Exploring the Christchurch hills and beach with Sirjana and her family.

I think it is one of the biggest honours when another photographer trusts you to capture their precious family memories for them, so when Sirjana booked me to do these photos I was beyond thrilled! Sirjana and Ben own the incredible Tinted Photography, as well as When light falls coaching (which I have personally utilised to help me be the best I can in my business and highly recommend!)

Keep scrolling to read about our adventure together exploring Christchurch and it's beautiful scenery, and see their epic final images!

We met first on an Autumn afternoon in one of my favourite locations up in the Christchurch Port Hills. We had already had to postpone twice due to bad weather, but third time around we could not have had a more beautiful sunny day so it was worth the wait! They traveled up from their hometown further South to meet me, and Sirjana was very keen on the hills and their stunning wild beauty.

Sirjana had been chatting to gorgeous little Maahi about their upcoming photos with Gemma and he was super chill about the whole thing. I was very nervous because of their photography expertise and how determined I was to do a great job-but as usual I had prepared by mapping out the best spots for us based on the best textures, colours, and of course the light! Being prepared is so key for helping nerves isn't it?

Sirjana and Ben are such naturals in front of the camera (as you can tell from their images!), and the connection they all share as a family and a couple really shone through from the first click.

We started with some cuddles sitting in the long grass, letting Maahi choose when to jump in and when to hop up. I allow lots of time for family shoots so I can be really flexible with kids needs to have lots of breaks to move their bodies and play between poses.

Maahi then loved having some swings between Mum and Dad as most toddlers do!

Then we moved a bit further down the path to get some gorgeous backlit images. Again we switched between playful moments of connection and snuggly cuddles for the camera.

My sessions include a lot of candid moments captured so you never have to stress about keeping kids posing and perfectly still for ages. I want to tell family stories authentically and the best way to do this is allowing lots of freedom to just be yourselves!

I love their combination of outfits together which they chose using my e-guide that is included with all my bookings, the lovely Autumn textures and tones worked so well in this setting. Choosing the right clothing can have a really big impact on how your photos turn out, including the tones, mood, and even how well they suit the walls in your house.

Maahi was super happy to be getting so much attention, and happily flipped between Sirjana and Ben's arms making sure no one felt left out of the cuddles!

Of course I had to get some shots with this amazing water backdrop! The sun lit up the harbour so beautifully and I just love the texture and colour of the rocks in the Port Hills too. Maahi was such a confident little explorer, navigating the rocks with ease and testing his balance as he clambered. Having parents who go on adventures for a living really showed in his outdoor capabilities.

Then the way he had to hug Mum from up on Dad's shoulders was just heart-meltingly cute! So much love to give!

Between the three of us we kept a good eye on Maahi and kept him safe. Of course he was never worried though and seemed totally at home high in the hills.

I'm a huge lover of capturing the little details at my photo shoots-whether hand holding or sandy toes, it is all part of your family story and I want you to remember these little things about your children and your family life when they are older and spending more time with their friends than with you.

I mean how beautiful is the way they both look at Sirjana?! And the way he copies her-so flipping cute!

I adore these images of wee Maahi picking his Mama a flower and clambering up the rocks to join them (with no help of course because everyone knows toddlers have to do everything themselves, don't they?). He also gave Sirjana and Ben an opportunity for some cuddles alone too, before snuggling up in Ben's jacket for a group hug.

After around half an hour we headed to a second location for some variety before the sun set. I have a favourite spot at South Brighton beach with wild looking foliage and pretty light at the end of the day. All three of them changed their outfits to add more diversity to their gallery of final images which is such a fun thing to do to make the most of the time!

I am releasing two new family packages very soon that allow for more time so that you can have more than one outfit and more backdrops or locations to give variety to your images and plenty to hang on the walls or preserve in a gorgeous album. It also means there's even more time for fun, breaks, and even snacks, as well as feeling a bit more relaxed!

Their traditional Indian outfits were absolutely stunning, and so cool to have some photos in more casual clothing first and then showing your culture or heritage through wardrobe choices in other images.

Maahi collected shells as gifts for his family which was so sweet.

The Christchurch beaches are notoriously windy but we got really lucky on this evening and it was surprisingly warm and calm for an Autumn day. This meant we didn't get too cold once we all got wet too (which is pretty much a given at beach family shoots because kids often do not feel the cold when tempted by waves!)

The waves were pretty mellow too and the water was absolutely glistening in the sun's golden final rays.

Sirjana's dress was perfect for swirling and twirling on the sand-clothes that give you lots of freedom to move are so fun at a photo shoot!

We got a gorgeous silhouette moment (with Maahi's stick too of course) up on the hill overlooking the beach as the sun set behind them . I'm such a fan of a dramatic silhouette moment!

Do you want to adventure Christchurch with me for some maternity, motherhood, or family photos? Jump over to this page to see my availability for the coming months, or send me a message directly to chat about your vision or find out more about what I offer. These photo shoots light my soul on fire and I love meeting new families to tell their unique story. I look forward to hearing from you soon! xx