From travel to what the hell you're going to wear on the day, all the answers are right here.
The prints and frames from the session are guaranteed to last decades so they can be passed down through your family and inherited by future generations and your legacy can live on.
All of my packages include prints so that you don’t have to find time within your busy schedules to actually print the photos – I do that for you to ensure it gets done.
You also have access to the online print shop with my recommended professional printer, Atkins Photo Lab where you can order a variety of quality prints and custom frames.
Your photos are delivered via a private online gallery within 14 days of our session.
The gallery is available online for 12 months where you can download your photos as many times as needed.
LAUREN HENDERSON
"We highly recommend Pip! She made us feel at ease and we are so incredibly happy with every single shot she took. A family album we will cherish forever."
GEORGIE GIBSON
"We absolutely recommend Pip! We had not had family photos before and I had a rather reluctant participant (um... husband ;)) but Pip made us all feel so relaxed. And then we got our photos back.... wow. We were so happy with them and Pip captured us perfectly."
BROOKE SCHMIDT
"We loved having Pip at our home to photograph our family! She was warm and friendly and fantastic with the kids. Thank you Pip for your wonderful fun and the fabulous photos that captured our family so well! To quote my husband “oh babe she was just delightful” thanks again Pip we can’t wait to get our images up on our wall! "
Yes! I travel anywhere you’ll have me! I have been lucky to photograph families all over rural and remote parts of Queensland and New South Wales and areas of Sydney and Melbourne too.
I travel up to 100km from Toowoomba free of charge and anything further involves a fee. You can request a travel quote prior to booking if you click here. If you have a friend or family member living in or near your town and they would also like to book a session with me, you can share the travel fee. I will heavily discount the fee with four or more bookings from the same area.
As I'm a family photographer, I recommend we photograph at your home. This is where everyone is most comfortable and the photos will have more meaning to you. The majority of the session will be outdoors in the backyard or paddocks where we can all relax and move freely. We can also incorporate an additional location into the shoot if you like. For instance, we start at your home, then we can go to a field, creek, beach or coffee shop to finish the shoot – the options are endless. But wherever we go, I want it to have some kind of relevance to your family and be a place you enjoy going together. Having a second location also adds variety to your gallery of photos and a change of scenery can be very helpful for stir-crazy kids!
I rely on natural light for my sessions. The majority of my shooting happens outdoors in the late afternoon about two hours before sunset, when the sun is low, soft, and golden. I also offer early morning and sunrise shoots because the lighting is very similar at this time, but I understand this time slot isn't for everyone.
This is the most common question I am asked before a session…
My style of photography is very natural and I want your wardrobe to reflect this too. That definitely means no matching blue jeans and white shirts!
I photograph A LOT of farming families, and I love nothing more when everyone wears just their normal work clothes and boots – how they would dress for a weekend of cattle/sheep work, or an afternoon of fishing/gardening. That’s real life and that’s how I want to photograph you. Wear what makes sense for the location we're shooting in..
If that’s not your thing and you'd like to make more of a conscious effort with everyone's clothes, then simply wear something you feel great in as well as comfortable. My number one tip is - Mum, choose your outfit first, then design everyone else's to compliment yours.
If you need to iron a shirt or pants for anyone’s outfit, then please re-think these wardrobe choices! I don't know of anyone who irons clothes just to hang around the house on a weekend. These photos shouldn’t be an occasion to all dress up and wear your Sunday best. Honestly speaking, that looks very fabricated and if it’s not something you would wear at home with just your family, then I would strongly suggest you don’t wear it during our photos The clothes aren't the focus of the photos - your love, connection and story is.
T-shirts or polo shirts work perfectly for dads and boys and, to be honest, they will feel more relaxed in one than a button-up, ironed dress shirt. We will be doing a lot of sitting down and moving, so if you’re going to wear a skirt or dress, keep the length in mind because you will find it hard to get comfortable if it’s too short.
Natural and neutral shades work the best, but avoid dressing any two people in the same colour because they will blend into each other and it’s hard to distinguish between bodies – this is especially obvious with black or navy blue. Avoid t-shirts with large logos, images or text on the front because they’re very distracting and will surely date.
Don't be afraid of a little pattern and texture either. Linen, cotton, denim, corduroy, and lace all work beautifully in photos. If you can, please avoid dressing Dad in a check, button up shirt. I've seen this look 1000 times and it just always feel unnatural for the type of family photos I make.
If you need help or inspiration with clothing options, I have collected some broad ideas of what can work well. Please click here to have a look.
If you’d like to shoot inside, it will only be for a short amount of time before we move outdoors. If you would like to incorporate inside your home then I suggest you declutter the rooms that I would most likely shoot in – these are the main bedroom, kids’ bedrooms and living area. In saying that though, I will only shoot in the rooms with the best natural light.
If we shoot in the main bedroom it would be a good idea to have a clean and neutral coloured bedspread and pillows on your bed.
When I arrive at your home I would love for you to show me around, that way I can work out the best areas to work in. I will be guiding you on how to achieve natural family photos with regards to lighting and I will also suggest ways in which you can sit together and interact. I let the session unfold and I capture exactly what I see. Please don't feel you can't be yourself in front of me. If you enjoy an afternoon wine or beer, please know that it's ok to crack the bottle open while I'm there. Hey, it may even help you relax!
Your images will be ready to view online within two weeks of our session and they will be sent via email with a link to view your private online gallery, where you can download your digital files instantly.
After you have viewed your gallery you will have 30 days to choose the photos you would like printed (according to your package). If you do not choose your prints within this timeframe, your gallery automatically expires and there is a $99 access fee to open the gallery again.
When you receive your online gallery it will also be linked to my recommended print store, Atkins Photo Lab. I will arrange your print products (as per your package), but you can also purchase additional products, for family and friends, through the store at any time for the 12 months that your gallery is online.
No problem – we reschedule. Just let me know as soon as possible and we'll work out another date that suits us both.
*There will be a $100 fee if you choose to reschedule more than twice for reasons other than illness and weather.
I'm happy to work in all weather conditions that Mother Nature might throw at us, but rain is where my camera and I stop. Overcast days we will still go ahead.
*There will be a $100 fee if you choose to reschedule more than once for reasons other than illness and weather.
There's nothing I haven't seen, trust me. I have two kids of my own and I get how these things happen every now and then, or even daily! It might be your tween going through a 'too cool' stage or you have a teething and screaming toddler. Please don't let this stress you out and ruin the experience. I'm not there to photograph ‘perfect’. I’m there to capture a time in your lives that’s real and if that means tantrums, then so be it! I want real life, not cheesy, fake smiles.
This is something I don't do. It wouldn't be true to my style of real family photography if I did. I will remove the odd blemish, but that's about it. These photos are not about how you look. I want you to treat this experience as an opportunity to connect with your family, drop your insecurities, and make some memories with them. You won’t regret it. Trust me, your kids won't look back on these photos and pick your physical appearance apart. They will just see mum and dad, and that’s what is most important.