Is this session personal work or client work?

This was a client session for a fabulous couple who I know from our small coastal town & who also used my husband David, as their wedding photographer. Kareen was about 30 weeks pregnant at the time of the shoot & has since gone on to have a beautiful little boy that she & her hubby Adrian, have named Leopold.

Tell us a bit about the magic of summer + the connection to your lens?.

Ahhhhh Summer!! I live on the east coast of Australia in a little town on the NSW north coast & many people complain that we don’t really have seasons because it never gets that cold. I am NOT complaining. It could literally be Summer all year & I would be happy. The light here is pretty harsh right up until two hours before sundown so this lovely forested spot was the perfect place to escape the Summer heat.

What about this session makes it an Epic summer session?

For me personally it was epic because Kareen & Adrian said that they were up for whatever I wanted to do & they were happy to go anywhere. They are super cruisy people & nothing felt rushed or forced. It’s also always a nice change to work with a couple WITHOUT kids. Do not get me wrong, I love the guts out of children (I have four of my own to vouch for that fact) buuuuuut it’s a completely different flow when there are no rugrats present.

 

What else is on your summer bucket list to photograph this summer?

For me it’s more about the medium at the moment. I am currently trying to shoot most of my personal work on film & it’s so awesome to do that in Summer as it copes so much better with the harsh light (in my opinion). Kodak Ektar100 & Summer are like best mates!
As for the WHAT though I am dying to shoot in New Zealand & really hope to do it next Southern Summer (in January, all being well). Winnebago + family 🙂

 What gear was used to achieve these?

I am a Nikon shooter & shoot primes. 85, 50 & 35. I’m not a big gear hoarder & I’m a big believer that it’s how you use your gear rather than what gear you have? The best camera is always the one you have with you.

Any summer tips or photographer advice?

Boring advice but– insect repellent is a great addition to your bag over Summer. It’s highly likely your clients won’t think to bring it & you know what it’s like as soon as the sun starts to dip, especially near the beach.
I don’t really feel qualified to give photographer advice as I think so much of the beauty of the art is that we are all so wonderfully diverse. The only thing I have to say that’s worth passing on is to not be afraid to say NO when you feel like a client is not a good fit for you, is trying to lead you in a direction you don’t want to go or you are not confident that you can deliver. There’s nothing more soul destroying than editing your way through a session that makes you cringe or jumping in too deep before you are ready & not meeting client expectation.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

 

Mother to three little men & one teeny lady, wife of photographer DAVID MOORE, teacher of high school History & photographer of families & small people. Lover of music, wine, jewellery, fabulous frocks & the stuff that other people throw away (I live for Council Clean-up)!

Despite being heavily involved in the photography business of my husband, for about a decade I did not seriously pick up the camera until about three years ago. Tired of my over-the-shoulder critiques & too time-poor to capture our own family’s story, Dave handed me the camera & told me, “do it yourself then” & so I did. I’ve not looked back.