I can’t believe it’s Halloween again! I thought this year I would post a throwback to last Halloween where I got to spend the day with my friend Simone and her two babies Lilly & Mason. At the time she was pregnant with her third baby, Ella who is now 6 months old. Seeing these photos again make me realise how much things can change in one year and how much the babies have grown and changed! This time last year Mason was very attached to his mum & dad and didn’t really want to know about me when I was around, but now he loves to give me cuddles and is growing into such a sweet little man.

Lilly is getting smarter and maturing every single day and each time I see her I am blown away by how bright and beautiful she is. Her vocabulary is better than most adults and you can have a normal conversation with her like you would any adult and she doesn’t miss a beat. It’s a testament to how good of a mum Simone is, she was born to be one and is doing an amazing job.

Happy Halloween!

All photos taken with Canon AE-1 Program using Kodak Portra 400 35mm film.

As promised, here are the Hunter Valley Gardens photos!

In my last post I showed my road trip photos from the drive to Cessnock from the Gold Coast. It was my first ever road trip by myself and it was awesome. I listened to a lot of worship music and Kyle and Jackie O podcasts to get through and it was so fun to be alone and have complete freedom. I would love to go on another road trip in future, just gotta figure out where!

One of the highlights of the trip was going to the Hunter Valley Gardens to check out the various themed gardens and attractions they have their. It was a slightly overcast day which was perfect for walking around for an hour or two. Taking photos of my friends and family is one of my favourite things to do and Fiona & Sophie were more than willing to be my models! The Gardens are so lovely but I have to say the Storybook garden stood out the most, it truly was magical.

I loved the trip and the wonderful connected, intuitive conversation I had with Fiona & Sophie. I rarely get to experience conversations like those anymore and it was so soul renewing for me. It’s been a few months now since the trip and although I was only there a few days, I’m still adjusting to my regular interactions with people and searching for that same ease of conversation. I’ve found myself to be very emotional and feeling unfulfilled by conversations since returning home and I’m hoping that feeling passes soon.

All photos taken with Canon AE-1 Program using Kodak Portra 400 35mm film.

In late October I went on my first ever road trip by myself down to Hunter Valley region in New South Wales. Driving down the coast was a pretty calming experience, and I got to see a few things I hadn’t seen since I was a child, like the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour! I also went to Sealy Lookout near the Big Banana and was blown away by both the drive and the view – definitely worth the 15 minute detour.

I stayed with my friend Fiona in Cessnock, and our mutual friend Sophie came to visit as well. The three of us met at University in 2010 whilst studying film & television and I’ve always felt like I have a very deep connection with them. Our trio communicates so well and have so many interests and personality traits in common. I see the parts of myself that I love reflected in them, which is a blessing.

We had a really great time in our few days together – we got aura photos, went to trivia, saw A Star Is Born, and of course, went to the Hunter Valley Gardens which is where I took most of the pictures on the trip, which will be the following post, but for now enjoy the trip itself!

All photos taken with Canon AE-1 Program using Kodak Portra 400 35mm film.

This time last year my friend Simone, her babies & I went to the Burleigh Markets & the park. The kids were dressed in matching I’m so cute it’s scary outfits which were adorable, and it was also my first time shooting Kodak Portra 400 after hearing everyone talk about it for a few years.

This is the first roll of film where i was happy with 95% of the photos and I do think it’s thanks to Portra 400. Portra has a pretty fine grain so you aren’t bombarded with it like some other films (*cough cough* Lomography) so it doesn’t distract. You get a high quality photo with beautiful colours, some film grain but no one element of the photo distracts from the subject which is something I love about it.

On this particular roll I was really happy that the close up photo of Lilly on the swing turned out to be perfectly in focus as I waited quite a while to press the shutter, and the photos of Mason on the blanket turned out exactly how I wanted them to, if not even better. I need to start taking more photos of them together as a family but in the moment it proves harder than you would think!

I recently purchased some Kodak Portra 160 and can’t wait to see what the results are like.

Photos taken on Canon AE-1 Program with 50mm lens and Kodak Portra 400 35mm film.

My beautiful friend Chynna turned 25 this month. We ventured up into the Scenic Rim with our friend Brittany to have a gorgeous tea party at Tea & Niceties, and explore the local area.

The three of us have known each other for over 12 years but had lost touch since graduating high school in 2009. This year I reconnected with them and I’m so grateful to have them in my life again.

Brittany is full of life and laughter, and is the person I go to if I want to connect with nature and be brought back down to earth. She is very adventurous but also loves spending time relaxing at home which works well for me.

Chynna is one of my more spiritual friends and is the most heartfelt, beautiful, and emotionally connected person I know. She is a kind and generous soul. We spent a lot of time together during our teenage years but didn’t connect on a deeper level and speak about what we felt and were going through until this year.

Photos taken with Canon AE-1 Program with 50mm lens on Kodak Portra 400 35mm film.