The Pook Family | Spectacular Sunsets on Auckland’s West Coast

This week I got to speak at an NZIPP event, I was representing the family photography field and sharing some of my work with a group of super talented, professional photographers from incredibly exciting genres.

As I was gathering my photos and deciding which ones to share it really gave me time to reflect on why I feel so passionate about family photography, out of all the genres I could have chosen to specialise in. These images that we make become so much more than just some family photos, they become part of our family history. Helping families create these unique memories feels like the most important job in the world.

These images help our little ones form the memories that make up their childhood. I know lots of my own childhood memories revolve around photographs. It’s a well documented concept that photographs serve as a memory storage to help our hippocampus recall our story of the self. Just seeing a photo from my childhood activates a whole host of other memories that would likely have faded into the past.

For the families that choose me to create these galleries for them, to create these time stamps in their lives, I understand that I better do a bloody good job!

When we were planning the Pook family’s photo session Muriwai beach was first place on their list. This is something they love to do as a family. By heading to a more northern access to the beach, we got to add in a forest location as well as some epic sand dunes.

I’m so happy that we’ve captured a part of this time in their lives. For Cade and Mila, boogie boarding on the sand dunes and playing in the water in the last of the evening sunshine, now they have these images which will let them relive these memories well into their adulthood.

Liz and Chris will always have a tangible way to return to their little children’s beautiful smiles and laughter and can always jump right back into those hugs and cuddles and tickles.

Tailoring the family photography experience to each individual family is such an important aspect of what I do. This will reflect the energy and the essence of who you really are. By making it a fun experience and something you love to do as a family it means your kids will enjoy every second.

Liz and Chris, it was such a pleasure spending this time with you and getting to know the awesomeness of Cade and Mila and your whole family together.