{Thanks to the beautiful Mother below for allowing me to share these two images from our recent pregnancy session}.

xx Shannon

Flying bugs aside, it was great to catch up with family and friends including my old mate Beck! Beck and I were in the same mother's group and she was present when I was hit with a bolt of lightning in a cafe' (no joke) about becoming a photographer.

We had two Becks in our mother's group and to differentiate when talking to my husband I called this one, "laughing Beck". {I don't think I've ever told her that}. She has one of the most infectious, open, beautiful and loud laughs I've ever come across!

Lovely to see you m'lady. Your photos are as colourful as you are. 

xx Shannon

Well, not in my experience and that is why I love shooting Bump to Baby sessions. Meeting an expectant couple, photographing (mainly) the mummy in bloom and then coming back a couple of weeks later to meet and photograph their brand new child is beyond special.

And I'm not just saying that because that's what you do in these blogs. It is an amazing honour and privilege to be invited to share such a momentous time in a couples' lives. 

And just quietly, the mummy in question looked extremely gorgeous in both the before and after shots!

This little guy didn't really want to be put down so Daddy did a wonderful job of quietly "shooooshing" him to sleep {see below}.

He still didn't want to be put down though!

So thank you S-L & R for the opportunity to meet and photograph you. You have a beautiful {and very lucky} little bub.  

xx Shannon 

PS. On a personal note I also feel somewhat wistful as I process photos like these. I had nothing like this taken while I was pregnant and have just a few precious (but average) snaps of my newborn boy. He's four this month and I simply wasn't as good a photographer then as I am now. Makes me want to shout from the rooftops "if you're pregnant, book a photographer now!" It doesn't have to be me but for the love of God, please book somebody. I cannot think of a single reason you'd regret it.

I consult with my clients before a shoot to find out what they most want out of the session and in this case Jack's Mum wanted a real emphasis on family pictures and her wish was my command.

When she saw her gallery she said:

"We love the piccies!! I'm amazed how many you got of Jack as he was certainly on the rampage and not the most cooperative model!"

I replied that shooting rampaging children is my job. {Did that come out wrong?}

Aaaaanyway, returning to a family a year down the track is a very special thing indeed. I may even get the chance to watch some children grow up! Like, all the way!

xx Shannon 

Last year that is.

2012 has only just begun.

This shoot was all done in secret. I had a Mum contact me wanting a gorgeous print of her three girls to give to their Dad for his birthday. It was a bit touch and go with Miss 18-months but we nailed it! (See the last shot in the series).

I hope Dad was suitably impressed by the efforts put into his surprise present. There were even balloons involved for pity's sake!

Beautiful picture or not, how blessed must he feel to wake up to these little princesses every morning.

xx Shannon 

The lucky lass will win an Emma D Makeup and Hair session followed by a 45 minute shoot with Shannon McDonald Photography and 10 high-resolution images on disc.

Total value over $500!

You don't have to really be a model, or look anything like one! This competition is open to Mums, Grandmas, Singles, Teens, the lot. You can choose from the following types of shoot:

Glamour (let's capture some beautiful, glamorous portraits of you on your own)
Couple (get some gorgeous pictures with your partner while you're looking your best)
Family (get those stunning family photos you've been meaning to get for so long)

To win simply post on Shannon's wall at www.facebook.com/shannonmcdonaldphotography and tell us in 25 words or less why you'd like to win eg. "I'd like to be a Model for a Day because ……."

Be as creative as you like! A couple of ladies have already submitted some great photos to support their entries and we love it!

The post with the most Likes as at 9am on February 9th, 2012 (AEST) will be announced as the winner.

You are most certainly allowed to Like your own post and don't forget to get your Facebook friends to Like your post to help increase your numbers.

Should there be a tie for first place, the posts who have gained the most Likes will be reposted for 24 hours and the most Likes gained at the end of this time will be announced the overall winner.

Competition is open to females 16+ and entries close midnight Wednesday 8th February, 2012 (AEST).

Enter on your partner's behalf and give them a Valentine's to remember!

Please read the terms and conditions carefully and note this relates to services provided by Shannon McDonald Photography and Emma d Makeup and Hair.

By accepting this prize you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

Prizes must be used together.
Prize must be used by 31st March 2012.
Prize is not transferable (unless you've entered for your partner).
Prize is not redeemable for cash and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or specials at Shannon McDonald Photography or with Emma d Makeup and Hair. 
Makeup and Hair session will be held at Emma's home clinic in Elwood but the photoshoot can be held anywhere in Melbourne.
The parents of any winners under the age of 18 must sign a consent and release form.
Prize is not suitable for newborn or wedding shoots.
Prize is not suitable to family groups larger than 4 due to length of session.

Happy posting and best of luck!

From Shannon and Emma xx

http://animoto.com/play/mQM0RlDku38cCZZWiKYPrg

To everybody featured, thank you for believing in me.

Maybe you'll be in this year's video tribute?

Photographing strangers and friends is surprisingly similar. The only difference here is that I photographed this baby girl when she was born and her big brother helped build my portfolio when he was about 18 months old. It's really wonderful to compare the results of the two sessions and see how much they've grown and changed.

And aren't they photogenic! Maybe I'm biased but these are some stunning children right here. And funny and kooky and gentle and sensitive and boisterous.

The kids were promised ice-cream and man-oh-man did that backfire. We did the shoot on St Kilda Pier and as anyone that's taken the walk to the cafe' at the end of it can attest, it's a long walk when you DON'T have a four and two-year-old hungry for ice-cream. Who wants to stop for a photographer en route to delicious snacks?! I'm getting an ice-cream lady. Outta my way. OUTTA MY WAY!

But moods improved once they each had a Bubble-O-Bill under their belt. Can't say I blame them. Ice-cream has the same effect on me.

What didn't improve my mood was dropping money into my cleavage when paying for a bottle of water and enduring the jokes the cashier made about it to her colleague. 

Awkward.

Anyway, thanks for another wonderful year of friendship guys. Don't go changin'!

Love,

xx Shannon

Then we booked in a time for Michelle to enjoy her prize.

Rain.

Our first scheduled shoot got re-scheduled. Our second scheduled shoot ….. also re-scheduled.

Has anyone told Melbourne that it's Summer? Anyone? No?

Finally we tried a weekday and voila! Sunshine and oranges for all.

We met at Wattle Park which has rocketed to the top of my list for favourite family shoot locations. Wattle Park and Abbotsford Convent are currently vying for first place.

When I saw Elizabeth toddling over to me with a little clip in her hair and red Mary-Janes on her feet, I was toast. Cactus. Gone.

This little girl is C-U-T-E. Utterly gorgeous and just so adored by her amazing parents.

Needless to say the shoot went brilliantly.

Then Michelle came to my home for her slideshow viewing. I am getting such wonderful feedback about my slideshows. They are set to music and I always leave families alone to watch them in peace. And they are yours to keep.

When I entered the office after Michelle had viewed her photos, well, it's safe to say that no words were needed for me to know how much she loved her photos. How much they meant to her when she first saw them, and how much they will mean to all of them as the family grows and changes together.

Michelle has thanked me so much since winning the competition but I'd also like to thank you Michelle. I've enjoyed every minute of our time together and am honoured to have been a part of creating such special memories for your family.

xx Shannon