I Heart Faces Photo Challenge {Let them be little}

On my photography journey, I don't really shoot little kids. I mean I would love to but I prefer bigger ones, ones that I can talk to and gee, they might even listen to me once in a while. When I saw this weeks theme, I just thought that I would sit it out. However, in a fit of nostalgia, I did a reminiscing 'sweep' of my hard drives. What a time consumer that was - it was a lovely trip to tell you the truth.

I found this image. She was born on the cusp of the digital age and this is probably one of the oldest digital images I have of her! It was taken on Father's Day 2002 - 9 years ago now.

The little girl in this image is my daughter, Bronte. She is now 13 years old and just started Secondary school this year. In this image, she was still in preschool. It has bought back so many sweet thoughts. Of times flown by. Thoughts filled with joy and also tinged with sadness.

I do hope she has had a nice life so far.

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.  ~Stacia Tauscher

Pop on over to I Heart Faces and check out the many 'little people'!

I Heart FacesPhoto Challenge {Pet Week}

Meet Finn aka Finnie aka Finnbar aka Handsome aka Hanny Some! He is our Golden Retriever x Samoyed dog that we have had since he was 9 months old. He is now 16 months old and we love him dearly.

I have plenty of photos of him - so many divinely gorgeous ones, lots of funny ones - some of him swimming, jumping you name it - I have it but, even though there did not have to be a human face this week, I just couldn't resist posting this image below.

Here he is with my daughter Bronte. They both have a lovely bond. She loves to carry him around and he loves it too! He is nearly 30 kilos in weight and he hops up onto her back (or front) willingly and easily. She piggy backs him around the house and whilst on her back he loves a good munch on her ponytail! It is such a sight to see - this big polar-bear-like dog being carried around (and enjoying it) like that. I love these two kids!

Want to see loads of cute animals of all types? Head on over to I heart Faces and check them all out!

I Heart Faces {Props}

This week over at I Heart Faces it is Prop Week.

For this week’s photo challenge we’d like to see how you incorporate a prop into your portrait photo. It can be a simple prop addition or it can be a photo that was taken in a completely stylized session…either way is absolutely fine with us.

I did this stylised shoot with my daughter not too long ago in our back yard. The shoot was Prop Heaven!

I found the fab 70's Beach Umbrella on Roadside Junk along with the red biscuit tin with handles. I strung hearts on our nectarine tree branches, used 3D movie glasses as nerd glasses and the Piano Accordion that we picked up at a market for $2.

I love the way the whole shoot turned out. I love the colours and the 'retro-ness'. She had fun too! It was painless for her - over in 10 minutes - I have to move fast as far as my kids are concerned with photographing them now. Sad.

The lens I used for this was my Lensbaby 3G (or the Control Freak).

Please head on over and check out the many fab Prop images from all over the world over at I Heart Faces!

I Heart Faces - Photo Challenge {Wind}

It is school holidays here at the moment and such a divine Autumn day, so I took advantage of my youngest offspring and we did a mini-shoot down at our local beach especially for this challenge.

I used my Canon 50D along with my Lensbaby Control Freak. (Well really it is the 3G but almost the same as the Freak!) I do love that lens system and have been using it more and more in my photography. I was happy with so many of the shots I took but most did not have her face clearly showing. Here is one that did. I just love the movement in the scarf.

Please pop on over and check out all the windy shots over at i heart faces!

Kate xx

I Heart Faces - 2011 Photo Contest {Sunflare}

{Sunflare}

This week, over at i heart faces the theme is sunflare. (Click on image to view at better quality)

Sweet, because that is one of my very favourite things to shoot!

I chose this one of my daughter Bee, because I adore the colours, (the chucks!) and her!

Head on over to the i heart faces blog to view some amazing sunflare images!

I Heart Faces - 2011 Photo Contest "anything but a face"

This week’s theme is “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes…Anything But A Face!”  so here is my entry of my daughter Bronte holding a gorgeous ceramic bird she gave me as a gift.

Head on over to the IHF blog and check out all the fabulous entries this week! 

Kate xx

34/365 - Waiting for the bus....

 

 

34/365/2011

(Apple iPhone, Hipstamatic Application)

 

  

 

 A whole new world, not only High School but Public Transport travel! Here she is waiting for the bus and I think that as I saw her driving away on the bus - I felt more sad than I did seeing my baby off to High School on her first day. It was such a poignant scene. She was nervous and a tad anxious but now she is an old hand! Doesn't take long!

33/365 - First Day of High School

33/365/2011

(Canon 50D, Canon 85mm f/1.8 Lens)

First day of High School and nerves were around. 

The photo on the left was as relaxed as I could get her - in fact, I felt very lucky to get a photo at all!

The photo on the right tells you how she felt when she got home! The school is big compared to her primary school, in fact, there are almost as many kids just in Year 7 that were at her old school! And it is all girls - such a big change and gosh she has coped well with the changes. (touch wood!)

32/365 - Fish & Chips at Port Melbourne

32/365/2011

(Canon 50D, Canon 85mm f/1.8 Lens)

 

An outing to Port Melbourne with just the oldest and the youngest. We spent a pleasant time walking around the docks and had fish & chips by the water. Managed to take this image - you wouldn't think that we were in the middle of the city would you? 

24/365 - The Enchanted Maze at Arthur's Seat, Victoria

24/365/2011

(Canon 50D, 50mm 1.8 Lens)

Yes, I know! Two more images in this post. I don't know why but I just have to! These are my two favourites from the day.

This first one, well I was in the big, beautiful hedge maze and was quickly abandoned by my 15 year old and my 12 year old. I wasn't taking much notice of the twists and turns as I was taking photos all over the place. I remember asking someone if they had found the 'middle' yet and I hear Bronte's voice saying "haven't you found the middle yet mum?" It came from next to me but not. I looked through the hedge and this is what I saw....I laughed and said 'hold it there while I take a photo!' and this is the result. I love it! It took me a while longer to find her as she ran off giggling in search of her brother!

and this image is another favourite.....of many!

19/365 - Walt Disney's Old Yeller - A Little Golden Book

19/365/2011

(Canon 50D, 50mm Lens)

"Nobody knew where Old Yeller came from. He just turned up one day at the Coates's cabin, sniffing and snuffing and wagging his tail. The Coates boys, Arliss and Travis, looked him over. Not that he was much to look at. He was big and clumsy and yellow in colour."

One of my very favourite books as a child was Old Yeller - the Walt Disney version. Bronte found this Little Golden Book a month or so ago at an Op Shop for me and even paid for it herself. I love such finds. What is your favourite book as a child?

17/365 - Live, Laugh, Love

17/365/2011

(Canon 50D, 50mm Lens)

My Bronte gave me these sweet wooden signs as part of my Christmas present and I just love them! They go wonderfully with my kitchen which has a lot of red and is retro themed. I want 2011 to be more about the three words you see here. Fingers crossed. xx

16/365 - West Beach Bathers Pavilion St Kilda

16/365/2011

(Canon 50D, 50mm Lens)

Yesterday, Bronte and I took Saffy on an outing to a different beach than we normally frequent called St. Kilda West Beach. There were loads of dogs there - inadvertently, we had chosen a doggy beach! Yay!

She enjoyed herself as did we - as, after our walk, we lunched at a lovely on-the-beach restaurant called West Beach Bathers Pavilion - highly recommend it! Food was delish and staff were so friendly. A nice surprise!

This photo shows the Saff-ster jumping back up to where we were eating.

I Heart Faces - 2011 Photo Contest "Smile"

Over at i heart faces, the theme this week is smile. Every time I look at this image of my daughter - that's what I do - smile. Hope it brings a smile to your face too!

Please head on over to i heart faces for loads of wonderful smiles. Don't forget to leave comments - people (ahem!) love them!

8/365 - Fools Window (x3?)

8/365/2011

(iPhone 3GS with Hipstamatic App)

Yes, lucky me - hit the jackpot - I have 3 of them. 'Nuff said!

4/365 - Scrabble - the game of Champions not champignons!

4/365/2011

(taken with my iPhone 3GS using the Hipstamatic Application)

 Scrabble is great on holidays. And it is great now that the children are older and can actually PLAY.

No more pretending to be bad at it so that they can win. Nope. 

Each player is on their own now and I love to vanquish the weak! (insert evil laugh!)

3/365 - Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil....

3/365/2011

(Canon 50D, Sigma 10-20mm Wide Angle Lens)

These gorgeous young people were made by....me! (and my husband Stan, of course!) That is my darling Samuel on the left - he is 16. Zachary is in the middle - he is 15 and Bronte on the end - she is 12.

This was taken at Pt. Nepean on the Mornington Peninsula. The last time we were there, well Bronte didn't even exist and the boys were probably 2 and 3 years old.

Fact about my three children - they love wearing Threadless T-Shirts from the USA. They devour the site, mark ones they like and when the USD $10.00 sales come up - I order up big! In this photo - Samuel and Bronte are wearing Threadless - Zed is wearing his favourite food!

So, do you think my offspring look alike?

2/365 - Bronte speaks like she has a plum in her mouth....

2/365/2011

(taken with my iPhone & the Hipstamatic App)

This is my 12 year old daughter, Bronte. Pronounced BRON-tee. Her middle name is Patricia - after my mum.

2011 is a special year for Bronte because in just a few short weeks, she starts HIGH SCHOOL. Yes, I know I don't look old enough to have THREE children at high school but hey, I can't help it can I?!!

It is a Girls School and she will need to catch a bus and then a train. For the last 7 years, I have driven her to school. This will be a big, big change for her. And me.

I hope it is the beginning of a marvellous adventure for her!

Oh and the plum? We were out walking and there was a wonderful plum tree laden with fruit. We took a few to nibble on so here she is - Miss Eliza DoLittle!

Dobbin Squared!

Walking around my neighbourhood the other day, I found these two rocking horses on the nature strip as it is Hard Rubbish Collection time. These two, having served their purpose for who knows how long, were abandoned on the side of the road. I saw a photo opportunity!

So Dobbin and Dobbin came home to our place. They sat outside on our patio for a few weeks. Then, late yesterday afternoon - the light was beautiful!

I quickly organised my oldest and youngest children to carry them over the road to 'our' park and started to take photos.

While snapping away, a little boy, aged about 4, came over and just hopped on Wooden Dobbin. How cute is that? See the photo down below.

Then, of course, Sam and Bronte got in the act - now that is cute right there. Big kids on little rocking horses. Sad in a way too as it shows just how grown they are now. So, here are my photographic offerings. Hope you enjoy!