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Goodbye Old Friend. [Canberra Portrait Photographer]

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Ten months ago, I embarked on the wonderful, topsy turvy world of photography + blogging. I’m not sure why I decided to start: I only had a Canon 450D, the 50mm 1.8 lens, some free photo editing software, and a handful of friends-as-clients. I guess something in me thought that if I was ever going to really get into photography, I had better document it. All of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Ooooh the ugly. Oh SO ugly. Looking back on those first six months make me cringe. A lot. Oh the over-exposed, over-processed shots that don’t feel very “Christine.” Oh the vignetting. So much vignetting. Oh the awkward poses and strange shadows. It’s a learning curve though, and I think it was downright gutsy of me to have done it this way. (See? Now I’m just making excuses as if I planned it all along!)

Things that I wish I had done:

  • I wish I had taken my time with growing my business.
  • I wish I started it six months after starting my blog, instead of launching it as a business as soon as I had a “professional-looking” blog.
  • I wish I knew the ins and outs of running a business.
  • I wish I knew that I wouldn’t be able to pay myself for the first year.
  • I wish I hadn’t acted like such a “newb” and emailed every single photographer begging for help.
  • I wish I hadn’t spent thousands of dollars on actions that I never ended up using.
  • I wish I had prepared myself for how much I would fall in love with photography.
  • I wish I wish I wish.

But these are things that I have learned along the way, and there are things I never would have learned had I not taken this route. And while I feel extremely naked being this honest, I think it’s important to reflect on these things. Besides, it’s my very last post on this blog and I want to end it as I started – honest. No holds barred.

As I approach my first year of launching Pobke Photography, I feel very very proud. Sure the list of embarrassing things can go on and on, but I feel so proud that I’ve really grown as a person, as a business woman, and most importantly, as a photographer. And in spite of all the growing pains and embarrassing moments, I’m hopeful that perhaps this time next year, I’ll be able to look back at 2010 and think, “Oooh, cringeworthy! I can’t believe I posted those pictures and said all of those things!” I sincerely hope this cycle of wanting to do more, do my best, be more creative, think outside the box – all continues. Because as artists, how can we better ourselves if we don’t experience these moments?

So with a heavy heart, I say goodbye to my Old Blog, my old pal, my old comfie blanky… And I welcome with a warm, excited, over-the-moon heart my New Blog, my new adventure, my new chapter. I’m launching the New Blog on Tuesday, along with four NEW sessions, so please come back then to check it out! My very talented graphic designer, Renee at Ribbons of Red, did a phenomenal job and I can’t wait to share it with you. See you on the flip side! :)

[ Photo credit: Robyn Geering Photography; edited by Pobke Photography ]

posted in personal | tags: , , , , ,

A Wonderful Life [Canberra Portrait Photographer]

Monday, February 22, 2010

About a month ago, I received the greatest email a photographer could ever receive. EVER. Mark (also a photographer here in Canberra) emailed me to say that he was going to propose to Allison, his beautiful girlfriend of four years – and he wanted me to document it.

I blinked a few times in disbelief. When it all sunk in, I jumped up and down and shouted with glee. And then I read the PS: “Keep it on the DL, yo!” The DL??! Clearly Mark didn’t know who he was talking to – I love sharing stories… especially love stories. If you ask me how Clinton and I met, I’m your friend for life. It has been four long weeks, people. I couldn’t tell a soul. And today is the day that I can finally share with you The Secret. IN FULL DETAIL!!!!!

We shared many phone calls and emails, trying to plan the details of the session. Being a romantic guy, Mark had most of it all planned out. All I needed to do was show up at this magnificent property (just located outside of Canberra) and pretend it was just another ordinary “anytime” session. That was the hard part. I saw Allison (who I’d never met before) in the parking lot and right away I teared up. I knew I’d give it all away so avoided eye contact as much as possible. We walked around the beautiful farm for about thirty minutes, photographing here, there, everywhere.

The idea was for us to wander around so that Mark could scope out the whole place to see where he wanted to propose. When found, the cue was supposed to be: “I really love this spot – it’s beautiful!” Instead, being the impulsive romantic that he is, he spotted a canoe and said, “Wow. I really like that boat.” And me, being on Cloud Nine and not really much for improvisations, heard him say it three times before I muttered to myself: “OKAY Mark, I get it. You like the boat. Geez.” And then it dawned on me. “Ooooooooh. You LIKE the boat?” (I’m sure I was reeeeeal obvious there.)

So off on the canoe they went. And from afar, looking like a pervy lurker, I photographed them laughing. Loving. Paddling. And then he gave the oars to Allison. Reached into his pocket. Pulled out the beautiful gorgeous 46 diamond sparkler. And asked his love to marry him. She cried. I cried. And when it seemed like enough ‘private time’ had passed (probably about 10 seconds), I yelled, “CONGRATS GUYS!!! Wait – did she say YES??!”

She did. And this is their story: Where the magical moment happened….

posted in wedding photography canberra | tags: , , , , , , , ,

Light and Love [Canberra Children's Photographer]

Sunday, February 21, 2010

It’s a gloriously hot Sunday afternoon, and as I’m sitting here enjoying the french pressed coffee made by Clinton, I’m reflecting on the week that’s just passed me. I discovered that my phobia of clusters is a real condition (it’s called “trypophobia” to all you doubters, and I even found a Facebook group with 77 other members sharing my fear!); I discovered my new favorite band of the year: The Freelance Whales (I haven’t had a favorite band since ‘discovering’ Death Cab for Cutie all those many years ago); I watched a very touching, very moving, very emotionally disturbing film, “Precious” and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for about 48 hours; and I had four wonderful sessions this week – all captured with my new Canon 5D Mark II (that’s camera speak for “my new really expensive camera body!”).

The four sessions couldn’t have been more different and more beautiful. And I’ll show you all of them this week – but first I need to show you the G Family. I met this gorgeous family of four yesterday morning and I couldn’t race home fast enough to upload the images to my computer. I usually have that sense of urgency after a session, but something about this family was so kind, so loving and so genuine – and I was dying to see if I was able to capture even a tenth of this love and light and warmth in my camera. Karen and Anthony, thank you so much for allowing me into your BEAUTIFUL home and for filling my heart with joy. I had the best time and didn’t want to leave (as you probably noticed by my extended lingering in the kitchen afterwards). :) Here’s your preview… enjoy!

posted in children, kids photography, family photography, families | tags: , , , , , , ,

Tiny Teeny Tiny [Canberra Children Photographer]

Friday, February 19, 2010

Tiny is the youngest of four boys. He likes to say, “Nooo-uh!” a lot. His blond loose curls are ridiculously adorable. And he belongs to my friend Natalie, a fabulous newborn photographer here in Canberra. As a photographer’s son, Tiny has perfected the art of “smile-for-the-camera-so-mom-leaves-me-alone” – and Nat warned me that it would be nearly impossible to get him grinning. Well. I adore challenges and pulled out every trick in my book to get young Tiny giggling. It only took two chocolate eggs, one tickle session, and the many many promises of “okay, we’re nearly done!” to get these shots. See? Bribery always works. :)

posted in children, kids photography, family photography, families | tags: , , , , , , , ,

Awe. [Canberra Family Photographer]

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

My sister and I were raised in a small, beat up duplex, on the grungiest of grungy streets, just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The stairs inside the house were creaky (some were even missing). The house itself made noise. Whenever the shower was running, water would trickle from the upstairs bathroom, through the hole in the ceiling of the downstairs kitchen, and drip onto the linoleum floor. Across the street there was an even more run down house – except no one lived there. Just the drug dealers and teenage misfits and angry gangs.

My immigrant parents ran a small fish store, working 20 hours a day. It was just around the corner from our house, so every day after school my sister and I would go hang out at the store so that our parents could keep a watchful eye on us. We played with fish scales and lemon wedges.

One night, about eight years ago, I was sharing a glass of wine with my dad and we were reminiscing about Boston:

“Dad – remember that mansion we lived in? I wonder if it’s still there! And our maid that lived upstairs. And oh! All the fresh fish and lobster we could eat!”

My father looked at me as if I was crazy. “Mansion? Maid? And you hated fish! What are you talking about?”

“Dad, you know, that mansion! With that funny Italian family that lived next door? And the maid that lived in the attic?”

Something I said must’ve been hilarious to my father, for he started laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach. “Do you really think we lived in a mansion? That was the most run-down piece of crap house ever! Everything leaked and was broken! There were drug dealers across the street! The funny Italian family? They were druggies! And that ‘maid’ you’re referring to was a woman we met at church who needed a place to stay so we rented out the upstairs attic for some extra money!”

I was in awe. For twenty years I had been thinking that my childhood was this dreamy place filled with rainbows and butterflies. Leaks? Yeah I remember the leaks… but I thought it was funny. And I remember the lady upstairs, but I think I was in my “I’m A Princess” phase so probably pretended she was the maid. “Thanks,” my dad said. “Thanks for remembering your childhood that way. I would hate for you to have remembered it as it really was – your mom and I really struggled back then.”

I’m still in awe of my parents to this day. That I could’ve had such a fun perception of my youth? That I thought taking baths in the industrial sized sink of my parents fish market was because my parents were super cool – not because they couldn’t afford to pay the water bill at home? I think that’s the mark of true, amazing parenting.

I started thinking about that conversation with my dad all those years ago as I was editing these images from Australia Day. Children are so resilient. They have such imagination. I love the fact that they are in AWE of even the simplest things. Case in point: this is my dear friend Katie’s beautiful boy. And he is in that prime age of awe-struck-ness. Everything is super cool, everything is super amazing. I love that children are instinctively born this way – it’s so beautiful to see.

posted in children, kids photography, family photography, families | tags: , , , , , , , , ,