One of the greatest privileges of my job is watching families grow.

When I first photographed Amber, Baiden and Noah, Noah was only a couple of weeks old. That session ended with one of the sweetest surprises I've ever had behind the camera, when Baiden proposed to Amber during their newborn session.

Fast forward almost a year, and we were back together at Hadspe River to celebrate Noah's first birthday. Little did I know, this family still had a habit of surprising me.

It turned out this session would mark another exciting chapter in their story.

Amber and Baiden are the proud parents of the happiest little boy, Noah, who was celebrating his first birthday just a couple of days after our session.

I'd actually known Baiden long before I photographed their family through a rather unexpected connection. Years ago, before I had my own children, I used to photograph local wrestling shows, and Baiden was one of the wrestlers. It's funny how life comes full circle sometimes.

This was my second time photographing them as a family, and it's always lovely returning to clients already knowing their personalities and how they interact together.

We met on a beautiful winter afternoon at Hadspen River. We'd had a week of heavy rain beforehand, and as I drove towards our planned location, I could immediately see we'd need a change of plans. The area I'd originally intended to use was completely underwater.

Thankfully, that's one of the nice things about outdoor family photography. Sometimes you simply adapt to what nature gives you.

We headed to another part of the park instead, spread out a big picnic blanket and settled in for a relaxed afternoon together.

In the end, the flooded river actually worked in our favour. Normally there's quite a steep bank down to the water, but with the river so high, the water came right up to the edge of the grass. It meant we could photograph the family sitting together right beside the river, creating a backdrop that normally wouldn't have been possible.

Before we'd even started taking photos, Amber and Baiden had another surprise waiting for me.

As we were unpacking everything and getting organised, they told me they were expecting another baby and asked if we could capture a few pregnancy announcement photos while we were there. After photographing their proposal during their last session, it made me smile that once again I was being trusted to document another huge milestone in their lives.

The rest of the afternoon was wonderfully relaxed. Noah wasn't walking yet, but he was happily crawling everywhere, completely content to spend time with Mum and Dad. Considering it was a 3pm session with an almost one-year-old, I was honestly expecting at least a few tired moments, but Noah was cheerful from start to finish.

We captured plenty of cuddles on the picnic blanket, lots of playful moments with Dad, beautiful family portraits by the river, and a handful of very exciting photos celebrating the next little chapter this family has ahead of them.

There are so many photographs from this session that I love, but my favourite has to be one taken from behind the family.

Amber, Baiden and Noah are sitting side by side on the picnic blanket, looking out across the river together. You can't see their faces, but somehow that makes the photograph even more powerful.

It's quiet, peaceful and simple.

It feels less like a posed portrait and more like a tiny pause in time.

Knowing what came before this session and the exciting news they shared that afternoon, it's one of those photographs that tells so much of their family's story without saying a single word.

Artwork Choice

When it came time for their viewing appointment, Amber and Baden chose another 10x10 album, just like they had for Noah's newborn session.

I love that they'll now have matching albums documenting two completely different stages of Noah's first year. Albums are such a wonderful way to tell the whole story of a session, rather than choosing just a handful of favourites.

Alongside the album, they also selected a memory box with ten matted prints. Some of those prints will stay with them, while others will become gifts for family members, allowing grandparents and loved ones to enjoy these memories as well.

One of the things I treasure most about this job is that I'm rarely just photographing one milestone.

Families invite me back as their stories continue to unfold. Babies become toddlers. Toddlers become big brothers or sisters. Life changes in ways nobody could have predicted at the very first session.

Being trusted to document those moments—from a surprise proposal to a first birthday, and now the excitement of another baby on the way—is something I'll never take for granted.

If you've been thinking about updating your own family photographs, whether you're celebrating a milestone or simply want to press pause on this season of life, I'd love to help you tell your family's story too. As a family photographer in Launceston, creating relaxed, natural family portraits that grow with your family is one of my favourite parts of this job.