Sweetheart Session - Robyn and Grant

Robyn and Grant's session was a long time coming. They were the couple I had to cancel on when I had my mysterious freaky eye. (Which, by the way, turned out to be a glass fibre or something similar stuck in my eye. And when I say stuck, I mean stuck like a pin in a pin cushion stuck. No wonder it felt like I was blinking razor blades. I kinda was.)

We met on a Sunday afternoon in the Carlton gardens, which is the perfect time to visit the Carlton Gardens. Perhaps it's the time they were designed to be visited. There were raucous games of soccer going on, parents chasing toddlers around with that look of bemusement mixed with exhaustion on their faces, BMXers making videos of themselves as they scale the various bollards and seats around the place. Business as usual, pretty much.

Robyn and Grant are simply awesome.





Their wedding is next month, and I'm so excited for it. It's going to include the beach and an old steam train. What's there not to be excited about.



Yep, that's Robyn skipping. Who said skipping has to stay in the schoolyard?





Grant, you crack me up.



The Melbourne Museum is such a great building. No two sections are the same. It's all this way and that.





Robyn is a midwife, and she said it's busy at her work at the moment. Something to do with it being nine months after new years eve. Grant is currently working on his PHD. He has to hand it in the week before his wedding. All 80,00 thousand words of it. He said that it's good being so close to finishing it, but that he gave up sleep months ago.





My favourite shot. Oh yeah!



Mixing it with the locals.





And there's that perfectly placed fountain. I'm sure they put it there just for photographers like me. I'm sure of it.



Roby and Grant, I'll see you in a month!



* Meaghan

Sneak Peek - Robyn and Grant

Just another few frames from Robyn and Grant's sweetheart session.





10 points if you can tell me where this was taken...

*Meaghan

What I'm watching: The Wrestler
What I'm listening to: Go Forth Find Mammoth by Whitely (he's streaminghis new album on his myspace page before it's officially released.)

Sweetheart Session - Sarah and Cain

I almost didn't make it to my photo shoot with Sarah and Cain. I went to jump into my car and the engine made that awful awful noise: silence. Flat battery. I may or may not have left the ignition clicked on.



But I got there eventually, and Sarah and Cain were so patient. They didn't even laugh at me. I would have laughed at me.





Sarah and Cain have known each other for eons. Since primary school in fact. They were 'girlfriend and boyfriend'. Sarah remembers getting her best friend to dump Cain on lunch time for her. 'It was just the way it was done,' she explained. You don't have to explain to me. I've totally been there.







Sarah and Cain are fun. Just plain fun. They joke and giggle and tease and muck around. They're the reason our shoot was such a blast. They were themselves, from head to toe and inside out.





Then it was on to the beach!



There's just something about this photo. Just something about it, right?





It was fitting we went to the beach because Sarah and Cain are having a beach wedding. Complete with thongs on their feet. They want it to be relaxed and stress free. A celebration rather than a huge kafuffle. Makes perfect sense to me.







And i've saved my favourite two shots until last.



So.Much.Fun.




This really was a super fun shoot. Not a second did I feel like I was working. I was just hanging out with friends. No better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.


* Meaghan

Sneak Peek - Sarah and Cain AND Robyn and Grant

I had back to back photo shoots this weekend. Both sweetheart sessions, both in magical locations, and both with couples I adore.

Hello Sarah, you cheeky thing you.




And hello Robyn and Grant. How perfectly placed were these flowers?





More very soon. I'm working on them right now. Well, kinda. I'm also checking out a new bike for Miles on the web due to his being full of water from today's expedition to the beach.

* Meaghan

What I'm listening to: Marie Antoinette soundtrack (It actually has it's own Wikipedia page. I should be suprised seeing as though there's a wiki page for everything, but still, for a soundtrack?)

Who throws a shoe?

Seriously, who throws a shoe?



I went on a quick jaunt to Melbourne on the weekend for a sweetheart session (photos to come, can't wait!). I was walking on Drummond St near the Melbourne Museum when I saw this cacophony of shoes hanging from the power lines. There was a bunch of teenagers underneath vocally lamenting the fact that there was a brand new pair of Nike's hanging up there. I'll spare you their actual words, but you get the idea.

* Meaghan

What I'm listening to: The Sunset Tree by The Mountain Goats
What I'm reading: Julia and Julia by Julie Powell (the cover is the most wonderful green I've ever met.)

Family matters

A few weeks back, I had a bustling house and I loved it. My friend Sarah and her husband Nick came to stay with their cherubs Eva and Quinn.

It was not only wonderful to be able to spend time with them, but also to get to know their little ones. We were already living in Ocean Grove when Quinn was born. I've had cuddles, but it was so great to be able to get to know him.

Hello Quinn!



This little patootie is full.on. I think it's great, but can imagine that when he's still awake in the middle of the night and wanting to play peek-a-boo for the thousandths time, I'd think it was less great.



Nick and Sarah are such good parents. So much better than they give themselves credit for. They're warm and doting, sincere and patient. But they think otherwise, and I can see where they're coming from, because I think the same of myself. I'm the worst parent! But that's only because I rate myself on all the bad bits. I measure myself against the time the kids spend in front of the television, the junk food they love to eat, the times I get frustrated and upset and want to run far far away. I'm blind to the good things I do for my children. I hope Sarah and Nick can avoid my trap, and measure their parenting on the good things, namely the happiness of their children (which is immense!)

And hello Eva!



These photos were snapped on my living room couch just before we were heading out to dinner. Sarah and I were waiting for Nick and Amba to come back from surfing, and we were trying unsuccessfully to get four hyped up kids through the bath and dressed for dinner. It was chaos, so I promptly gave up and grabbed my camera instead. Way more fun.



I love this photo of Eva. She's a busy little bee. Being two, that's not surprising. But she can also be very serious. She's contemplative. Quite still at times. I love that I've been able to capture one of these moments.



I hope they come again, sit around my table, eat and talk merrily, and fill my house with bustle.

* Meaghan

What I'm reading: How are we hungry by DaveEggers
What I'm listening to: This year by the Mountain Goats

Little Rory

Look at that cute little bub peeking out of the basket. He's my second cousin, Rory. I caught up with his parents Nikki and Jay on the weekend and got to have cuddles upon cuddles of my newest relative.



We headed to an old, clapped out cottage just off the Surf Coast highway. This place was awesome with it's blue stone house, falling down sheds, old tractor in need of some loving and wildflowers everywhere.



And little Rory was a delight unto himself.





He's certainly a Cook (which is my dad's side of the family). It's the shape of the head, could spot it anywhere.



See, old shabbiness abounded. Couldn't help but shoot it.



Rory only has eyes for his mum at the moment. They have such a strong and wonderful connection. However it made getting his attention sometimes a little hard.



Playing in the sunset with dad.



Twas a delight to meet Rory, and hang out with my cousin again. Throw in an old farm, the sunset and my camera and it's my perfect way to spend an afternoon.

* Meaghan

Sweet Eve

I get a wrap over the knuckles for being a bad sister. My brother and his wife had little Eve way back in August, and I'm only just getting around to their photos.



Remember Kasey from the photo shoot with the apples? Well that bump turned into sweet little Eve.



And she's so little! Compared to my two panda bears who came out the size of 2 year olds she's just tiny.



She's also the first girl on our side of the family. Heavens above the poor dot. She's got three older male cousins who are as boiterous as they come. Eve's going to have to be a) fast and b) loud!



Aww, bless her little cotton socks.

* Aunty Meaghan