Jan PAD - day 5 & 6

Day 5 - hanging out with the grandies. Relaxing fun poolside. My parents (Dad especially) have had a really rough time lately, so it was nice to see them enjoying the kids company (while I read a book - heheh)





Day 6 - Lego and various other messy activities at home :-) Lazy day!! YAY!

Jan PAD - day 3 & 4

Four days in, and I haven't given up yet! Heheh...

Day 3: trip to Ikea and cheap lunch... Going to Ikea on a weekend, battling crowds and fighting people for a carpark is almost worth it when you can feed the kids for 2 bucks. Almost...

Day 4: bowling... the 3 big kids bowled, the little one got in the way a lot and ran down the lanes a bit...

OMG! Jac's big rock'n'roll wedding...

I've been looking forward to this wedding for, like, forever! The day finally arrived today, and it was even awesomer (yes, that is a word) than I expected.

Custom Chuck Taylors, red pettiskirts, tattoos, rock'n'roll... everything I love. *sigh* AND the ceremony made me cry. These 2 gorgeous kids are just made for each other, and I wish them both every single happiness for their future together.

Jac and Bren. You guys rock.

Enjoy x

The Bride:

The Brides Tribe:

The boys:

The B+G+Bridal Party:

January Photo-A-Day...

It's on again!! It's a bit of a tradition amongst some photographer friends to take some photos just for us, for the month of January.

I'm really looking forward to it this year, as the theme I'm going for is JMK (just my kids) and I hope to take a photo of both my kids everyday, and then get them bound together in an album.

Wish me luck!!

Jan01: Relaxing at home after New Years, playing Wii:

Jan02: Drinking milkshakes in front of the box:

Pricing 2010...

Happy New Year friends! I'm looking forward to sharing lots of goodness with you all during 2010!

This will be a short post, just wanted to pop my new 2010 pricing up... Will be back later with some photos, news and other doodads!

PORTRAIT PRICING 2010

Prices subject to change at any time at the discretion of Relic Imagery. Payment of your booking fee ensures your pricing remains firm for your session.

My session fee of $150 is for a group of up to 5 people. Extra people are charged at $15 each. This includes a non-refundable booking fee ($50) and a credit towards your print order of $100.

The $150 fee is payable at time of booking to secure your session.

A-la-carte products:

(All dimensions listed in inches.)

Desk prints:

Matted and ready to frame or display, prices start at $20 for a 5x7.

Purchase 10 of the same size and receive a complementary display box. Small display easels also available for purchase.

Wall prints:

Unframed prints for you to custom matt and frame, prices start $60 for a 12x18.

Square sizes available.

Wall art:

• Long lasting, sleek and sturdy – prints mounted onto 10mm MDF are a modern option for displaying your photos. Prices start from $160 for a 12x18 mount.
• Premium, archival quality, hand-made canvases to showcase your images as art. Prices start from $250 for a 12x18 canvas.

Virtually all sizes of prints, mounts and canvases are available.

Photobooks:

Premium hardcover photobooks offer a modern alternative to traditional albums. Albums start at $450.

Packages:

Four levels of packages are available, to suit every budget and taste. Packages start at $285.

• Package One - $400, save over 10%
• Package Two - $625, save over 20%
• Package Three - $990, save 25%
• Gift package* – loose prints for grandparents or yourself! – $285, save 10%

You can also apply your package discount to a-la-carte pricing (except gift package) allowing you to add more products as you need. Custom packages are also available, so let me know what your needs are and we’ll see what we can put together!

* Gift package discount of 10% cannot be used towards a-la-carte pricing.

If you require further information on pricing please email me: amanda@relicimagery.com.au

For commissioned works or events please get in touch with me for a personalised quote.

And remember, keep an eye on the blog for lots of exciting goodies to come! A new look, new products and all new fun :-D

Good golly miss Holly...

... you take my breath away. *love*

This chubby and most adorable little bean belongs to my dear friends Felicia and Gregg, who I had the pleasure of doing a maternity shoot with a few weeks ago. Remember the long grass, awesome sunflare, and the cactuses? lol. Check out their shoot HERE!

Anyway, a couple of weeks after our shoot the gorgeous miss Holly made her entrance into this big wide world of ours, stunning her parents who thought she would be a boy, and giving cause to celebrations in households all over Victoria (including mine!)!!

She really is one of THE cutest babies I have ever seen. The cheeks! The hair! The toes (lol)!! And not only was she a cutie, but also incredibly chilled and peaceful.

So without further ado, I present to you Holly! She brings sunshine into the lives of many, and is destined for beauty and greatness. I can't wait to watch you grow little one, and look forward to being part of your life for many many years.

Enjoy Flea and Gregg. Love you guys.

xxx

Chubby cheeks + gorgeous curls = Isabel

And how delightfully cute is she???? Such a treasure. So happy and content to explore, play and roam around. Made my job of photographing her very VERY easy!

Just as we were wrapping up the shoot, Dad found a pink balloon randomly floating across the paddock, which of course made for a few extra awesome shots to end on.

Enjoy Lisa and Matt! Your gallery will be ready soon!!!

#3...

... And this one brings a tear to my eye.

This beautiful lassy is my very dear friend's sister-in-law. She called me a couple of weeks ago about getting a shoot done at her "little slice of heaven" up the Hume Highway, just outside Kilmore. The story here is that Kim and Az are moving out of their paradise (after only having lived there for 12 months) to be closer to home, work, friends, family and of course their new niece Holly. The commute into town everyday was just getting too much for them.

As I drove up the dirt laneway towards their home, I was left speechless. The beautiful sunset light, the shimmering flare through the trees, the horses, the grass... All of it. I could see why Kim loves this place SO much, and why she wanted a shoot there to remind her of her spiritual home.

I actually cried when I left their shoot. I was so touched that Kim asked me to photograph their "place" and record forever the beauty of it. I was also very heartbroken for them, it must have been a tough choice.

So anyway, after that ramble, I will now let the photos tell the rest of the story.

Kim and Az, I truly hope I have done these justice, because you (and your home) deserve it.

Big love xox

Catch up #2...

... This is Harvey. I love his name. I love his chubbiness. I love his awesome toys/blankets/accessories (think wooden, retro, handmade etc). And I loved photographing him!!

Congrats again Temora and Brad. You have one spunky little dude on your hands there!

xox

Catch up time....

... I have THREE blog posts coming tonight!!! Yup... I've been a busy bee, and working my little bum off to get everything sorted for Christmas.

Here is post #1!

This gorgeous and squishy little bean had me clucking all the way home after our shoot! She was oh so adorable and so very accommodating! Ahh, newborn bliss!!! And her big sister was just as spunky! She loved showing me her cubby house, picking flowers etc, and I seriously could have photographed her all day.

Asher and India... you two make me smile from ear to ear!

Rachel, enjoy these, and I'll be in touch soon with the rest of your gallery!

*cluck cluck*

Christmas rush...

... is well and truly here!!!! I'm no longer taking any more clients for 2009, but the ones I have had are now madly trying to get orders in for Chrissie presents, and I'm madly trying to get orders packaged up and posted off!!!

So it was nice yesterday to hang out at St Kilda beach for one of my last sessions for the year, with the gorgeous Skye and her 2 equally gorgeous boys. I'm known Skye since I was knee high to a grasshopper, so it was just so ace to be able to catch up with her again before she heads back up to sunny QLD today.

So here are a few preview shots for you babe, travel safely home, and I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas.

xox

Cheeky chops!

Don't be deceived by the gorgeousness of these guys... They're very cheeky underneath those innocent grins!!! I've known their Dad for a long long time, and even though I don't get to see them all that often, I've known these kids since they were born... Imagine how flabbergasted I was when I realised the twins were almost 7!!!!! *gasp*

Here are two little tidbits you may be interested in...

1) A sure-fire way to get a young man of 7 or 9 to giggle is to ask about his girlfriend. Or girlfriends.

2) A sure-fire way to get ME to giggle is to start your email with "Kick it white girl". BWAHAHA!! Many (many) moons ago I was a little bit into (read: obsessed) with Vanilla Ice (anyone who laughs is dead meat) and it was a bit of a running joke between Don and I that was long forgotten.

Enjoy your preview guys. I'll be in touch again soon.

xox

Gorgeous kids make my job a breeze!

Like, seriously... This was one of the easiest and funnest shoots I've had. This bunch of kids are cousins, who are big enough to assemble easily, but still young enough (for the most part) to laugh at fart jokes (heheh).

Add to the mix that they were all total spunks, and the awesomely colour co-ordinated outfits - well, I think I'll let the pics do the talking!!!

Thanks Bree... I hope all the cousins (and their mummas) love their photos, and I'll be in touch soon xox

(How did I manage to find autumn colours as we head into summer?!?!? Love.)

Racing out the door...

... to see these friends, like, RIGHT NOW... and wanted to put a blog post up for them before I left...

Back later to update the story!!!!

The Christmas Countdown...

Is well and truly on!!! Like most photographers (and indeed all professions) this is a crazy busy time of year for me. I have a stack of clients wanting sessions and prints for Christmas, which is totally cool, but I've now well and truly booked myself out.

I still have a couple of sessions available before I take a break from sessions during December, but I now have no Christmas sessions available. Get in quick (super dooper quick) if you want a session with lil ol' me before 2010 :-D

(you know you want to!)

Soooooo. That brings me to the entire point of this blog post!! This is a very dear friend and her family, who, like I mentioned above, are after some family portraits for the Grandies as Chrissy presents. We also managed to drag Sarah's sister along for a sibling shot (which I LOVE - and I'm sure their folks will too) - even though she was *ahem* slightly under the weather due to a big day at the races the day before, heheh.

Sarah and Grant - thankyou so so much for allowing me to capture these shots for you. The rest of your gallery will be up in a couple of days.

Big love xox

I just lurve family shots like this!! So not perfect, so crazy, but so EXACTLY like a real family!!! Bless <3

The addiction of light...

So as summer approaches and the days get longer, I'm finding myself addicted to shooting late in the afternoon and bathing in that gorgeous late sunshine. I don't know if I can shoot particularly well in it (lol) but surely if you enjoy it as much as I do, then it's worth it!

Add into the mix my fabulous best bud and her growing belly, and a WHOLE paddock of long grass, and you've just about found my perfect shoot. *sigh*

So without any further ado, may I introduce you to the gorgeous Felicia and the surprise bundle that resides within - due ANY day now (yippee - can't wait!).

Flea and Gregg (and Jet, you big slobbery goofball), I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Big love xox

Autumn in spring...

This gorgeous little bean turned one last week and she celebrated by having a family photo session!! Autumn was a dear little cherub (and how beautiful is her name??), and along with big bro Liam we had a ton of fun. Pity the weather was drizzly, but we still managed to get some lovely family shots.

Enjoy these A & T... the rest of your gallery will be ready soon!!

Tra la la, a day at the beach!

Headed down the highway to Ocean Grove on Monday for a shoot with the lovely Lisa and her family. Beach shoots are very novel for me - with no beach anywhere near me ordinarily, I always jump at the chance to get my feet sandy and wet!

Our shoot was to commemorate little Rohan's first birthday, which was the following day. Sooo cute and a cheeky grin to boot!!

I always have a giggle when I suggest to clients that we head into the backyard and they freak out because the grass hasn't been mown! DON'T MOW THE GRASS!! I have a weakness for shots of long grass, and anyone who's had a shoot with me before can testify how much I love it. Yes, it's a sickness...

Hello, my name is Mandy and I am addicted to shooting in long grass.

Anyway! Here are some shots of the day. I had many favourites to choose from, so had to narrow it down to just a couple.

Enjoy Lisa!! And Happy Birthday to Rohan for Tuesday xox

Is that a monkey in my camera?

... is a common catch phrase I'll squeal when shooting kids... Gets 'em looking down the lens 100% of the time, hahaha! Cheeky little Lucas was no exception! I had a lovely afternoon with him and his new little brother Jake last week... playing in the sunshine, hiding in the trees and of course revving the remote control cars!

Enjoy xox

Curly girl in the sun...

Curly haired kids make me swoon. Seriously. Having had dead straight hair all my life, and now having inflicted said straight hair on my own children, whenever I get to shoot kids with curly locks I go weak at the knees, hahaha! Mostly I just love the way the sunlight catches it. It's angelic.

So when I got to play with the gorgeous 13-month-old Jasmine this week I was most excited to discover her gorgeous curls!

She is only just starting to stand unassisted and took a few steps while I was there, so it was a really special moment for me.

Enjoy your preview Barbara. Talk to you soon.