Photographing people you don’t know can be incredibly challenging, trying to find common connections, quickly getting to know little quirks and ticks and then helping someone who is a relative stranger to become completely vulnerable and open so you can catch them right in that moment.

Yes that is THE challenge

every photographer try and overcome in the first couple of minutes of every shoot.

But I have to say, I find that waaay easier than photographing people who I know really well… people who have been in my life for years… can you believe it?

In place of the relative calm and cool-headedness that I normally experience before a shoot, I find myself getting all tied up in knots – really nervous – like it’s my first time!

I have experienced this is the past photographing family & friends weddings, but never so much as when I recently photographed one of my best friends and her extended in-law family.

I don’t know why, I can’t explain it, you would think I would be so used to photographing fairly high profile people by now, surely your best friend should be a walk in the park – but oh-no!

But after a little reflection on this one, when I deep down looked into it further, I realised that in the 31 years of friendship – and having photographed her children over a dozen times, she has NEVER EVER let me take a single photo of her.

Allison, my best beloved friend, WAS the mum I always talk about, the one who puts her children first, who hates to be the centre of attention, who doesn’t like the way she looked in photos and who constantly avoided the camera at all costs.

And even after all my incessant nagging, that her kids do not judge her, that they love their mummy just as she is, that they will want to look back at their childhood photos and see that their mum was part of their childhood, she was actually there – she still resisted me.

UNTIL RECENTLY

Something has changed.

Allison has been on a personal and professional journey, that has seen her totally shift in a way I never would have seen happening for her.

She started on her path as an entrepreneur which along the way has developed into a journey to self-love and acceptance that has me super proud to share in with her.

And the result! She totally agreed to come along with her lovely family, to share in a gorgeous day of girly pampering, followed by an afternoon with the whole gang on the beach, which now has been followed with beautiful memories I know this entire family will absolutely treasure… forever.

I am super proud of my best friend for all the hard work she has put into creating a better life for her family, for putting herself out of her comfort zone and for finally saying yes to herself.