Yesterday we posted about Goats and Organic farms… but maybe you prefer education and tree seedlings?

Either way check out this fantastic and inspiring site! Useful gifts. I am so proud to have worked with this organization!! If you need a last miniute Christmas gift maybe one of these will be perfect for your special someone?

Find out more here!! Useful gifts!

When I was working in India earlier this year I worked with a fantastic NGO. You can read more about it here and here…

We did this little video interview with a single mother who got given goats! It was delightful to see how grateful and excited she was to share her life with us.

Why not give all the tricky people in your life Goats? Or maybe all the people who don’t know what they want for Christmas? These gifts really do make a huge difference!

Or maybe you prefer the absolutely wonderful and my personal favorite… Organic farming training!! This beautiful man loved his farm and how it has changed his life!

To find out more go to the Useful gifts website! HERE.

I am so very excited to have just completed a new film for a wonderful food photographer!!

Julie Renouf is amazing. Her work is very sought after and featured in many popular books!! You may even have a cook book in your house that she photographed!! Julie is also a beautiful soul who has been a kind and generous friend to me for many years!

I am honoured to know her. Take a look at her fantastic site here.

Here is the film!

Ali and Chris are delightful fun.  I enjoyed walking the streets of Bardon and watching their little dog Poppy do the most amazing hand-stands-to-pee tricks! (you will see what I mean!) AMAZING!

I love engagement sessions! Sometimes after spending time photographing a couple I don’t want to go home… I just want to sit and chat about books and have tea out of cool retro cups.

Ali runs a gorgeous vintage shop at the Woolloongabba Antique Centre. So naturally their home is filled with fun things! These two are wonderful together. Peas in a pod.

I am seeing everywhere I go the beginning of Christmas mayhem! Yes indeedy, only 10 weeks apparently and Christmas will be here! EEEK!

While I was in India I had the pleasure of working with a fantastic organization TEAR Australia who with their amazing partners are doing all they can to help transform the lives of the poor and marginalized in India. It was my honor to hear and see the stories of communities being empowered with the knowledge, confidence and tools to work towards their own development.
I took so many photos of sooo many great projects. This one ties in nicely for Christmas! Actually a lot of them do and I will feature a few more shortly.
So what about buying all your family and friends chicken’s for families in India? It enables them to have healthy food for their families and if they get a few chickens they even can make a little income selling the eggs.
Here is one beautiful family, who were given chickens through one of TEARs fantastic India partner projects. They even helped them build a coop to house their growing chickens in! How about going and buying a really useful gift?? Here!!

I also just finished up making a promo video for TEARs USEFUL GIFTS campaign. A fantastic way to share with your friends and family a great ‘gift’ idea.
Take a look and if you like it please do share it around. Also… if you don’t like chickens maybe you would prefer buying an organic kitchen garden starter kit?? Or a goat?

I have to say special thanks to Aaron for making music for me and Natala for being a prop and assistant star and for the lovely Pancho for editing up a storm!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending a weekend filming with the beautiful Amy Gill. She is a super inspiring friend I have made through doing the 365 grateful project.

Amy and I could NOT stop chatting about all the deep and meaningful things in life. We talked so much our brains hurt!

While I was there I wanted to take some photos of Amy and her delightful little family. So one morning we decided to head to the park. When I woke up and saw the fog so thick that I could not see the steps outside my hotel door… I got a little worried.

We got to the park and discovered that yes, it was still VERY foggy!

I often find myself annoyed at these times. Wishing that the weather would please help me out and make my job easier! It is an easy trap for me, wishing for things to be other then they are.

However as it happens sometimes I don’t know what is good for me.

We spent 2 hours playing around the park and taking photos. The fog did not clear one little bit! The following images are taken at the end of our play. Something about these shots I just love. I don’t think I have ever posted a blog post with just B&W photos. I love colour. I live for colour. However sometimes maybe it is good to be out of our comfort zone. Maybe it is good to be pushed to try something new. Maybe now I rather like fog and next time won’t be worried but wish for it!

Here are a couple favorite shots that feature the super clever and gorgeous Annabelle.

I have so many photos from India I don’t know what to do!

I have to keep most of the work I was doing there a little bit under wraps for now but will tell more about that soon!! I can’t wait to show you the beautiful stories and people I met with while in India. But for this post, a few shots from my travels.

When I arrived in Delhi I had a sense that I was about to go on a great adventure.

I was so right! Everything about India was remarkable!

From crazy driving to being lost in the middle of the night… from staying in strange ‘hotels’ with pre-warmed beds to walking down hills so steep it would be easier to slide down… to sitting with inspiring women and watching their eyes light up as they excitedly talk about how they help their communities… from slums to villages to the tailor who made me laugh and offered me loads of Chai. From the girl I scared and made her drop the water that took her 1.5hrs to get… to the dogs that scared me at night and made me grab my friends hand in terror – to the stunning women of India who are elegant and beautiful even while draped precariously on the back of crazy fast scooters.

ADVENTURE was had. In fact of all the countries I’ve been to I have never felt so connected and delighted with a country before.

So thank you India for inspiring me. For a sense of perspective that can only come from having lunch in a house the size of my laundry. For the colour and people who made my stay fantastic. Thank you! “Achchacha”

I just got back from working with an NGO in India. It was magic! I am so in love with that amazing colourful country!! So hope to get back there soon! Can’t wait to share all the videos and stills we took!

Because of this trip I am a little bit behind with work and emails. Thanks so much to all our patient clients – we are so grateful to you! Be onto things very soon!

In the meantime here are a couple photos

Namaste!

My kids don’t currently go to school and I don’t remember very fondly the times I spent in school.

However when I was asked to take photos documenting school life for 3 days, I jumped at the opportunity!

I love to photograph kids busy doing things. Parties are also a great time to capture children. I think it is so much easier to get people being themselves if they are engrossed in something or not expecting photos. It really was such a fun job!!

Central Coast Grammar was an amazing school. Everyone was so kind, helpful and polite. There are heaps of photos on their fancy new website that didn’t get to be featured here so please do check them out. If you’re looking for a fantastic school with the BEST art department and live on the Central Coast, I don’t think you could do any better! I wanted to bunk down and live in their art labs. AMAZING!! I loved loved watching all the creating going on and suddenly wished I was an art teacher! (or art student!)

Hope you enjoy looking over a few shots below.

I rather love to photograph bands. I have done a few lately but have not had time to share. Luckily this project is coming together nicely and I had a moment to do some YCBS work!

I didn’t really know about these clever guys till I had the honour of photographing them.

You must check them out! The Medics. Super duper talented!

I can’t wait to hear more from their new album!