Gerty Philosophy
This is what I know for sure:No-one gets to the end of their days and wishes they'd invested less time in their family.
Gerty Photography was created to help my clients fashion a visual expression of their family love.
I believe in service so friendly that every client feels like part of the Gerty family. I love meeting new people, and I know that it's an honour to be invited to be part of your family and life.
I want every client to feel like my favourite client.
Category Archives: Family
Are You Ready for the Perfect Moment? | Brisbane Kids Photography
My son Will went for his first train ride the other day. He is mad keen on Thomas the Tank Engine, and excitedly points out any and every passing Thomas when we’re out driving. So to actually go for a ride on Thomas was an exciting and momentous occasion! I wasn’t going to take my “good” camera, but thankfully Bruce gently pointed out that I may regret it later on…
As I was editing the photos, there were a few that stood out as “perfect moments”. When all the elements of focus, timing, facial expression, exposure and background came together in 1/125th of a second. It gave me shots like this, which I love – they’re not all that timeless or award-winning, but they really show off Will’s gorgeous personality.
When I look at the photos taken either just before or after these moments, most of them are actually quite awful! Closed eyes, weird grimaces, etc. etc.
But if you want to increase your chances of catching those perfect moments when photographing your own family, here are my tips:
1. Take lots of photos
Digital media is really quite cheap, so there’s no reason not to take several frames. Just don’t forget to go through and cull them later, and only keep the winners.
2. Wait for it
If your kids (or other subjects) are about to do something photo worthy, get yourself in a good position, and then wait. Don’t just snap a quick shot and consider it done – wait for the cheeky smile, the superhero pose, the quick flash of personality.
Having a DSLR will help greatly with this – when you press the shutter, it takes the photo without delay. Often compact “point and shoot” cameras have a lag between the moment you press the shutter and when it actually takes the exposure.
3. Photograph unscripted
Will loves having his photo taken (thankfully!), and will happily jump in front of the camera when I want to take his photo. However, when I ask him to smile for me, this is usually what I get:
Believe it or not, that is the same kid! Those first four photos were not a result of any direction or encouragement from me. In fact, running along the train platform is exactly what he was told not to do! I’ve found the more I try to direct him (and almost every other child I’ve ever photographed), the more I just end up with high blood pressure and dodgy photos. You need a ton of patience, a little bit of luck, and a big memory card.
4. Know your settings for proper exposure
If you’re operating a DSLR on anything other than auto, you need to be confident in your settings before you start shooting. Getting it right quickly only comes with time and practice practice practice, but you’ve really got to be on the ball to capture these things that happen in the tiniest fraction of a second. And don’t be discouraged – for all the winners that make it to my website or facebook page, there are thousands of shots that didn’t make the cut and will never see the light of day.
If you’re getting disappointing results on Auto settings, or you’d like to learn more about taking control of your camera, you can contact me here to enquire about one-on-one mentoring.
So Good To See You Again | Mt Coot-tha Portrait Photography
Seeing past clients again is one of my favourite things about being a photographer. Chris & Tarah were married at New Farm Park last year – we had a lovely afternoon catching up for a relaxed couple’s session last month.
We were lucky that our session was timed perfectly in a little window of dry weather between two big storms. I love the moody atmosphere of this last image!
It’s All About the Album | Brisbane Luxury Photography
Investing in a custom family photography session is always about more than the digital file that comes from having your photo taken.
Thinking about how you want to enjoy your images for years (and generations!) to come is so important! That is why gorgeous custom-made albums and beautiful prints that adorn your walls are my very favourite thing. Digital files are great for sharing with friends on facebook or over email, I love that too. But in the long-run, the real treasure is the artwork that you can hold in your hands, or that you see on your wall every day.
Since it’s hard to explain the quality of a finished Gerty album in words, here are a few images of a recent client’s album – for his parents to enjoy now, and a gift already prepared to hand down to him when he’s all grown up.
This is a Gallery style album, available for both weddings and families. There is a huge range of cover fabrics and leathers to choose from, making each one unique. They are custom made to any number of pages for each client.
To chat about booking your own family portrait session and creating an album to treasure, you can get in touch here.
Saxon Part Three: Newborn | Brisbane Baby Photographer
Saxon came to visit at 10 days new. He was determined to stay awake for much of his session, but eventually drifted off. Such a sweet little guy.
For more information about a newborn session for your own little one, you can get in touch here.
Saxon Part Two: Birth | Brisbane Birth Photographer
Welcoming a new family member is an emotional, and often painful, experience. It’s a time that is sometimes difficult to remember – everything is overwhelming and goes by in such a hurry. Birth photography is a way to document the experience in a tasteful and unobtrusive way. A way to look back on this amazing accomplishment and remember when you held your child for the very first time.
Saxon was in an incredible hurry to meet his family, and I arrived in the birth suite 10 minutes after he did! Nevertheless, here are some of the gorgeous memories from his first moments.
If you are interested in more information about having your own baby’s birth photographed, please get in touch here.
Saxon Part One: Pregnancy | Brisbane Maternity Photographer
Desrae & Leesa invited me to be part of their little man’s arrival into the world, with pregnancy, birth and newborn sessions. I am always in awe of what an amazing time it is when a new baby joins a family.
Here are a few images from our pregnancy session, both in the studio and at a local park.
For more information on pregnancy and newborn sessions, please get in touch here.
Beautiful Baby Bump | Brisbane Maternity Photographer
Anticipating a new baby, particularly a first baby, is an exciting time. When I think back to the last few weeks of my pregnancy with Will, I had nowhere near the energy and grace of the gorgeous Briggy – despite being 37 weeks pregnant, she practically bounced up the stairs to the studio, glowing and relaxed.
But it’s not just about the little one on the way – it was such a pleasure to spend some time with this couple, and share in part of their transition from being a couple, to becoming a family.
If you have a little one on the way, and would like to remember this time in your life, you can get in touch here.
One Boy, One Lens, Twenty Minutes | Brisbane Kids Photographer
We spent a gorgeous week in Kingscliff last week, and I took the opportunity to do two mini sessions with my little man. I set myself a time limit of 20 minutes, with a goal to create a set of images just the same as when I work for a client.
Here are the results of the first session with my cute little poser.
If you’re interested in a mini session for your little one, get in touch with me here.
It’s the little things… | Brisbane Family Photographer
I was talking to my mum the other day, comparing notes on our shared propensity for taking an over-abundance of photos when we travel. I remember when we were walking down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, we were standing next to each other, taking almost the exact same photo…
I hate to think how I’d go if I went on another overseas trip now – compulsively seeing everything through a lens rather than putting the camera down and enjoying the moment. Perhaps I could do both, after all, I do love my job.
While Bruce was putting his trailer together a couple of weeks ago, Will and I went down to help/interfere. It was just so adorable watching Will fetch tools, forage in the shed, and do his very best to help and imitate his daddy – of course I had to grab my camera! And I came inside with with 180 photos to edit!
So maybe I have a tendency towards photographic overkill, but as the years go by, I don’t think I’ll regret having a little documentary of that afternoon. It’s not just the big events and significant milestones that make up our life experience, it’s the little things too.
Farewell Party Time | Brisbane Event Photographer
My lovely friend Jordan from Polkadot Prints recently had a farewell party as she prepared to move overseas, and she asked if I would take some photos not only to help remember the event, but also to showcase some of her fantastic products. If you’re looking for gorgeous party design goodies, head over to the website here.
Here are just a few images from the day.
And yes, it was DELICIOUS!
The Party Pieces
The Party People
