Amanda Maree Photography » Amanda Maree Photography - Brisbane Newborn Photographer

Now I know everyone loves a good behind the scenes and that is made all the more easier when your assistant on the day is also a photographer!! I am super spoiled that when I did this shoot a while back my gorgeous friend and colleague Kylie from Kylie Williams Photography came along to give me a hand. She stole my camera a few times throughout the session and snuck in some behind the scenes shots of me working with gorgeous Evie which is always a treat. I love to see behind the scenes but I hope you guys do too…that it gives you a little insight into what a session looks like and how things happen throughout the time you are here with your little loves. I do try and share a live video when I can but these still images are great because you also get to see how the images are set up and what it takes to get your sweet babe all sleepy, snuggly and set up for those perfect shots! Some Mumma’s & Papa’s don’t even come into the studio till the family portion at the end…so these action shots are great. This particular session was super busy, we had four kids under four and it was all go so Kylie and I just got on with it in the studio while the grown ups entertained the rest of the kiddo’s outside in the garden, cooking in the play kitchen and making Thomas train tracks!! Anyway….here’s a little behind the scenes of sweet Evie’s session.

Love this cute little bum up pose…this is usually where all my sessions start with baby on the bean bag snuggled up on their tummies…it shows all their perfect little features and details that is everything newborn. Newborn baby girl sleeping on pink spotted blanket with pink bow and white wrap being supported by female photographer wearing black tshirt and leggingsAnd the final image….

Then this sweet little bed shot…notice one of my secret weapons…the shusher on the right there…definitely works wonders to make little ones feel sleepy and comfortable and lots of families are googling to buy one before they have left their session for the day!

There’s just something so adorable about a little bubba snuggled on a teeny tiny bed and add a footed romper and it’s magic! Evie brought these two special bears with her on the day and we also brought her big brother and two cousins into this shot for a very special image for their family. Newborn baby girl sleeping in white wooden little bed wearing pink knit romper with pink flower tieback with pink and white bears sitting beside the bed with a pink lace wrap and on cream fur being supported by female photographer with dark hair and wearing black clothesHope this little sneak peak behind the scenes broke up your day in quarantine a little and made you smile. I also hope if you’re expecting a little one that it gets you excited for your session when it’s safe to have you back in the studio again….because I can’t wait to meet you!

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‘And though she be little…she be fierce’

Some of my very favourite babies to photograph are those that I’ve cared for in the NICU. They are warriors like no other. They have fought so hard to defy the odds. Yet they have survived and are here to tell their tale. They should be the ones that are celebrated yet they are the ones that have missed the most. There are no stunning maternity photo shoots, some families have barely announced their pregnancies….no gorgeous baby showers with gifts and photographs of all the divine little details….no birth photography…sometimes they are lucky to even make it to hospital. And now they are taking home this amazing miracle and they will miss newborn photo’s too because they are weeks or months old, because they are on oxygen or tube fed and not leaving the house, because they are vulnerable and fragile and the last thing they need is to be going to another strange place. That is my favourite part of developing a beautiful trusting relationship with families so that they feel safe to bring their little loves to me and they don’t miss out just because their ‘term’ baby is already weeks or months old!

This sweet family is no exception…we first met when their darling girl was not well, it probably wasn’t the greatest of introductions but I guess the fact we are all together today means they trusted me then and they trust me now. I’ll let mumma share their journey below but I am sure you all will be just as excited as I was that this sweet girl is finally big and strong enough to be home with her mumma and papa!

World….Meet Emily.x.

Newborn baby sleeping cream blanket wearing pink knit romper and pink flower tiebackLook at all the cute baby chunk….she worked hard for these rolls! Newborn baby sleeping in round wooden bowl wearing teal romper with teal blanket and knit layer and bow tieback or knit bonnetMumma wanted a gorgeous session filled with pinks, teals and purples and every set we put on was absolutely perfect for Emily’s colouring. Newborn baby girl sleeping in purple romper in farmers basket with purple blanket and knit layer and tieback on wooden floor Newborn baby girl sleeping in pink crochet basket with pink blanket wearing pink knit romper and flower halo holding pink knit bunny on wooden floorThis little leg out had us all in fits of laughter…she just had to have it up the whole session…so we just went with it! (Dad was convinced…future football player!) Newborn baby girl sleeping on cream blanket with teal bow tieback or knit bonnet and wrap Newborn baby girl sleeping in cane basket with purple wrap and knit blanket and tieback and felt heart and curly felt on wooden floor That smile…oh my word! Newborn baby girl sleeping in pink farmers basket wearing cream knit romper and bunny bonnet with cream blanket and pink wrap and knit layer holding little brown bunny on wooden floor Newborn baby girl wrapped in teal wrap with teal bow on oxygen being held by parents sitting in front of window kissing baby in black and whiteAli and Brad…thank you for trusting me with your most precious little love over the last few months, it seems only fitting that we end your journey in hospital together.

Little Emily…I’m so proud of how far you’ve come…you fought no matter what challenged you…and now your reward of being home with your sweet mumma and papa is here.

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Let’s all take a moment to have a little cry, these are scary times and it is with that that I have made the impossibly hard but most importantly safe decision to put my little business on hold for the time being. How long that will be who knows but anyone who knows me knows that the safety of your most precious little one is the most important thing to me by far. To all my current booked newborns it doesn’t mean you will miss out on photo’s…I have a few tricks up my sleeves to help you out so that you don’t miss out all together, it may just be a little later. If you have been following me for a while you know I photograph many little one’s out of that magic two week window…some of my oldest newborns have been months old and we have still captured the most divine shots….

Newborn baby boy sleeping in round cane basket wrapped in cream wraps on cream fur on wooden floorSweet Solly at 21 weeks old!!

Newborn baby sleeping in cream iron bed with blue blanket and blue knitted bonnetSweet Oscar at 30 weeks!

Premature newborn baby girl sleeping in pink and cream floral nest wearing cream romper and pink tieback on white wooden floorSweet Chloe at 12 weeks!

Newborn baby girl sleeping on pink blanket wrapped in white lace blanket and white knit bonnetSweet Hermione…..at 18 weeks!

Newborn baby boy sleeping in farmers basket with cream wrap and blanket and fur and brown soft toy bearSweet Carter….at 24 weeks!

Newborn baby girl sleeping on cream blanket with brown lace knit wrap and tiebackSweet Ella…at 12 weeks!

Newborn baby boy in farmers basket with navy fur wearing navy and white striped pantsSweet Henry…at 20 weeks!

Newborn baby boy sleeping wearing knitted koala romper with grey wrap in wooden bowl with grey fluff on wooden floorSweet Jaxson…at 18 weeks!

Newborn baby girl sleeping on white wooden bed with pink romper and blankets and wraps on pink furSweet Chloe…at 23 weeks!

Newborn baby boy sleeping in wooden crate with grey curly felt layer and wrap and knit bonnet on wooden floorSweet Teddy….at 15 weeks!

I’ve always told my families the baby is the boss on the day and we will work them to make sure we capture the most divine images of your little ones.

And then of course there’s our mini sessions that are much more casual around 3mths, 6-9mths and 12mths depending on when sessions can start up again!

3 month old baby boy laying on curly green fluff with green knitted bonnetGorgeous Vinnie….

3 month old baby boy in brown basket wearing brown knitted bonnet with brown knitted wrap and brown knitted bearGorgeous Harry….

10 month old baby boy sitting on floor wearing cream knitted pants playing tamborineGorgeous Hunter….

One year old twin girls in green bowl with pink wrap and green felt wearing pink and green rompers and pink tiebacksGorgeous Poppy & Ivy….

Baby girl on cream fluff wearing knitted white romper and white tiebackGorgeous Lily….

Eight month old baby girl wearing white knitted romper on pink blanket with white lace and pink bow tiebackGorgeous Chloe…

Sitter baby girl laying on cream blanket with cream romper and bonnetGorgeous Cailin…

Newborn baby boy sleeping on grey blanket wtih grey knit bonnet and same set up with one year old boyGorgeous Eddie….

One year old crawling on cream floor wearing pink romper and pink bow tieback and holding pink soft elephant toyGorgeous Eadie….

Four images of one year old boy laying on blue blanket with blue knit bonnet smiling up at cameraGorgeous Jude…

9 month old boy laying on blue crochet bowl with blue knit bonnetGorgeous Teddy…

Newborn baby girl sleeping in round cane basket with peach blanket and wrap and tieback on white wooden floor with doll and same set up as one year oldGorgeous Ariella….

Baby boy sleeping in cane basket wearing blue romper with blue blanket and pillow on white wooden floorGorgeous Jake….

And in the mean time I will continue to share loads of images of all my sweet babies that have visited the studio in times gone by, and hopefully y’all can help continue to support my little business by liking, commenting and sharing all the images I post! Please continue to refer your friends and family, and send me some lovin! And if you can, purchase a voucher for a future session, because I can’t wait to have you here when the time is right. These are scary times ahead for everyone, as we all learn the new new for now. As a self employed business owner I need your support now more than ever.

Please stay safe, please stay at home in your bubble, please love on that gorgeous family of yours and spend as much time together as you ever have been able to before! And I will see you all as soon as it is safe to! This isn’t for forever. You focus on what matters now & I’ll focus on you when this is all over.

And because I had to get my little baby fix….here’s my sweet ‘tiny baby’ as he refers himself to be at a mere 997 days new. There may have been some bribery to make this happen but hey, how adorable is he?

Toddler wearing cream knit pants laying on cream blanket wearing cream pants Toddler wearing cream knit pants laying on cream blanket wearing cream pants Toddler wearing cream knit pants laying on cream blanket wearing cream pants

 

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Although you can not hear her voice

or see her smile no more…

your mother walks beside you still…

just as she did before…

She listens to your stories and…

she wipes away your tears…

she wraps her arms around you…

and she understands your fears…

It’s just she isn’t visible…

to see with human eye…

but talk to her in silence and…

her spirit will reply…

You’ll feel the love she has for you…

you’ll hear her in your heart…

she’s left her human body but…

your souls will never part.

 

Oh gosh we are living in such uncertain times…everyone is scared. Things we took for granted in the past are now considered the most valuable. Human touch and connection, time with those you love, something we always thought we’d have are now potentially being taken away from us faster than we can imagine. So many of my photographer colleagues are being forced to close their businesses…social distancing and quarantining are making luxuries like photography unattainable. Families are being encouraged to stay home, stay safe, protect themselves and protect those more vulnerable. Then there is the extra layer of a newborn, the most vulnerable little being there is….no immunity and the most valuable thing in your life.

Now having said all of that, today’s session makes me scared about the future I described above. Two years ago I met the sweetest family. They brought their little love Elianna to me for her newborn session. After a harrowing journey of loss, they finally got their little rainbow and we had a really special session, filled with tears, filled with happiness, but mostly filled with love. We captured memories that would adorn their walls, fill their home and be handed down for generations to come. We showed every little detail of sweet little Elianna and all her newness…before she grew and changed from that teeny tiny newborn stage. But this session had an extra special layer because Elianna’s Nanna came on the day. Now this is nothing unusual, and often we capture photo’s of grandparents with their new little grandchildren and generation photo’s of a grandparent, a parent and a new baby. All things that will be treasured forever. What we knew that day though was that Elianna’s Nanna’s time earthside was limited, she was in the trenches of a battle with cancer and her body was tired. Not long after their session I learnt her suffering had ended and she was at peace. I felt honoured to have had the opportunity to capture images of her with her new grandaughter Elianna and images of the three generations together.

Recently mumma got in touch to say they were expecting a new little miracle which I must admit, was a little bitter sweet so I can only imagine how heart breaking this journey has been for the family to navigate. Knowing Nanna will never meet the newest edition and their new little love will never know what an amazing woman she truly was in person. So we set about creating a special set up that brought the girls Nanna, Joy, to the session with us today. I stayed up till midnight the night before, I laid out a hundred little things, none felt special enough, but I realized in the end that it had nothing to do with what I set up because I can tell you 100% she was there with us today regardless. I felt her safe hands resting gently on their sweet baby. We used her beautiful shirt she wore to Elianna’s session, we included lots of purple, her favourite colour, a little collection of treasures in the set up…’her treasure’ being the nickname Joy would have had for this sweet new addition, including a butterfly so we know she’s watching over the girls and a loveheart to show she had nothing but love for these babies. I tried to do a live video twice before I eventually did but I was teary and not sure I could hold it together on facebook to show you just how special this magic was. I did finally do a live, but by that stage there had been a poonami that took away from the magic of the moment and sweet Miss A was ready for a snack!!

But the point of this story…this moment could have been missed because of the way the world is at the moment. This memory may not have been captured and the feels felt on this day by all could have been missed. We are at risk of losing these moments, this connection. Sure, mumma could have done something with her iphone, but this was so much more than an image. It’s about having memories on the walls, prints passed down to these girls children. The story of Joy and all her beauty and love shared for many generations to come. The universe brought this family to me, I captured a gift newborn rainbow session for mumma’s best friend through the Mater Pregnancy After Loss Clinic over four years ago and that family then recommended me on to today’s mumma. So many little angels in heaven, now all being loved on by Joy, made today’s magic happen. I feel so blessed to have been a part of this story in such a small way. I don’t want there to come a day where in the world that we are living in at the moment means that these stories can’t happen. Have faith that we can make it happen. Continue to treasure these moments and make these memories. Hold onto those you love because you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

Joy…it was an honour to meet you with sweet Elianna and to share in some of your precious time left here earthside.

World….Meet Arabella.x.

Newborn baby girl sleeping in round wooden bowl with apricot blanket and wrao laying on purple floral shirt with purple wrap on white wooden floor

Holding onto Joy’s beautiful shirt and snuggling sweet Arabella onto it, the little treasures for her little treasure…the butterfly and the heart…and that sweet calm that came over Arabella when I’m sure her Nanna’s hands were resting over her little one….all the feels.

Newborn baby girl sleeping on purple blanket with purple knit lace wrap and tiebackAnd then of course lots of purples and plums…Joy’s favourite colours.

Newborn baby girl sleeping in round cane basket with pink blanket and knit layer and flowers and floral tieback Newborn baby girl sleeping in round cane basket with navy blanket and wrap and tieback on white wooden floor Newborn baby girl sleeping in cream iron bed with pink knit blanket and lace layer wearing pink knit romper and tieback with pink flowers and sibling sister sitting beside herSpeaking of sweet Elianna it was so good to see her again and see how big she’s gotten. She was the most adoring if not vigorously loving big sister lol! And could she get any cuter…those little piggy tails and all that cheese!!!!

Newborn baby girl sleeping in round cane white basket with pink felt and wrap and purple knit layer and floral tieback Newborn baby girl sleeping on cream blanket with navy wrap and tiebackLuckily mumma also mentioned navy cause who doesn’t love little girls in blue?

Newborn baby girl wrapped in plum wrap in pink and purple flower nest on brown wooden floor Newborn baby girl sleeping on cream blanket with cream wrap and pillow and tieback and two cream butterflies This was a special capture too of Arabella and her two angel siblings that came before her time that are watching down on her from heaven….

Newborn baby girl wearing knit romper being held by sibling big sister on cream furOh lordy…these girls…all the snugs….

Newborn baby girl sleeping in cane basket with purple blanket and wrap and tieback and flowers on white wooden floor Newborn baby sleeping in cream cane pram with pruple fluff and wrap with sibling big sister and two cream bears on white wooden floorAnd mumma’s four babies all together…

Oh my heart…it’s having all the feels as I share this special post with you this evening. Please love on your family. Please continue to value images because before they are all you have.

Natasha & Duane thank you for trusting me to keep your family safe during uncertain times and bringing your beautiful new addition to me to create special magic.

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We never knew you…

were our little missing piece…

the one that we had longed for…

to complete our family….

an unexpected miracle…

loved from the very start…

the moment that you joined us…

you slipped into our heart.

It is the most amazing privilege to photograph a friends little love…the fact that families trust me enough to capture the most special time in their lives and value me enough to work with me means so very much. Then there’s friends like this sweet family who have brought their four gorgeous babies to me over the past five years. I have watched their little family grow and grow and it completely fills my heart. Today they brought their newest and final addition to the studio with his adoring big brothers and sister and we had the most amazing session.

World….Meet Billy.x.

Newborn baby boy sleeping on grey blanket wearing grey knit romper Newborn baby boy sleeping on grey blanket wearing grey knit romper and bear knit bonnetWhen mumma sent me some photo’s after Billy arrived earthside I could have sworn I was looking at a photo of his older siblings as newborns…especially his brother Jesse who I just photographed as a newborn last year! But once he arrived in the studio it was clear they were similar but he is his own gorgeous little self! Newborn baby boy sleeping in round wooden bowl with brown felt wearing brown pants pn white wooden floorThree boys and one girl in five years I had lots of fun creating set ups so all of the images worked well together. We used lots of blues, browns and greys… Newborn baby boy sleeping in wooden bed with brown blanket and brown knit bear bonnet and bear on white wooden floor Newborn baby boy sleeping in wooden drawer wearing blue knit romper with blue blanket and knit layer on white wooden floor Newborn baby boy sleeping in cane basket wrapped in brown blanket with brown knit layer and bonnet and hessian layer on white wooden floor Newborn baby boy sleeping wearing grey knit romper in wooden bowl with grey blanket on white wooden floor Newborn baby boy sleeping wearing grey knit romper in wooden bowl with grey blanket on white wooden floor Newborn baby boy sleeping on cream blanket with mustard wrap Newborn baby boy sleeping on cream blanket with mustard wrap and knit bonnet Newborn baby boy sleeping in wooden bed with brown blanketJust kickin back….Billy was seriously so relaxed! Newborn baby boy sleeping in farmers basket wearing blue knit romper with blue blanket on white wooden floor Newborn baby boy sleeping on wooden crate wearing blue knit pants with mustard wrap with one year old sibling brother, five year old sibling brother and three year old sibling sisterMumma’s five beautiful babies all together. Some of you may remember that gorgeous Hayden is watching down on his sweet siblings from heaven. Newborn baby boy wrapped in cream wrap in white cane basket with brown felt on wooden floor holding photo of big brother who diedAnd this special image we have captured for each of the baby’s sessions…to include Hayden today meant the world.

Billy you are the most divine surprise and the perfect addition to the best family!

Harry, Sophie and Jesse thank you for bringing your darling brother to the studio and for being such good big brother’s and sister!

Sarah and Steve you make the most gorgeous babies, thank you for coming back to me time and again.

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