Until now that is. It’s Monday morning. The weather is GLORIOUS outside. And I think I’m finally ready to start blogging with some regularity again. Finally. It’s like a new leaf has turned over, and my brain and skin and eyes and every other sense in my body is grateful for the sun and the beautiful spring weather we’ve been experiencing here in Canberra.

Meet Kirsty and Jason and their adorable daughter E. If they don’t bring a smile to your face on this lovely morning, I don’t know what will. :) Hope you’re all enjoying the wonderful outdoors as well… I fully plan on taking myself outside for a nice long hike this afternoon, to celebrate the non-blog-draught and perfect spring weather!

Happy Monday!

But after having spent a full day with them and their adorable two sons, I realised that it’s not just luck and talent – they work incredibly hard. They’re giving people. They teach their sons patience and kindness. They never expect anything from anyone. They just live and treat others as they want to be treated. So it makes sense that the universe rewards them in leaps and bounds. The most precious thing about this family, however, is how just being in their presence allows you to see the world differently. You see, a few personal things happened to me while I was in Adelaide to photograph them. Things that, in other circumstances, may have made me quite upset and sensitive and angry with the world. But seeing the way Bree and Anton live their life and treat others made me realise so much about the human condition: we’re resilient. And kind meets kind; lovely meets lovely. Always. :)

So Bree + Anton, thank you so much for letting me spend time with you and your beautiful family, and for reminding me to work hard, play hard, and love hard. :) Big hugs to you and your beautiful boys. xoxo

[Yes, we slept at a fire station. And then we went and picked strawberries. And then we went to have a picnic in the Adelaide hills, all styled beautifully by Emily from White Room Events. It was an AWESOME day!!]

[And no, Bree and Anton don't have a third child; the cutie pie is the daughter of Bree's bestie, who both joined us for the strawberry picking! :)]

.

.

Aaaand, leaving you with a quick preview from a recent family shoot in Adelaide… how fun does this family look? :)

Have a wonderful weekend!
.

.

- they’ve been married over ten years;
- they have two beautiful children;
- they have the utmost respect for one another and cuddle like they’ve been together for ten days (it’s really very cute to see);
- they raise their kids to be respectful and lovely and responsible;
- they’ve been building their dreamhouse on a gorgeous plot of land (and I got to see it!);
- they’re worldly;
- they have generous souls and beautiful hearts;
- they know how to be the hostesses with the mostestes. :)

I got to experience another Life Story session recently, and boy am I thanking my lucky stars. If these are the only types of family shoots I get to do from now on, I would be one lucky chickee. Truly. I mean, think about it: I get to pack up my bags, have dinner with a fun-loving, beautiful family, and experience a day in their life. Together. The best part is when the kids just take to me… Jaedon + Alicia-Rae and I were like three peas in a pod. So much so that I woke up in their cosy home with a quiet knock on my door: Jaedon wanting to climb into bed with me and just “hang”… such a sweet, awesome way to wake up, I say! :)

Narrelle + Matt, thank you thank you thank you. You welcomed me into your lives, allowed me to observe and document and get to know you and your gorgeous family. I had the most wonderful day, and hope that this glimpse helps you realise (if you don’t already) the preciousness of life you possess + live. It was an absolute pleasure to really get to know you all, and I hope you had as good of a time as I did. :)
.

.

I arrived in the evening, slept in their cosy living room, and woke up with my camera next to my pillow. Like other Life Story sessions, this is my M.O.: sleep over; wake up with camera in hand; absorb family into soul. Not only is this the best way to start a session, but it ensures that the family have no time to really “get ready” for their portrait shoot. Because “portrait shoot” this is not. It’s a documentary shoot. A glimpse into the life story of a family so in love with one another.

As you’ll see in the photos below, the Bartholomews are clearly in love. They love each other. They love their great dane, Earnest. They love life and live it. It’s insane how much love you can feel blossoming inside you as you witness theirs. That, in my opinion, is the mark of a truly wonderfully connected family: the ability to spread positivity and radiate love to people without even realising it.

Andrew + Hailey: thank you so much. Words can’t express the sheer joy I felt being around you, and the admiration I have for both of you as parents and as a couple. You’re everything I want to be and more. And your two very talented, very beautiful, very precious girls are a testament to all of this. Thank you for giving me the honour of spending a day with you to capture just a page in the Book of Bartholomew. :) Love you all. xoxo
.

.

I’ll be posting a few more times this week, but then it’ll be all quiet on the Pobke Blog until March! (That is, unless I don’t blog from Vegas. But knowing me, I’ll probably be blogging something, even if it’s a boring ‘something’.) And should you feel so inclined to see the goings-ons in the life of Pobke, please feel free to find me on Twitter or on Pobke Project 365 (where I will most certainly be posting every day… If not multiple times a day!)

Hope you have a fantastic Monday… this is a preview for an adorable family I photographed last week. Featuring, I might point out, the smiliest little baby ever. And a beautiful big sister with tendrils!

.

.

But the lovely way the day unfolded says a lot about El and her ability to ooze that warmth I was so drawn to. We chatted like lifelong friends who hadn’t seen each other in 20 years. Life, marriage, histories, funny things her children say. You know, the usual things discussed at a Mentor Session with Christine! :) Oh, and a bit of photography. :) The horribly rainy weather forced us to cancel with our model family we were going to photograph, and El was so open to anything + everything: “Whatever you wanna talk about, Christine!” she said. “Um… No. Whatever YOU want to discuss, El!” said I. So we chatted the day away, discussed business ideas, editing, organising, blogging, you-name-it. And when her family came to pick her up at the end of the day, I did a quick, six minute impromptu shoot with them (the sun shined for about three minutes!).

So El, thank you my new lovely friend, for being so relaxed. And WONDERFUL to be around. You are a star.
.

.

Pobke Photography from Christine Pobke on Vimeo.

.
Credits:
Produced by Christine Pobke
Directing and cinematography by Hailey Bartholomew
Music composition by Tristan Courtney
Vocals by Sally Gawley

Starring:
Christine Pobke
Keira as Zebra Girl
Zali, Poppy, Harriet, Ruby, Connor, Declan, Lizzie, Bronwyn, Georgia, Lily, Daniel, Caleb, Tyanna, Joshua, Oliver, and Edie
Dan O’Day as Balloon Guy
Samm Blake as Balloon Gal

Special thanks to:
Thea McGrath
Clinton Pobke
Kelly Tunney
Dan O’Day
Samm Blake
Robyn Geering
The Bartholomews
.

As we approach 2011, I’ve got much reflecting to do. A few personal goals I have in mind:

1. Take more time for myself and Clinton. That means scheduling in free afternoons and weekends from time to time. :)
2. Take care of my health. Eat healthily but voraciously.
3. Learn to not multitask. Accept that doing one tasks at a time is the way to go.
4. Take on more personal projects. Remember what drew me to photography in the first place; cherish that thought; pursue projects that cultivate it.
5. Read and finish at least one book a month. :)

I’m tired of making goals that aren’t achievable, so I’ve set my mind to focusing on these five little goals for 2011. What are your goals? I always love hearing from my online friends + readers so share your “little” goals in the comments section below! To celebrate the new year, I’ll pick one reader to receive a $50 iTunes gift card! Three ways to extend your chances of winning:

1. Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following:
Pobke Photography’s (@pobke) ITunes giftcard giveaway! http://bit.ly/hYbE1t

2. “Like” Pobke Photography on Facebook and write this in your status:
Pobke Photography’s (@Pobke Photography) iTunes giftcard giveaway! http://bit.ly/hYbE1t
Be sure to tag me with “@Pobke Photography”

3. Leave me a comment below! :)

[Contest closes midnight, 31 December, 2010.]

This week I’m doing goal #4 and partaking in an awesome personal project. I soooo cannot wait to share these images with you! :) In the meantime, enjoy these images from a recent maternity shoot here in Canberra. Shannon + Andrew: you’re both beautiful parents-to-be who are soulful, wonderful, and absolutely lovely. Thank you for a gorgeous afternoon… I can’t wait to see photos of your bub. :)
.

.

As adults, she’s the person I call when something exciting happens (well, after I tell Clinty). And she’s never short of awesome advice on any range of topics (the woman is a walking encyclopedia!!). Our relationship is something I hold close to my heart, and its history is something I look back on fondly when I’m feeling all nostalgic for my youth (which occurs more and more often as I get closer to 30).

Why the sudden ode to my big sis? Well I had the joyous opportunity to photograph this beautifully charming family of four, and these two sisters charmed my pants off. They were just so… SISTERLY! They shared, they showed me their many talents, they had hysterical banter, they gave each other butterfly kisses. I loved every second of our session, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit homesick and nostalgic when our shoot ended. :) [And just FYI, Chris + Kerri are the type of parents that call their daughters "treasure" and "dahling" (which I just adore!)... I know, right?]

PS In case my little brother is reading this, Davey-poo, I love you too. Brothers are also very special to me! Especially you! :)
.

.