families. Most people start taking family photos with their spouses and their own kids once they reach adulthood.
Family photos are important
While it is definitely important to take family photos with your own kids, don't forget your parents too. Life changes quickly. Your parents won't always be around, and you will definitely appreciate having these reminders when they are gone. I wish that I had more pictures of me and my dad.
Tangible memories
Think about what you would miss if you lost all of your possessions in a fire as I mentioned at the beginning of this article. All those adorable photos of your child's first birthday? The pictures of your great aunt? These tangible memories are some of our most treasured keepsakes.
I wish I had more photos of me and my dad, but it is too late for that. Don't make the same mistake I did. Get in the photos with your kids now, while you can.
How I changed this for my family
When I lost my dad I made a decision that my children would never go through the same feelings of missing out. Like most women, I don't like having photos of myself taken. I know I should lose a few more kilos, my hair has a tendency to go frizzy on the dates I want it to be straight. I'm never sure what clothes suit me best.
But I realised that my kids will never look at photos of me and think any of those thoughts. They will be glad of the memories that I capture for them. So every time I get our family photos done, one of my must-have shots is me individually with my kids.
Life changed in a heartbeat
The only photo of my Dad and I was taken on my wedding day…
Growing up I had always been close to my Dad and shared a special bond with him. He loved fishing, and from a young age I loved going out on his punt and he would teach me all his fishing tricks. I could never sleep on a car journey, so when we were driving on family holidays we would chat all the way, while everyone else slept around us. He ran an orchid nursery and I loved being able to work with him on the weekends & school holidays.
When I got married and moved away from home, we developed an even stronger bond; He was the first person I would call when I had a problem, needed some advice or a shoulder to cry on. He was an amazing Grandpa to my 3 kids. My parents retired to a property in Bowral, and he loved teaching the kids about his cattle, riding horses, feeding the chooks and gardening. The perfect weekend getaway for city kids.
On August 8th, 2011 I received a phone call that shook me to the core, my Dad was being rushed to the hospital.
5 minutes later we received another call to say that he had passed away from a massive heart attack….he was only 68… I believed my Dad would be around forever, that he as a doting granddad would watch my kids grow up… and in a heartbeat that was all taken away from me.
My brother, sister and I took on the responsibility of arranging his funeral, as my mum was in total shock. I offered to put together a slideshow of family photos for his service. I cried as I was sifting through all of those memories, There were Santa photos taken religiously every year, the summer holidays at our favourite place with photos of us all on the jetty proudly holding the fish we had caught, watersking and swimming in the lake, and our birthday parties….
The only photo of my Dad and I was the photo below, taken on my wedding day…
I will forever wish that could have been different...
Classic studio
Classically styled photos on our dark backdrop. These are timeless colour & black & white images, capturing your families connection.
Mums Need to be in Photos Too!
DO YOU AS A MUM, EXIST IN PHOTOS WITH YOUR KIDS?
Give your children the memories that they deserve and show them just how beautiful each and every one of you can be.
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.