“hannah, would you like to go first so that you can show everyone else what to do?”
Going down to the river and having a swim, putting in a line or simply having a barbeque by the swimming hole – simple spending-time-together family activities are what the Swain family love doing.
Their closeness was evident as I spent the afternoon at Invergowrie, taking photos… creating memories… and learning a little bit more about each of them.
It was Hannah – a delightfully active and curious 4-year-old – that I began the session with. She loves playing babies, swinging by herself (because she can) and swimming. She talked non-stop and the highlight of my afternoon was climbing into the cubby house after her and taking a peek into her little world.
William and Sammy – both a little shy and reserved – opened up when I asked them to find their ‘something special’ that they would like included in their photos. For Sammy, it was his cricket ball and bat; for Will, his motorbike.
I hadn’t met Jesse and Declan before, and upon meeting them understood Leanne’s concerns about how we were going to fit all of Jesse’s legs in the photos! Big boys and little people – the height difference was great, but Jesse was a sport and pocket-knifed himself as the occasion arose.
I loved too, that Leanne and David were open to ideas for the shoot and that Leanne had done some homework of her own and come with suggestions as well.
I asked her how she went about choosing the outfits that each family member would wear. She said “I started with Hannah, picked out a dress and looked in the cupboards to see what we all had that would go with that. Being a lover of black and white shots, I confess to consulting Pinterest for a few ideas!”
Thank you all so much for letting me into your lives that afternoon, and for letting your personalities shine through. I wish Jesse and Declan all the best with their studies and look forward to seeing you all around town.
