Kylie Purtell - Capturing Life

Ten Years (and 1 day) | Blogging

2019-05-29T11:14:00.002+10:00

I realised today that yesterday was this little old blog's 10th birthday.

Can you believe it?

That's practically ancient in the blogging world.

So I thought I better mark the occasion by actually blogging.

Especially since it's been probably 6 months or more since I last published something to this space.

In the 6 months since my last post there's been a lot going on.

We had Christmas, then summer school holidays, I found out I was going to be an Aunty again(!), I won a family trip to Lapland, did heaps of work (seriously, February was just madness, with shoots all weekend, every weekend), Zee started school for the very first time (*sobs) and I made a lot of plans for my business that are slowly starting to come to fruition.

The rest of this year is going to be no less mad, with 2 work trips coming up, 3 weddings, a new niece or nephew's arrival in the next month or so, too many school things to count, our 2 week trip to Lapland (arctic Finland) in November and then it will be Christmas again.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it. But a good exhausted, if you know what I mean.

Life has been treating us pretty well, I'm so lucky to say.

With Zee starting school I truly feel like a new chapter of our lives has begun, both personally, and for me professionally as well.

I'm loving my work with FilmingLife Academy and getting to be a part of something that I'm so passionate about not to mention the fact that I get to do it with the most amazing women in the world. I also have more time to put into my business and I'm starting to see the benefits of that time which is really exciting.

Zee has settled into school so well. The first few weeks were, of course, a little bumpy, and there were more than a few tears, but she has an amazing teacher that she absolutely loves and wants to see every day. Not to mention she spends her recess & lunchtimes playing with her big sister Punky, which is, I think, the highlight of her days.

So you could say that life has been pretty great. Not without it's up & downs, but I made a resolution to try and focus on the positives more this year and work not to dwell and linger on the negatives, and while some weeks it's much easier to do than others, I feel a sense of peace & purpose that I haven't for a long time. If I'm honest I probably haven't felt like this since I became a Mum 7.5 years ago.

It's not all sunshine & rainbows, but getting back a little bit of time for myself during the day while the girls are at school has made a massive difference to my mental health. Don't get me wrong, I love my girls and I love being a Mum, but the last few years has shown me that I'm a much better person & mother when I get a bit of time to focus on the other things I love outside of being a Mum, and that has made all the difference.

So that's where life is at right now.

It's good.

It's hard.

It's busy.

But it's mine.

Capturing Life in 2018 {November & December} | 52 week project

2018-12-31T17:12:00.002+11:00

It's New Year's Eve, so what better way to end the year than sharing my final images for the 2018 52 week project I've been creating. I'm really looking forward to getting these in to a photobook tomorrow and seeing them in print. And I think these images from November & December are some of my favourites of the year...

~ SISTERS ~ WEEKS 45-52 ~

Week 45 - A rare, sweet sister moment

Week 46 - Skate Park Babes

Week 47 - Feeding the ducks at Pughs Lagoon

Week 48 - Had to get a shot of the girls with all of their baby teeth intact, those smiles are going to be changing soon enough!

Week 49 - Playing the evening away down at Austinmer Beach

Week 50 - Fun on the trampoline with Daddy

Week 51 - Maximum excitement for their My Little Pony playhouse Christmas present

Week 52 - The only way to cool off on a 40 degree day!

~ PUNKY ~ WEEKS 45-52 ~

Week 45 - Having a swim at our favourite place, Yarramundi

Week 46 - Trampoline hair

Week 47 - The only thing she wanted to do on her 7th birthday was go to the skate park. So we did.

Week 48 - The most beautiful eyes. Ever.

Week 49 - With her shadow & best friend/cousin, T-Bear on Austinmer Beach

Week 50 - Showing how much air she can get

Week 51 - Anticipating the hatching of the Hatchimal on Christmas morning

Week 52 - Summer days in peasant dresses, under the sprinkler

~ ZEE ~ WEEKS 45-52 ~

Week 45 - Having a fish with Daddy at Yarramundi

Week 46 - Working the camera

Week 47 - Making a wish

Week 48 - I will never get sick of watching her expressive face

Week 49 - The disappointment when the seagulls wouldn't eat a chip from her hand at Austinmer Beach

Week 50 - Having fun with the fake snow ("It's just foam, Mummy!") at The Grounds of Alexandria

Week 51 - Not sure what's going on with her Hatchimal on Christmas morning

Week 52 - Appreciating the cool spray on a hot summer's day

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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The Last IBOT

2018-12-04T06:30:00.000+11:00

It feels kinda silly writing this post today as I kinda already said the majority of what I wanted to say last week. But I wanted to give you guys a chance to link-up one last time and say goodbye to your fellow Tuesday-linking buddines, so here is your chance.

I have made so many wonderful friends via blogging, and IBOT in particular, some who are still around in the blogging world, some who disappeared, and some who I continue to follow via being friends on Facebook.

It's a funny old thing, goodbyes. I've always found them hard. But I feel like this is a good goodbye, a celebration of the thing that blogging is built on, community.

So in that vein, I'd love it if you would link-up not only a post that you've written today, but also link-up an old IBOT post that you particularly loved. Heck, link up 5, 10 even, old posts that you blogged on a Tuesday. Let's send the old gal off in style!

Here are a few of my favourite IBOT posts from over the years, from most recent to oldest...

The Lasts that you don't know are lasts

18.07.17

A post about those things whose endings sneak up on you

My wish for you {on your first day of school}

31.01.17

One of my favourite posts ever, a letter I wrote to Punky before she started school in 2017

Strangers in the Night {and getting older}

06.12.17

A post about the stranger who knocked on our door in the middle of the night

How I see myself vs how other people see me

30.08.16

Writing about my struggle with mental health & my weight and having an a-ha moment when I found a picture of myself that my daughter took of me

Happy Birthday IBOT

26.07.16

My very first post as host of IBOT

Four Things I've Learned About Parenting {in 4 years}

24.11.15

Boy, does reading back over this give me some nostalgia. I think I totally need to write a new one, with seven things in 7 years, but my number one thing will probably still be the same (the days are long but the years are short!)

Grief and the passage of time

28.04.15

"The ones we love and lose may be gone from this earth but they will always be with us. Living in that secret part of our hearts that keeps their spirit alive."

Confessions of a new Mum: I LOVE being a Mum... BUT

10.12.13

Probably one of the most raw posts I've ever written, but one that I'm most proud of, especially after years later having a new Mum find it, read it, and message me to tell me how much better she felt after reading it.

Finally Here!

30.07.13

That time I gave birth on a Tuesday and then 6 hours later had a post up for IBOT, announcing her arrival! Followed about a month later by parts 1 & 2 of her birth story for IBOT as well.

1000

08.01.13

The 1000th post on my blog needed something big, and I came up with the biggest thing of all!

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Well, there you have it! IBOT was witness to some pretty special moments of my life. The lovely people of IBOT were there on the day I published my 1000th blog post and revealed I was pregnant with Zee, they were there on the day I gave birth, there on Punky's first day of school, and so many other amazing things.

It's been the most incredible ride and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by here on a Tuesday and leaving your lovely comments, and later leaving your lovely links. It's meant the world to me!

Here's to the glory that is IBOT, may she rest in beautiful peace xx

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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It's Time | IBOT

2018-11-27T06:30:00.000+11:00

Seven and a half years ago a blogger named Jess decided to start a little linky party and call it IBOT. IBOT stood for "I Blog on Tuesdays", and that first IBOT linky garnered 12 links. Links from bloggers who blogged on Tuesday and wanted their stuff to be read.

Since then there's been almost 400 IBOT linky parties, ranging from the 5 years at Essentially Jess to the last 2 and a half years here on this blog. In that time the blogging world has changed dramatically. I've been blogging for just under 10 years and I've seen so much change in that time. The internet & the blogging neighbourhood of the internet in particular, has undergone drastic changes and growth and it's been exciting to watch.

Change is almost always a good thing, but I do feel sad for those heady days of blogging circa 2009-2013 when it was still a small and tight-knit community, with most people writing personal blogs for the love of it rather than with the aim of making money.

Not that making money is a bad thing at all, in fact I think it's wonderful that blogging has allowed so many people to build a business from writing and sharing their stories on the web. It's empowered a lot of people and opened up ways to get support from people that is invaluable.

Inevitably though the way people blog and the way people read blogs has changed, and slowly over the last few years IBOT has slowed from the 100+ weekly links in it's heyday to a small, but dedicated group of linkers, and I couldn't be more thankful for those who show up here every week to read my ramblings and read the ramblings of those who also link up.

But the time has come to give IBOT a well-earned retirement and hang up her shoes.

I've been pondering this decision for most of the year, trying to decide if it was time to let it go, or pass it on to someone else, and after a lot of thinking and soul-searching I decided that it's time to let it go. IBOT has run her course, and so have I.

This year has been an eye-opening one, full of learning and growth. At the beginning of 2018 I decided that I wasn't going to choose a word like I had the previous few years. 2018 was going to be the year of going with the flow, letting go, not making plans or goals and just seeing where life took me.

Looking back on that decision now, I can see how it was absolutely the best decision I could have made. I'm ending this year with a renewed passion to grow my business & push myself as an artist. I feel like I know where I'm going now, I've gained clarity and a better understanding of myself and now is the time to put all of that growth and learning to the test.

In 2019 I'll be focusing a lot more on my business. I have plans & goals again, and rather than feeling stressed and anxious about it like I did for the better part of 2016 & 2017, I feel excited & passionate and keen to put in the work to make my business a success and see where I can take it.

This is one of the biggest reasons for me deciding to retire IBOT. It's become harder and harder to dedicate the time IBOT really deserves each week, both in the writing of posts and the visiting of links, and it's not fair to the legacy of IBOT or the lovely people who visit each week and link-up to not give it 100%.

And while IBOT may be retiring, I certainly won't be! I won't be blogging here as often in 2019 as I have a goal to try and blog more from my business blog (both personal & work posts), but when I've got something pressing on my mind that isn't related to photography at all, or I really need to get my ranty pants on, this is the place I'll come to write it out and share. I hope you'll still visit me on those occasions, and maybe even come and visit me at my business blog when I post over there.

So next week will be the final IBOT.

Ever.

It feels a lot sadder to type those words than I anticipated. I hope you'll all join me to farewell this beautiful blogging beast that is IBOT and link-up one last time with us. Thank you so much for being here and giving us your time each Tuesday, it's really meant a lot to me and the other members of teamIBOT over the years.

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Capturing Life in 2018 {October} | Photography

2018-11-20T06:30:00.000+11:00

Can you believe we are already half way through November already?! I feel like Halloween was only yesterday and everyone was posting photos of their kids in cute costumes!

We're well & truly into the end-of-year run around here. It kicks off On Friday with Punky's birthday and then just picks up speed between now and December 25th! I decided earlier in the year that I wasn't going to step foot in a shopping centre this Christmas except to buy groceries and the few things I might not be able to source online, and so far it's looking like I might actually be able to keep that promise!

I've bought or ordered most of the girls Christmas presents (and the few things I still need to get I'm actually going to get from our local Officeworks because it's not in a shopping centre!) and yesterday arvo I took the girls to our local toy shop so I could get an idea of the one big toy present I'll be getting for them.

In our house Santa gets all of the smaller gifts (think stocking stuffers, undies, socks, that kind of thing) and they get their main presents, usually one or two more-expensive toys or gifts from Dave and I (there ain't no way I'm giving Santa the credit for those!). We don't tend to go too crazy on the gifts because they get so much from all of their Aunties & Uncles & Grandparents, so Dave and I prefer to keep their gifts from us & Santa more low-key and include stuff we know they'll get lots of use out of (clothes & paper/craft supplies) or more experience-based gifts.

It's important that they get quality over quantity in this house.

Anyway, with the run to the end of the year there's lots coming up, but one thing I wanted to give you a heads-up about is that I'm going to be making a very important announcement next week that you won't want to miss, so make sure you stop by again same time next week to hear all about it.

And with that out of the way, here are the October images from my 52 week portrait project...

~ S I S T E R S ~ W E E K S 4 0 - 4 4 ~

Week 40 - When we were in Albury at the beginning of October we stayed in a really awesome Air Bnb. Just up the street from the house was a bit of reserve/bushland that had started to be cleared for new houses to be built. It was a great place to take the kids to explore.

Week 41 - For some unknown reason, we'd never thought to take the girls to the local netball courts to ride their bikes & scooters. But after a hot tip from one of Dave's mates we did, and it was ace!

Week 42 - On a super wet & rainy Sunday afternoon we took the girls to meet up with some friends for a game of bowling and a good catch-up. After bowling we took the kids in to the games arcade and the girls absolutely loved it! They'd never actually been to a games arcade before, so it was a totally new experience, and this game was their favourite, with a bit of team work they made it through both 2 levels of zombie ice killing, lol!

Week 43 - Once again in our happy place, Yarramundi, and doing one of their favourite things, collecting river stones to throw in the water.

Week 44 - I got a new creative lens to play with this week, and because it was stinking hot, the girls running under the sprinkler at Nanna's house was the perfect time to test it out

~ P U N K Y ~ W E E K S 4 0 - 4 4 ~

Week 40 - Exploring the dirt hills & bush of Albury with Cousin T

Week 41 - This is a sight that has greeted me more times than I can count since Punky was big enough to take an interest in exploring and finding bugs with Dave. So often I look out the kitchen window to the backyard or turn around on a walk to see these two crouched down examinging something on the ground

Week 42 - Making up songs & singing them for me

Week 43 - There's always something to contemplate on a nature walk

Week 44 - Sprinkler fun at Nan & Pop's house

~ Z E E ~ W E E K S 4 0 - 4 4 ~

Week 40 - A rare moment of Zee and her Cousin T actually getting along!

Week 41 - This image depicts a girl who has worked so hard to try and perfect the drop-kick. She didn't think she'd be able to ever do it, but now she's a 5-year-old pro!

Week 42 - I can always count on this girl to whip out a quick pose for me!

Week 43 - I'll never get sick of looking at her beautiful eyes

Week 44 - It looks like she's about to spin some tunes on the decks, but in reality the headphones aren't connected to anything and she's actually looking through a crate of bubble-wrapped photo frames rather than records. Doesn't matter, she still looks cool anyway!

Have you got your Christmas shopping done yet? Does Santa get the good presents or the little ones in your house?

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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My Little Pony 35th Birthday Celebration | Life

2018-11-13T06:30:00.000+11:00

When I was little I loved the cartoon My Little Pony. I watched it all the time and I had some My Little Pony toys that I absolutely treasured. I remember coming home from school one day to find that my little sister and her friend had drawn all over my favourite pony with pen and I was devastated. There's nothing like a little sister to wreck all ya stuff!

Back in October I was sitting at my desk getting some work done when I got an email from a promotions company with information and a link to buy tickets to a special My Little Pony 35th anniversary celebration. As soon as I saw it I had to buy tickets for the girls and I because just like I was, the girls are both absolutely obsessed with My Little Pony.

It's Punky's birthday in a couple of weeks and I knew this would be a fabulous early birthday surprise for her. I didn't tell them where we were going until the night before, and even then I only gave them basic details. It took them forever to get to sleep on Friday night, but the next day it was all worth it.

We headed over to La Porte Space at Roseberry and lined up outside, waiting for the party to start. Once we got inside and had a look around it truly was what little girls dreams are made of!

There was a lolly bag station, a photo booth, face painting, party-hat making, cupcake tasting and other fun things to look at, and the best part? The chance to meet their favourite pony heroes. They were also lucky enough to come away from the party with not just happy memories but with a small MLP blind bag toy and a large My Little Pony birthday tea party set, complete with not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 ponies inside, 2 of which they didn't already have, which for them was the best thing about the day.

We had a lovely time but it was rather hectic. I think the organisers weren't very good at understanding how much space would be required for the number of tickets they sold, the room was small and it was packed with kids & parents and you couldn't move around comfortably. At one point we had to escape outside because Zee especially was just becoming too overwhelmed by the noise and being squashed by people.

Thankfully after spending a bit of time outside (parents all received a coffee and a sugared donut as part of their ticket, something the organisers got VERY right!) the party space had cleared out a bit and we were then able to move around freely, meet the ponies in person and finish off the last few activities we hadn't already gotten to.

All in all it was a lovely day, and I'm really glad I got to take the girls. It's something I know they'll remember for a long time, and if I'm completely honest, my inner 5-year-old-pony-loving self was pretty chuffed by it all as well!

Were you a My Little Pony fan growing up? Do your kids watch MLP now?

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I bought & paid for our ticket to this event.

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Ibot {November 6th 2018} | IBOT

2018-11-06T06:30:00.000+11:00

It's 2am Tuesday morning and I'm only just now getting this post done. I know I should have done it earlier in the day, but I was working on other things, and then, well, we decided to go down to the river so the girls could have a paddle, Dave could fish, and I could play around with my new lens a little more.

I don't regret it in the slightest.

For all the whinging I do about not liking summer because of the heat, I have to admit, that being able to make spur of the moment decisions to get outside and enjoy the longer, lighter evenings is pretty awesome. We put the girls in their swimmers, made some ham rolls to take with us and eat for dinner, and we stayed until the sun went down.

So we didn't get home till almost 8pm, and by the time everyone had had showers and been settled, it was after 10. Then, of course, there was a major episode of The Walking Dead to watch, not to mention the first episode of the new season of Outlander, and so it's not quite late and IBOT was almost forgotten about.

So all you're getting from me today is this short post, but I'll leave you with a few funny photos of Zee's expressions I've taken over the last few weeks because it wouldn't be a post from me if it didn't include at least a few photos. I'll post more about our summer river evenings next week.

What's your favourite thing to do in summer that you can't do any other time of year?

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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10 of my Fave Aussie Blogger Instagram Accounts | Social Media

2018-10-30T06:30:00.000+11:00

I've been blogging for almost 10 years now and in that time I've seen a LOT of bloggers come and go. A LOT! Which is sad, because I've always enjoyed reading the blogs of Aussie writers & parents but I totally understand why so many have decided to leave the space. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of great Aussie bloggers out there to find & read, and with their blogs come great Instagram accounts as well.

Today I want to share 10 of my fave Instagram accounts of Aussie bloggers. This is in no way an extensive list, there are so many more that I love & follow but for the purposes of not making this a ridiculously long blog list, I'm just going to share a couple of handfuls today. So, in no particular order...

The Little Mumma

Angie is an award-winning blogger with staying power. She's been blogging for a long time and with good reason... she's a BLOODY GOOD writer. Seriously, everything she writes is pure gold, whether it's funny or heart-warming or brutally honest about the realities of life as a mother & dealing with issues of anxiety & mental health, you should definitely be following her.

Teacher Types

Lauren is a mother & teacher from South Australia and she always has such great ideas for entertaining the kids that are both fun & educational. She shares her great ideas & finds with her followers, and if you're looking for educational inspiration her Instagram feed is the place to go.

Thud & Pop

Lauren, Mum of Thud & Pop is, quite frankly, fucking hilarious! She writes candidly & openly and everything she pens has me in stitches. If you don't mind a little salty language and fantastic IG stories, Lauren's your gal!

The Kid Bucket List

Leah and her family love to travel and try new things, and they share their experiences via Instagram and their blog. Right now they're travelling around Japan and it's all kinds of fun! If you're looking for travel inspiration or kid-friendly outings this is the place to find them.

Ellaslist

(Disclaimer: I write for Ellaslist every now & then) If you have kids & you live in Sydney then you need to be following Ellaslist for all of the very latest happenings and kid-friendly experiences. From shows to parks to holidays to where to eat with kids, Ellaslist has all the latest info.

Patchwork Cactus

Babs is another long-time blogger who I've had a girl crush on for a long time. I love her blog, I love her Instagram, I love her gorgeous kids, I love all the cool craft & decorating ideas she comes up with, I just love her. Follow her, now!

Life on Wallace

Claire wins Instagram for having the most adorable twin girls, ever! She also has three gorgeous little men, and as well as sharing her daily adventures she also shares the cool little activities she does with her kids, and she has some great educational play ideas that work across multiple ages.

Boy Eats World

If one of your favourite things to do is eat amazing food, either while travelling or when you're at home, then this is the account for you! Aleney & her son are the ultimate foodie duo and I basically have a bucket list of travel destinations based solely on food thanks to their efforts. Her images from their travels are also amazing so you get tummy candy AND eye-candy!

Kidgredients

Kylie is the QUEEN of kids & family food. If you've ever looked in your cupboard and wondered just what the hell you were going to feed the kids for dinner or send in their lunchboxes then you NEED to be following Kylie. I know from personal experience (both using her recipes and consuming the food she herself has cooked for me!) that her food is kid-friendly and tasty as all get out!

The Healthy Den

Suzy is passionate about living a healthy, balanced life. I love her mix of motivation and daily life and I really want to move in with her on her property. If you need a daily dose of conscious living & inspiration, Suzy's IG feed is the place to find it.

Who are you favourite Aussie Bloggers to follow on Instagram?

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Take me to the river | Life

2018-10-23T06:30:00.000+11:00

Yesterday we had the most glorious spring weather. It was just perfect! The last 3 weeks have been crazy, weather-wise. If it wasn't pouring with rain it was steamy and humid. Or there were crazy storms with everything... thunder, lightning, hail, you name it.

So when today decided to pull out an absolute cracker of a spring day, with the temperature just right, and the most divine, fresh breeze? Well, we couldn't waste that weather indoors! So we grabbed the girls (and I, of course, grabbed my camera!) and we headed down to the river for a spot of exploring.

The grass was absolutely crazy after all the rain and then finally some sunshine (much like our backyard to be honest!) so we couldn't go full bush like we did last time due to the chances of encountering snakes making the most of the sunshine too, but we had fun nonetheless...

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Capturing Life in 2018 {September} | 52 week project

2018-10-16T06:30:00.000+11:00

And with this post, I'm all caught up with sharing my 52 week project photos.

At the end of every year I have all of the images printed in to a photo book and I now have those photos books sitting on a shelf in my office, right next to where I work. I love looking through them and seeing not only how the girls have grown, but how my skill as a photographer has grown too. It's a wonderful way to record those things, and I'm really looking forward to creating the photobook for 2018, I honestly think it's going to be my most favourite one yet...

~ S I S T E R S ~ W E E K S 3 6 - 3 9 ~

Week 36 - I was working at the computer when I looked over one Saturday morning and saw this taking place, the girls sitting on top of the clothes in a couple of washing baskets, Zee "reading" a story Punky had written, to Punky. It was beyond cute and I had to capture it.

Week 37 - In order to create an office for myself we had to move the girls into the larger bedroom. This was their first night in there, and they had a lot of fun when they realised they could create cool shadows from the light of the lamp I put in there.

Week 38 - Spending the afternoon outside on the trampoline, they devised a new game, one of them would run around the trampoline while the other sat in the middle and attempted to hit them with a ball!

Week 39 - We headed down to Albury for the long weekend (after a quick detour to Canberra and Questacon) and on the way down we stopped in Gundagai for some food and to stratch our legs. The girls were well & truly happy to be out of the car & running around for a bit, and there was a little hill in front of the servo that they had fun playing on. What you can't see, thanks to my clever positioning, is that behind that dirt hill is the Hume Highway and a massive petrol station with a line of cars!

~ P U N K Y ~ W E E K S 3 6 - 3 9 ~

Week 36 - Sometimes she obliges me by standing still for a photo.

Week 37 - Making bridges between their new beds

Week 38 - Clapping away the chalk dust on her hands, we were both struck by how it seemed to glow in the setting sun's light

Week 39 - In Jindera at my cousin's 40th birthday party, Punky couldn't resist a little twilight trampolining

~ Z E E ~ W E E K S 3 6 - 3 9 ~

Week 36 - I love watching her play & explore, she always gets so absorbed in what she's seeing that the rest of the world disappears around her

Week 37 - Standing on her new bed, making shadow puppets with her lovey, Flat Frog

Week 38 - One of the perks of having a photographer Mum, getting to go on reccies and play at the beach

Week 39 - Enjoying a strawberry milkshake at Questacon in Canberra

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Capturing Life in 2018 {August} | 52 Week Project

2018-10-09T06:30:00.000+11:00

Hello! How are you? Did you all enjoy the week off last week? I know I did! We're in week 2 of the school holidays today and the girls are about to go and stay at my Mum's for a few nights and I must say, I'm looking forward to the break.

Granted, I'll be working all that time, but it will be nice to work without the constant interruption of small people asking for food!

We went away on the long weekend down to Albury and it was a wonderful weekend (despite the 8.5 hour return trip!!!). It was really nice to be out of our normal routine and get to spend lots of time with family. We also visited Questacon in Canberra which was really cool, I honestly think Dave loved it more than the girls.

We definitely didn't have enough time to really explore everything and we're already planning another trip sometime in the next year, it was just so great!

Now I'm back hard at work and catching up on things, one of which being sharing my 52 week project photos. I realised when I sat down to write today's post that I hadn't shared any project portraits since July's, so are you the lucky things, you get a 52 week project post this week and next!

So without further ado... this was August...

~ S I S T E R S ~ W E E K S 3 2 - 3 5 ~

Week 32: Celebrating their cousin's 3rd birthday

Week 33: Being hams in the backyard. This image is so indicative of their personalities!

Week 34: Playing with the fairies and the fairy garden

Week 35: If the walls of this house could tell the tales of what they've seen!

~ P U N K Y ~ W E E K S 3 2 - 3 5 ~

Week 32: Punky & cuz, best of friends

Week 33: Looking for millipedes and other creepy crawlies on the tree

Week 34: One with nature

Week 34: Enjoying the fresh & air & the breeze

~ Z E E ~ W E E K S 3 2 - 3 5 ~

Week 32: Bubbles in the backyard for her family birthday celebration

Week 33: Playing in the fairy garden is serious business!

Week 34: My little garden gnome

Week 35: Seeing her at full-stretch in the bath, taking up all the room, really reinforces the fact she's not my little baby anymore :(

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Wedding Belles | Photography

2018-09-25T06:30:00.000+10:00

Oh my gosh, this last week has been so hectic! I can tell we're getting down to the business end of the year because the pace of life just keeps getting quicker & quicker. I am so looking forward to the school holidays, and in particular, the long weekend coming up.

We're heading down to Albury to celebrate my cousin's 40th birthday and have a little time out with the family. It's exactly what we need to have a chance to slow down and recharge the batteries, ready for the last charge of 2018.

I've got a couple of sessions coming up and a wedding to get to editing so I'm going to have to knuckle down and, I think, delete the facebook & Instagram apps off my phone so I'm not tempted by distractions! We've got big things happening with the FilmingLife Academy too which I'm excited about, and I've been busy getting the Academy blog set-up and ready to go (a task that has been more challenging than expected).

But I'm not complaining, because it's work that I actually enjoy doing, and not many people can say that!

Next week we'll be having a little break from IBOT, so there won't be a post or linky here on the 2nd of October. But never fear, because IBOT will be back the following week (Tuesday the 9th) ready to countdown the weeks till Christmas and party time!

Last week I finally managed to blog the video and images from the Hawaiian wedding I shot back in July, and in doing so I realised that I never actually shared any of those photos here. So I thought I'd share a few today, as well as some of my favourites from the sneak peek of the wedding I shot on the weekend just gone, and if you'd like to see all of the photos & video from Keyy & Steve's beautiful Hawaiian wedding day make sure you pop over to my business blog here.

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Location Scouting {Eloura Beach, Cronulla} | Photography

2018-09-18T06:30:00.000+10:00

I'm shooting a wedding this Saturday and in preparation, I decided to head over yesterday to check out where it's going to be and get a bit of an idea on what kind of light I'll have to work with on Saturday.

The wedding is being held at Eloura Beach at Cronulla and it's a beautiful spot. After the lovely weather of last week it was a bit of a shock to get there and find out how cold it was, but of course, that didn't stop the kids from wanting to get wet!

I told the girls before we left that we weren't going to be staying long and they could play on the sand but not the water. Well, that lasted all of about 12 seconds, and by the time I met up with my sister and the kids on the beach, they were well on their way to needing a change of clothes!

Thankfully my sister was much more prepared than I, and so after we'd finished jumping the waves we got the kids washed off and my girls installed into their cousin T's spare clothes. T is three, but he's a big 3, and so while the pants may have been a little short, they were dry, and that's all that matters.

Keep your eye on social media next week because you know I'm gonna be sharing my favourite images from Saturday as soon as I can. I'm also about to hit publish over on my business blog with images from my last couple of sessions, one of which has the cutest, cheekiest little boys.

In the meantime, here are a few shots from our location scouting trip yesterday...

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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3 Days of Spring | Life

2018-09-11T06:30:00.000+10:00

On Sunday the weather was glorious. Beautifully warm in the sunshine, blissfully cool in the shade, with just the hint of a breeze and a riot of colour from the blossoms and blue sky.

Yesterday was even better.

And today is shaping up to be just the same.

Tomorrow?

Well, tomorrow, summer starts.

The forecast for the next few days out here in the Hawkesbury is 29. 29. That's summer weather, that is. And I don't like it one bit!

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of summer heat. I was more than a little annoyed that my favourite season, autumn, only managed to arrive and depart over the course of about 2 weeks this year. So to see that we are going to be getting some hot temperatures when it's not even the middle of September?

Not happy, Jan!

I suppose I should get used to it. Let's face it, the world isn't going to get any cooler anytime soon.

So on Sunday, after not having had a camera in my hand for the better part of two weeks, I decided we could all do with some fresh air and spring sunshine and go for a nice long walk down the road.

The girls were more than pleased after a few days of rain. I wish it would rain more. It can be tiresome, but by gosh we really do need it. Here's hoping we'll get some more good spring rain before the summer season sets in in earnest.

Until that happens, or the heat gets too much to contemplate spending time outdoors in daylight hours, we'll make the most of this beautiful weather, and hopefully we'll get a few more lovely walks in like this one...

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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I got nothin' | Life

2018-09-04T06:30:00.000+10:00

This is a post about nothing. Just random stuff...

Last week the big commercial job I was working on finished up. I'm equal parts sad and relieved. On the one hand, the shoot went on for a loooong time (we started back at the beginning of June shooting 4 catalogues back-to-back) and the logistics of organising the girls and their various childcare arrangements depending on who was available to have them was really tricky.

As were the logistics of organising and sorting & unpacking & repacking & keeping track of literally truckloads of furniture & homewares. Both to and from the studio and to and from the various location houses up around Avalon & Palm Beach. It was a massive undertaking and the days were looooong & physically exhausting.

On the other hand, the crew on this job is made up of really cool people. With the exception of one or two we've all worked together on previous catalogue shoots and we all work really well together and get along great. It's really nice to hang out with people who are passionate about doing a great job, no matter their role on the shoot. Working from home you quickly miss getting to spend time with other people on a daily basis, having adult conversations about interesting things, and not having to stop the work you're doing to go wipe a bottom.

I'll miss getting to see those people during the week, hearing their stories and learning about their interests and daily lives. Still, I am glad to say goodbye to the 5am alarm calls for a while. There's a good chance the next catalogue shoots will start taking place at the end of the year and early next year, and no doubt I'll be back to grumbling at 5am when that alarm goes off, despite the perks of the job!

We FINALLY got a new car. I can't tell you how exciting that is after driving around a 21-year-old shitbox for the last 5 years. Our new car is a 2016 Toyota Corolla sedan and she's a beauty. We got a super good deal and it's so nice to not have to say a prayer against breaking down every time I leave the house!

How much do I love this car, let me count the ways...
I love her stereo, the fact it can connect to my phone and play my music, and that it has an actual CD player even, not a tape deck! I love the power windows and keyless entry. I love the blue dashboard lights. I love the reversing camera & parking sensors, something I wasn't sold on until the sensors alerted me to the fac that I was about to back in to a giant potted plant sitting in my front yard when it's usually sitting beside my front door! I love that it has a heater that works, that the interior isn't literally falling off/apart. And most of all, I love that it has airbags and is altogether a much safer car to be driving the girls around in.

I'm genuinely starting to worry about just how hard it's going to be to get Zee to school next year. If her reaction and unwillingness to go to the Kindy Connect program of a Friday morning is any indication it's going to be a fight to the gate with her each morning. She's a stubborn kid is our Zee, if something doesn't interest her she won't do it, no matter what kinds of bribes you offer her.

I've never seen a kid so able to just flat out refuse to do something no matter the incentive. In one way it's a good trait to have, it will be much harder for other kids to push her around as she grows up, on the other hand, it is that much harder to motivate her to do anything that is outside of her scope of interest.

Australian politics.

What an effing joke. I was feeling like I should do a ranty pants post or tosser trophy post about the whole farce, but honestly, I just don't have the energy for it. The most recent debacle has just left me feeling really empty. You know it's bad when you can't even find something in the situation to laugh about. I'm deeply disappointed in our politicians on every side of everything. Does not one of them care for anything other than their own salary and pension? Do they care so little for the people of Australia that they are meant to work for, that they don't feel any shame at all for carrying on like a bunch of kids arguing over who gets to be it in a game of tag?

I'm literally and metaphorically Shaking My Head over it all.

So what's happening with you these days? Anything amazing since I've been stuck in a logistics hole?

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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From the Cutting Room Floor {February 2018} | Photography

2018-08-28T06:30:00.000+10:00

Time to share a few more photos that for one reason or another didn't make the cut when I first shot them, and that I've now gone back and edited because, well, I just really like them. If you'd like to know more about why I'm sharing these now, pop over and read this post, which will explain it all.

Go on, I'll wait...

Ok then, here are February's images from the cutting room floor...

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Capturing Life in 2018 {July} | 52 week project

2018-08-21T06:30:00.000+10:00

July was a good month. Despite having lots of work on we still managed to have lots of fun with the girls, and have a little 'parents only' Hawaiian holiday adventure (which also included some work, but honestly, I'm not even sure you can call it work when you're having fun doing something you love!).

So I've gotten a little behind in sharing July's 52 week portrait project images and I thought I would share them today. We are currently without internet which is super frustrating as my job depends on it, but hopefully the technician scheduled to arrive sometime today will be able to find the problem and get it sorted for us asap.

In more exciting news, tomorrow I'm doing some more car shopping with my Dad. Fingers crossed we'll be able to say goodbye to our crappy, barely works, 97' Camry, and hello to an almost brand new car that I won't have to say a prayer for everytime I hop in to drive it! It will be so nice to have a decent car again, one that isn't falling apart and won't cost us a fortune in repairs every few months!

Enough about that though, let's get to the photos...

~ SISTERS ~ WEEKS 27-31 ~

Week 27 - Twilight play on the trampoline

Week 28 - A glimpse into the future, perhaps?

Week 29 - Fun with puddles from the only day it rained in July

Week 30 - Shadow self-portraits

Week 31 - Waiting to blow out Zee's birthday candles

~ PUNKY ~ WEEKS 27-31 ~

Week 27 - Twilight jumping against a beautiful sunset sky

Week 28 - I imagine this is a sight I will see more and more frequently as she gets older

Week 29 - My beautiful, windswept muse

Week 30 - The blossoms are starting to come out and we're all loving it!

Week 31 - You can't tell from this image, but she was up a tree when it was taken!

~ ZEE ~ WEEKS 27-31 ~

Week 27 - The girls are currently obsessed with My Little Pony, so it was a good day when they were able to use their money to buy themselves a little toy one each

Week 28 - What month of portraits would be complete without at least one sulking photo of Zee?

Week 29 - She may still need to stand on a chair to reach the sink, but she's pretty proud of herself being able to refill her water bottle

Week 30 - She consented to pose for a portrait on our outing, a rare occurrence!

Week 31 - A freshly minted 5-year-old, waiting to blow out her candles

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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The Making of a Fairy Garden | Life

2018-08-14T06:30:00.000+10:00

One of the gifts Zee got her for her 5th birthday, was the supplies to make a fairy garden from my Dad. There was enough for both girls to be able to create their own little space in the garden, and it was perfect timing because we have been thinking about doing something with the old herb garden bed and this was the perfect solution!

It's not quite finished yet, and we still have some clay fairy houses and other ornaments to decorate and then put in the garden, as well as some new flowers in bright colours that we want to add in too.

It was an interesting exercise, watching how the girls approached the task. Punky was true to form and wanted to plan everything out carefully and meticulously (and then tell Zee how she should do it too!). She went through the box of supplies to see what was in there, and then sat down with a piece of paper and drew a detailed plan of where everything should go and the order in which we should do everything.

Zee was much more haphazard and free-spirited in her fairy garden making ideas, and was just happy to throw things in with abandon. She listened to what Punky told her and then either went with that or made her own decision. For Zee it was much more about just having some fun and playing with the little fairies and toadstools, for Punky it was a serious construction project.

Despite their difference in approach, they both created beautiful gardens and enjoyed the process entirely. I think their garden is so cute, and we're all looking forward to putting the finishing touches in over the next couple of weeks...

She's ready for her album cover now!

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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And then, she was five | Life

2018-08-07T06:30:00.000+10:00

Last week my baby turned 5. FIVE!!! I really can't understand how that can happen coz I'm pretty sure she was only born last week! It's amazing how fast this time of our life has flown by. The baby/toddler days seemed endless, like they would go on forever. And yet...

...and yet, here we are, less than 6 months away from my last baby starting school. As of next year I'll be the Mum of nothing but school kids. They'll both be off my hands 5 days a week, something I looked forward to with longing when I had two kids under 2 and felt like I wouldn't make it through the day (or the sleepless nights!).

Now, I would give anything to keep my babies at home with me just that little bit longer. I struggled to come to terms with Punky growing older and starting school, and I know I'm going to feel it again even worse when Zee starts next year.

And so, I'm trying to make the most of these last days at home with Zee. We didn't do anything major for her birthday, just a little afternoon tea party with our family on Sunday. Family dinner night with cake last Friday. And last Monday, on her actual birthday? I took her to McDonalds for lunch and a wander around The Secret Garden at the Hawkesbury campus of Western Sydney Uni.

Two and a half whole hours together, just the two of us, walking through the gardens and playing together in the playground. I took lots of photos, but I also took lots of time to put the camera down and just be with her. I soaked up all her squeaky-voiced cuteness, her gorgeous laugh, her beautiful, amazing, life-filled face. I stored those few hours away deep within my heart, and I know it's a time I will never, never forget...

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Into the Woods | Kid-Friendly Sydney

2018-07-31T06:30:00.000+10:00

The week before we left to go to Hawaii Dave and I took the girls down to one of our favourite places, the river at Yarramundi. I've written before about how great Yarramundi is for exploring with kids, all year round. We go there frequently, and there is always something different to see.

On this day we decided to explore the side of the bridge that we hardly ever visit, and so it was that we discovered that areas that have been under water on previous visits were now high and dry and just waiting for us to explore. So explore we did, with a trek along the river, and then a bush-wack on the way back...

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Hawaiian Dreamin' | Travels

2018-07-24T06:30:00.000+10:00

Aloha! While strolling around the streets of Waikiki this morning it suddenly dawned on me that there was one thing I totally forgot to do before I left Sydney... write today's blog post! So here I am at the hotel, bashing out a quick post so you guys can still have some linky fun while I'm gone. In fact I'll actually be touching back down in Australia this afternoon, around 3pm, but as I type this it's 12:47pm on Sunday here in Wakiki.

Anyway, I don't have a lot of time, got to make the most of our last day here, so I'll leave you with a bit of visual candy until I get back...

The wedding location... talk about stunning!!!

Actually managed to get in the frame. The day of the wedding also happened to be the 16th anniversary of the day Dave and I met!

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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My favourite Instagram accounts {the CM Aus/NZ version} | Social Media

2018-07-17T06:30:00.000+10:00

Of all the photography groups I'm in on Facebook, there is one that reigns supreme. It's the Clickin' Moms Aus/NZ group. It's a small group of Aussie & Kiwi photographers who are members of the Clickin' Moms forum and also just a bunch of really great people.

For the purposes of not making this post too long, I've chosen 10 of my fellow CM ladies to introduce to you today, though I could definitely have done heaps, heaps more! These guys were just the first ladies who popped up on my feed as I was scrolling through IG this arvo, so here they are, in no particular order. You should totally go and follow them all...

Shelley @mycapturedlife_photoblog

I love the way Shelley incorporates colour & movement into her images. She inspires me to keep finding & trying new things & ways to photograph.

Clea @thehorriblehorrors

Clea has the most delightful sons, we're both pretty convinced that they are the boy versions of my girls! I love how Clea captures their everyday life together and I often feel I'm right there with them.

Andrea @popnbeau

Every image Andrea creates is beautiful. I love the soft colours of her images and the little glimpses into her life they provide.

Courtney @courtneyholmesfilmsandphotos

Courtney is my guru, and every image she creates tells an incredible story. I've spoken about her before, so if you're not already following her fix that right now!

Miriam @miriam.hancock

Miriam participates in the Colour Chase Challenge, and as such, her feed is so beautifully colour coordinated. And she makes amazing cakes to boot!

Claire @clairesearlephotography

Claire has a special way with light. She uses it so beautifully and manages to capture images so full of feeling!

Karen @capture_by_karen

Karen is another light master and she is also Mum to the cutest little cherubs on the planet. She captures the most amazing golden light and her images are filled with such beautiful connection.

Katie @_kzphotography_

Katie is one of those people who you just can't help but love. I met her back in May and hanging out with her is like being enveloped in a warm hug. Her images are thoughtful and beautiful, and always accompanied with the most lovely captions.

Catherine @everydaymamma

Catherine is a NZ photographer and I have absolutely loved following her photography journey over the last 18 months or so. She takes the most gorgeous self-portraits and is well on her way to becoming a low-light master. Her black & white images are amazing, too!

Katherine @katherinemillardphotography

You may recognise Katherine's work from when she took some photographs of the girls and I and my sister & nephew in May last year. I first fell in love with the beautiful cool colours of Katherine's work, and I'm always amazing by how she creates the most fabulous full-sun portraits.

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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From the Cutting Room Floor {January 2018} | Photography

2018-07-10T06:30:00.000+10:00

It's no secret that I take a lot of photos. So far this year alone I've snapped off around 17 and a half thousand frames. Not all of those frames are personal images obviously, there's quite a lot that have been taken in the course of my work and that number does also include some of the video clips I've shot for various films.

I don't edit all of those images either. There are many times when there are multiple images in a row with only slight variances, owing to the fact that I'm shooting fast-moving children and in those cases shooting in burst modes improves the likelihood that you'll get a couple of keepers.

I also like to experiment a lot, and as with all experimentation, there is plenty of things that don't work. But when something does work, I like to then try it again to try and replicate and improve on my results. Which obviously means I'm going to have a lot more images to sort through. Thank goodness for Lightroom and it's super organising abilities!

With so many images, it's only natural that a very small percentage of those end up being shared online or printed. I put a lot of images of the girls on my phone, but I often only share what I feel to be my very best images online, or ones that have really spoken to me for one reason or another. A lot more images do get printed into my yearly photobooks and I love that I can often tell the complete story of our days via these images.

If I'm going to be completely honest about it, I often feel like there's a bit of a disconnect between the images that I love and that speak to me, and the images that I share online, and particularly on Instagram, because sometimes (often times) those images don't really fit in to what gets liked online. It's a struggle that I think every photographer and artist has, the struggle between posting things that will be received well and get likes, and posting things that speak to us as an artist and that are maybe not technically "perfect" or what fits in to the current trends, but that are more true to our artist heart & vision.

I've struggled with this a lot over the last year and I'm just now starting to take baby steps and throw off the "like" shackles and be true to my work and my vision. It's so easy to get caught up in the need for online validation, and while I'm not going to get over it overnight, I'm taking small baby steps towards that. Creating this series of posts is a step in that direction. I'm hoping that by publishing them here on the blog it will give me the courage to continue pushing myself and exploring my creativity without the "like" validation getting in the way.

So here's the first installment, images from the cutting room floor, shot back in January 2018...

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Capturing Life in 2018 {June} | 52 week project

2018-07-03T06:30:00.000+10:00

Seriously, how is it July already?! I feel like June just got away from me, with so much work in the studio and travel to and from said work. Not to mention then spending my at-home days doing more work! Hectic! It's not all bad though, because being July it's now Hawaii month!!! Dave and I will be jetting off in 18 days and I am so excited!

I finally booked our accommodation so now I'm not worried about having to sleep on the street, and if some of the invoices I'm waiting on finally get paid we might actually be able to enjoy some great meals in fabulous restaurants while we're there too!

With working such long hours on this shoot it's left me with little time for commenting on everyones posts each week. More often than not I've not been getting to commenting until almost a week later and for that I apologise. I totally underestimated how much of a hard slog all the travel would be and usually arrive home 14 hours after leaving the house totally exhausted and wanting to do nothing but sit on the lounge!

So I wanted to say how much I appreciate my fellow teamIBOTers for keeping the comment love going while I've been a bit slack, and to all of you for bearing with me!

And with that, it's time to share the June 52 week project portraits I've snapped of the girls. I've almost missed capturing these a couple of times thanks to trying to catch up with other things, and you'll notice that most of the photos were captured in the backyard because we've basically been spending our weekends locked up together at home because after so much driving during the week I've not really fancied getting in the car to go anywhere on the weekends!

~ SISTERS ~ WEEKS 22-26 ~

Week 22 - Back in the park again, looking for autumn leaves

Week 23 - Checking out the mice & rabbits at Camlsley Hill City Farm

Week 24 - Sister hugs in the winter sunshine

Week 25 - First backyard fire & smores experience

Week 26 - Chasing each other on the trampoline

~ PUNKY ~ WEEKS 22-26 ~

Week 22 - Those gorgeous eyes!

Week 23 - Making friends with goats

Week 24 - Having a cartwheel lesson with Dad

Week 25 - Backyard Bubbles in the winter sunshine

Week 26 - Finally managed to capture a decent photo of Punky with her treasured lovey, Blankey Bear, her faithful companion since birth, the first thing she hugs in the morning, and the last one at night

~ZEE ~ WEEKS 22-26 ~

Week 22 - I could never get sick of this face

Week 23 - Trying to catch raindrops on her tongue when we were at Calmsley Hill

Week 24 - Zee with her treasured lovey, Flat Frog. He gives her courage and comfort in a way I can't

Week 25 - She could jump for days...

Week 26 - ... which is why a weekend wouldn't be complete without at least one trampoline session!

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au

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Gimme S'more! | Life

2018-06-26T06:30:00.000+10:00

Over the weekend we had a little (and I do mean little!) get together for my birthday. My Brother-in-law, his fiancee, and my sister-in-law came round with a new fire pit and we brewed up some mulled wine and introduced the girls to s'mores.

The girls both tried one and seemed to enjoy it, but to be honest they were way more interested in just toasting (and setting fire to) the marshmallows. The adults, however, thoroughly enjoyed the s'mores. And the mulled wine, perhaps a bit too much, judging by the epic hangover I was nursing on Sunday!

It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday evening, just relaxing and hanging out with people I love. Here's to more weekends just like that in the future!

Looking for the perfect marshmallow toasting sticks

Watching Uncle Dan get the fire started

Delicious!

And sticky!!!

Accidentally (on purpose) setting the marshmallow on fire

What did you get up to this weekend? Are you a fan of s'mores?

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If you're looking for a qualified, professional Sydney Family Photographer or Hawkesbury Family Photographer be sure to check out my professional site at www.kyliepurtell.com.au