-Clare Metcalf Photography-

Moving on up!

2012-01-27T11:28:00.000+11:00

Well after much excitement, my new website and blog are now live! This blog will stay here and all new posts will be found on the new blog- http://claremetcalf.com.au/blog/
Please also visit the new website, I'd love to hear what you think- www.claremetcalf.com.au

The Baptism of Alex

2012-01-23T15:08:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Alex's Baptism. It was a little bit of déjà vu for me as big brother Christos was Baptised at the same church in 2009 and I was fortunate to capture that special day too.
Little Alex loved his time in the water and although he is absolutely adorable, I've given him a modesty bar for his privacy :) Enjoy...

An afternoon tea party...

2012-01-20T11:29:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining sisters Madison & Charlotte for afternoon tea. We had a lovely time and I'm so thrilled with what we came up with, styling this session was a lot of fun!
The gorgeous clothes and accessories the girls are wearing were provided by Ella May's Boutique here in Sunbury, worth paying the store a visit next time you're in town!

Two Little Fairies

2012-01-16T11:03:00.001+11:00

Yesterday was a themed shoot with adorable Adele and sister Eloise. The girls were my little fairies for the afternoon, twirling, dancing and singing their way around the fairy garden ♥

Eve

2012-01-15T17:43:00.000+11:00

Today I had a visit from beautiful little Eve who is just divine! Eve is the first baby for Tina and Rowan whose wedding I photographed in 2010. Thanks so much for coming by guys!

Rachael & Ben

2012-01-15T15:02:00.000+11:00

Rachael and Ben were married at sunset on January 14th 2012, one of the coldest summer days I've ever seen!
This adorable duo met beforehand to have photos around Richmond and Kew before exchanging vows and kicking off celebrations with family and friends.

James & Family

2012-01-09T20:13:00.000+11:00

Yesterday was my first session for 2012, a trip to the water to see little James, his parents, grandparents and aunts & uncles. I first met James as a newborn and he's certainly changed a lot! We enjoyed the pier and playground where he showed off his cheeky smile.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T17:07:00.000+11:00

Well we're down to single digit days until Christmas so it's time for my holiday post!

Firstly I would like to say thank you. To all the people who follow my facebook page, subscribe to this blog, clients past and present and everyone who has supported me over this last year- thank you. My business has been growing steadily through 2011 and I wouldn't be able to do it without all of you.
I hope next year will be even bigger and better with the launch of my new website and blog just around the corner, I am very much looking forward to sharing them with everyone!

January 2012 is shaping up to be a busy one for me with some fun themed sessions and a few weddings in the mix. If you need a session during that time please drop me an email as soon as possible. I will be taking a few days off over Christmas/New Years to spend time with my family and will be back online on January 4th 2012.

I would like to wish all my clients and their families a very safe and happy holiday season, I look forward to sharing more adorable newborns, cute kids and beautiful brides next year, have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

xxx

Clare

Michelle & Jason

2011-12-18T18:56:00.001+11:00

Michelle & Jason were married on December 17th 2011 in a mass at Sacred Heart, St Albans. It was then off to Queens Park for some photos before their reception at Roselyn Court in Essendon. Lovely weather and a lovely couple, congratulations to you both!

Isabelle

2011-12-15T12:18:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I went to visit one week old Isabelle, the first baby for Eva and Martin who you may remember from this pregnancy session. Isabelle was a very alert little girl and kept an eye on me for most of the session, she was absolutely gorgeous too and did a great job being my model for the day.

Lincoln

2011-12-11T19:07:00.000+11:00

Today I had a visit from my lovely friend Kat, husband Ben and their (nearly!) two year old son Lincoln for some photos. Lincoln found an array of things more fun than having his picture taken so when the rain stopped we went outside to stretch his legs (and take some sneaky snaps)

Thanks so much for coming down guys, was so nice to see you all!

Madeline

2011-12-11T08:25:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I had a visit from little Madeline and her parents for some family photos.This beautiful girl had plenty of smiles when the camera was down and hid them well when it was up! Never the less she did a great job staying awake for most of the session (and we even managed to trick her into smiling for the camera too)

Rosanna & Reece

2011-12-05T13:21:00.001+11:00

Rosanna and Reece tied the knot in the garden at Roselyn Court on December 4th 2011. Despite an unusually cold day, the rain stayed away and the couple enjoyed photos around the venue before their reception with family and friends.

Have a great trip guys, very jealous here!!

(click image for gallery view)

Nanny's Houses

2011-12-04T13:40:00.000+11:00

Today I set up Nanny's houses, a collection of ceramic, Christmas themed houses and people that my maternal grandmother purchased many years ago. They were always stored throughout the year then put on display every December in her home, quickly becoming a tradition in our family. When I was about 6 years old, I was admiring the scene on our mantel when, with the tact of most 6 year old children, I asked to have the houses when she was 'no longer here' so to speak.
Years later, after she passed away, my mother brought home the set in their original boxes with the words "For Clare" scrawled on the top. She had remembered my childhood request. And I still loved them.
Ever a fan of tradition, the houses still come out every year, taking pride of place with their little snow covered trees and ceramic, scarf clad villagers that Nanny had collected all those years ago. They remind me of Christmas, of Nanny and of my childhood admiration for their quaint beauty.
My wish this year is that one day, I'll have a tactless grandchild of my own to who will love the houses too.

This year's display is being watched by Nanny, seen here in a photo as a child:

Riley

2011-11-26T19:40:00.000+11:00

Today was Riley's cake smash, it's already been a year since I photographed him as a fresh little newborn! Thanks for the visit Brooke & Len, it's always so lovely to see my smallest clients growing bigger.

Milla

2011-11-23T14:15:00.000+11:00

There is certainly something in the water at the moment, I have yet another gorgeous newborn to share! Yesterday I was off to visit four week old Milla, baby number three for this lovely family...

Oscar

2011-11-20T21:02:00.000+11:00

You might remember Amanda's pregnancy session from last month. Not long after those were taken, little baby Oscar was welcomed into his family. Congratulations Amanda and John, thank you for the visit :)

Gaby & Ben

2011-11-20T20:48:00.000+11:00

Gaby and Ben were married on November 19th 2011 in a ceremony at Chateau Yering. The weather wasn't exactly what the pair had hoped for, after an anxious wait and a small clearing, the rain set in again mid ceremony. While it wasn't what most couples dream of, the day itself could not have been more perfect. Surrounded by loved ones and an obvious devotion to each other, Gaby and Ben had a truly beautiful wedding and as you'll see, nothing could wipe the smiles off their faces.

Adiwa

2011-11-15T14:38:00.000+11:00

You might remember Kuda's pregnancy session from the beginning of the month. Well I wasn't kidding when I said that session almopst didn't happen! Two days later perfect little Adiwa was born and this morning I went to visit the new family. Not only is she cute, she didn't make a peep the entire time, bliss!

Ava & Alyssa

2011-11-13T14:47:00.000+11:00

Today I had a visit from Ava and little sister Alyssa for a family session with their parents. I had a great time guys, thanks for coming by!

Eva

2011-11-13T12:13:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I had a visit from Eva to capture her pregnancy before the arrival of her baby next month. I don't have too many to share from this session as Eva was brave and bared her belly, those images are for her eyes first!

Sasha & Finn

2011-11-12T10:55:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I was off to the Grand Hyatt to catch up with these two and their entourage. After final touches it was a quick walk to the Victorian Registry for an intimate ceremony with family and friends. The relaxed duo had time for a late lunch in the gardens with guests before their reception kicked off around the corner.

Have a great honeymoon guys!

Housekeeping!

2011-11-09T14:17:00.002+11:00

It's time for an update on what's happening around the joint, some of which may be relevant so please read on!

Where am I?

Good question! I moved to Sunbury in January this year, I now have a natural light studio and office here where I work most days either shooting, editing or meeting with clients. A few people have queried exactly where on earth Sunbury is so I will clear up the confusion right now!

I am in outer North-West Melbourne, just past the urban fringe, around 15 minutes north of Melbourne Airport. If you're familiar with Calder Park Raceway, I'm just up the road :)

2012 Portrait Packages

As of January 1st 2012 my new portrait menu will apply to all new bookings (not weddings). If you are having a session next year and have already booked with a deposit, the price changes will not apply to you. There are some new package options on the menu, if you'd like a preview now please email me for a copy.

Sessions and Availability

2011 is almost at a close and I have some very limited spaces left for bookings before Christmas. If you need a pregnancy, newborn or family session between now and then, please contact me ASAP, I cannot stress this enough! Pregnancy sessions are best held between 34-37 weeks, newborns need to be photographed at less than two weeks old.

Twilight sessions are available at outdoor locations during daylight savings. These sessions are best suited to pregnancy and family portraits and take place from 6.30pm-7.30pm Friday-Sundays.

My Facelift

If you're a fan of my facebook page you will have seen the new and exciting graphics for Clare Metcalf Photography. I am working with a team to brand my business with a logo and style that represent me and my work. In addition, a brand new website and blog will be live in early 2012, it's been a long time coming but I'm extremely excited about this and I'm sure you'll all love it as much as I do!
Here is a preview of my new look, you'll be seeing this around the traps a lot more over the next few months:

Weddings

You may have noticed I'm not shooting as many weddings as I was early last year. Since having my son I have scaled back on wedding availability as I want to be sure I don't burn the candle at both ends and wind up over doing it. I like to be bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready and excited about every wedding I shoot so by taking only a limited number of weddings per year, I can be sure I'm rested, fresh and 100% at every one.

If you are getting married in 2012 or 2013 and are interested in having me capture your day, please contact me as soon as your wedding date is confirmed (there is no such thing as too early!) so we can arrange a meeting and discuss your needs.

November, February, March and April are extremely popular months, if your special day is during this time I strongly recommend making plans early to avoid disappointment.

That's about it for now, if you have any questions, comments or would like to organise a session, please get in touch anytime via the website- www.claremetcalf.com.au

- Clare

Kuda

2011-11-04T22:35:00.000+11:00

This session very nearly didn't happen, with a few reschedules and a rapidly approaching due date, Kuda called today to see if we could get together for her pregnancy session. It would appear the gods approved, we were given great weather and I was given a gorgeous couple! I'm very excited to be capturing the new arrival too, make sure you check back soon :)

Lilah & Lucas

2011-11-01T20:10:00.001+11:00

A visit from some very cute siblings today :) Thanks Marcus & Cara, hope you enjoy your preview-

Rhys & Max

2011-10-31T15:37:00.002+11:00

Today I had a visit from Rhys and Max. I first met and photographed this family over two years ago when Rhys was just a toddler, now he's a chatty four year old and big brother to one year old Max!

Kat & Malcolm

2011-10-30T14:26:00.001+11:00

After a week of dismal weather forecasts I was a little concerned about how this wedding would pan out given the location but someone was certainly smiling on these two yesterday.
Kat & Mal were married under the amazing tree at Kellybrook Winery on October 29th 2011. The couple wanted a relaxed day with family and friends which reflected their personalities perfectly as they celebrated with a lunchtime reception at the venue.

Georgie

2011-10-28T18:20:00.001+11:00

Today I had a visit from 3 month old Georgie for a session with her parents. This first time model was adorable and so well behaved in front of the camera (although she hid her smiles pretty well!)

Rebecca

2011-10-22T17:40:00.001+11:00

Today was Rebecca's pregnancy session, the first of five shoots we've arranged to capture her & husband Michael's new baby which is due in November. Rebecca & Michael are already proud parents to little April who you may remember from this session

Amanda

2011-10-22T09:01:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I had a visit from Amanda, John & their 3 year old son Johnny. Our session was originally planned for outside but of course, it rained and at 37 weeks pregnant, Amanda decided it was inside or nothing!
I'm looking forward to capturing the new baby once it arrives, stay tuned for adorable newborn cuteness.

Charlotte

2011-10-16T10:49:00.001+11:00

Yesterday I went to visit my lovely friend Kat, her hubby Michael and their daughter Charlotte.
Little Charlotte is not only adorable but also shares a birthday with my little Goober, our master plan is to marry the pair but I suppose it will be a few more years before that can become a reality. Until then we can always settle for play dates :)

Are you backed up? An important reminder for anyone who has a computer

2011-10-13T10:18:00.000+11:00

I don't often right informative posts (in fact this may be the first?!) but I feel the need to inform and remind everyone, especially clients, about the value of proper image storage (stop yawning, this could save you from disaster)

So you have a digital camera yes? And you've had professional photos taken and received them on disk too? Great. How many external copies have you made? Huh? Stop sweating, now is your chance to redeem your storage sins.

In this day and age, we all have thousands of images, either on our computer, memory card or lying around on DVD/CDs. It is unlikely that you intend to print all the images but you do want to keep them, you want to be able to view them and share them whenever you like. Imagine for a second you came home and turned your computer on. It doesn't work. It's dead. Now what? Well data recovery from a hard drive is possible but at over $500 a pop is that really the best plan?
Here's a better one- external hard drives. These little guys can save you a lot of heartache and for not to much $$$ you'll be able to sleep easy. I highly recommend that everyone, anywhere, go out and invest in two quality hard drives, then do the following-

-Back up ALL your images, especially those stored on disks (disks are great for sharing photos around but their life span is a lot shorter than yours and they scratch very easily). You can also save any valuable documents onto your hard drive.

-Once you've filled both hard drives with all your priceless memories, hide one out of sight (to avoid it getting nicked in a break in) and send the other to a trusted family or friend's house. Heaven forbid your place is struck by fire, flood or theft, at least your irreplaceable wedding/family photos will live on.

I really can't stress enough how important this is, we all intend to do these things, they go on the 'list of must-dos' but it's usually not until tragedy strikes that we realise it's still sitting on the list.

Go get backed up!

- Clare

Carolyn & Yannick

2011-10-09T20:30:00.000+11:00

Carolyn and Yannick were married at The Immaculate Conception Church in Hawthorn on October 8th 2011. Despite a forecast of rain for the day, we managed to get through location photos without a drop! The couple hosted their reception at The Vibe on Spencer Street.

Rebecca's family session

2011-10-09T10:13:00.000+11:00

Rebecca & I had been trying to organise this session for a while and when we finally settled on Friday afternoon, the forecast was for rain. Determined to have our shoot outside we went ahead anyway and managed to get some lovely, casual portraits during a clear patch of weather.