Emmanuelle, Loïc + Gael: La Reunion Family

A family session by the Indian Ocean. While I was running my photography workshops in La Reunion, I met with Emmanuelle, her husband and her son. Soon this sweet family of three will become four, and they wanted to have a little session to capture them as they are now, before the next chapter.

Their love for each other wasn't hard to capture, and it made golden hour all the sweeter watching them together. Their son, naturally playful and happy, made it extra enjoyable, but even he had his moments (as we all would if we were a toddler asked to look at a camera instead of putting a seashell in our mouth—“ne pas manger le coquillage!” was a phrase frequently uttered during the hour).

Fine one minute, imminent devastation the next are simply the hallmarks of parenting. Those little not-so-glamorous, impatient, cranky family moments are, to me, just as important to capture as the loving, playful and joyous ones. For those flawed moments are natural, honest and real. It's how you get through them that makes you family.

Martin & Barbora: Portraits at Spray Lakes, Kananaskis.

Canada is not the place to live if you aren't hungry to explore outdoors at least once a week, no matter the weather or the temperature. It's almost painful to sit inside and answer emails, apply for jobs, or work on my blog when right outside my window, the mountains tease me with their incredible, ever-changing beauty.

Itching to take photos, I asked my housemates Martin & Barbora if I could take portraits of them somewhere. We agreed to take photos at Spray Lakes, Kananaskis. Like many people, they'd never had photos taken by a photographer before. I loved that I could share this new experience with them, but what I loved even more was how much fun we had and how they made the experience their own.

Sometimes, photography is about planning, perfectly styled shoots with incredible details, and everything being “on point”.

Sometimes, photography is about you and two of your housemates on a frozen lake with an “air sofa”, spontaneity, windy hair, constantly changing light, love and laughter.

Gastown with Megan (A Hint Of Vanilla).

I count myself extremely lucky to have come across people in my short life that I've instantly connected with. Megan is one of those people. We connected through Porsha, who is one of my long-time uni friends, and Megan's cousin. Creative talent clearly runs in the family, and I could not believe how quickly Megan and I bonded over food, photography, hiking, dogs, and other random topics. We ended up hanging out twice in the same week before I left for Canmore. In the summer, I'm hoping Megan can join me over in the Rockies for some beautiful backcountry adventures.

Megan, much like me, is at a bit of a crossroads in life, having just left her job as a professional pastry chef. She's just started experimenting with her photography, deviating from food and entering the realm of portraiture & adventure photography. I think you'll agree upon looking at her work that she's certainly one to keep an eye on! Head over to Megan's blog & Instagram to check out her work and most likely drool over her beautifully styled food photography & recipes.

Here are some photos from one of our days together, hanging around Gastown despite the forecast for flurries and “freezing rain”. Photos of me were taken by Megan.

At Home With: Sophia Mary Mac.

An afternoon at home with Brisbane designer & illustrator, Sophia Mary Mac. Sophia's stunning space is in a beautiful two-storey Queenslander (that's a type of home here in Australia, for those not-in-the-know) and is worthy of some serious envy. I could barely tear myself away. We caught up over leftovers, drawing and shooting.

This will be part of an on-going body of work, a side project I've been meaning to embark on for some time. It doesn't currently have a name or a definition—I'm letting the idea form fully by doing the work and seeing where it takes me. To be honest, part of my hesitation in starting this was that many other photographers are already doing work like this rather brilliantly—but I recently had to remind someone else that they are completely allowed to take up space in the industry, even if they're doing what's already been done. Now I'm trying to take my own advice.

I love getting to know other creatives, and nothing piques my curiosity more than the spaces in which they work. I hope to continue this work not just in Australia, but around the world, starting with Canada next year—so if you happen to be reading this and you are a Canadian-based creative who would love to open your space up to me, my camera, and good conversation (or you know someone who is), I'd love to get to know you. Email me: hello@camillenathania.com.au.

More with Sophia below.

Bondi with Sam.

Some highlights from a little shoot I did in Bondi with my friend Samantha Toong.

Jessica Cruickshank.

While I was in Sydney last week I photographed the cute face and cute space of my friend, letterer & illustrator Jess Cruickshank. Jess and I met on Twitter about five years ago. Since then she's moved from Brisbane to Sydney, gotten married (to another awesome person, Tim), and left her full-time role at an ad agency to do this whole lettering thing solo—and what an incredible decision that was, because every year she produces something that makes me want to weep. I find her work beautiful because it is well-executed, colourful and detailed. I love seeing her trial new techniques and perform little personal experiments that she shares on Snapchat/Instagram—it gives you an insight not only into her process and personal development, but also the amount of effort that goes into making those beautiful, finished pieces.

Here's a little peek at where the magic happens. To see more of Jess' work, follow her on Instagram or Snapchat (@jess__cruicky).

Yoga with Danique: Byron Bay.

On Saturday, Danique and I drove down to Byron Bay for our shoot together. It's one that's been a long time coming. Now that I only work three days a week, I am so excited to be able to have more time, not only to create more work like this, but to connect with others like this. The conversations you get to have and the unique relationship you build as photographer and subject are what draws me to photographing people. I also love doing shoots where multiple things I love intersect, and naturally, yoga photography is one such place where two of my paths merge.

There were so many great shots that came from this afternoon; it was hard to pick only a small selection for this post. It was a really windy day which made both yoga and shooting challenging (you try balancing on your forearms or holding a camera steady when you're being aggressively shoved by the wind at the top of a hill), but I'm pretty pleased we managed to squeeze three outfit changes and three locations within 4 hours, with a lot of talking, laughing and bloopers in between. Danique is one of the strongest yogis I know in more ways than one—I'm pretty glad to call her a friend, mentor and yoga teacher.

Outfits: 1. Top: Onzie, Bottom: LunaJai Athletic. 2. Top: Lululemon, Bottom: LunaJai Athletic. 3. Top & Bottom: Kamuka Active. This is not a sponsored post.

Clare at Cabarita.

After our shoot for Lululemon, Clare and I couldn't help but go for a dip (because as if we'd be spending all that time shooting by the beach without actually going into the water...no, our swimmers were well and truly packed). The setting sun was starting to cast that perfect pink-orange hue across the horizon, where thick, tall clouds were hovering, and the surf was intense; giant, deep turquoise waves and an incredibly strong tide ready to suck us out into the ocean. It was going to be too good not to capture, so I ran back to the car to get my camera. I'm glad I did.

Gold Coast Engagement Shoot: Rach & James.

My friends Rach & James are getting married exactly 6 weeks from today. I'm so excited to be behind the lens for them on their special day! They are so playful and kind, and Rach is one of the most talented illustrators and designers I know—so I know their wedding is going to be so much fun, filled with all the things that make them who they are. I love a couple that don't take themselves too seriously—when you have fun at your wedding, it shows in the photos.

I have been friends with Rach since our university days, and I couldn't have been happier for her when she moved to the U.K. to be with this handsome blue-eyed Englishman, for him to propose to her at none other than the Eiffel Tower, and for them to come back here to start their lives together.

Here are some photos from our recent Gold Coast engagement shoot. If you're a couple in love and you'd like to do a portrait or engagement shoot with me, please get in touch.

Sophia.

On Saturday I spent an afternoon at the beach with my beautiful and talented friend, Sophia Mary Mac. I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon—even the 30 minutes of heavy rain we had at the start didn't dampen our spirits, and Sophia was so easy to shoot with, rarely needing direction (maybe huddling under a single umbrella in the rain was a very critical pre-shoot bonding experience).

It's been a long time since I've done a shoot like this, where it's just me, my camera and a friend (...and maybe some distracted surfers, wedding ceremony guests and the occasional passerby spectating). It reminded me all the more how much I love photographing people. It's not something I feel one can do well and do rushed—you both have to feel comfortable, confident and open to each other. It takes a little bit of guidance, mindfulness and intuition.

To capture a side of someone that may not always be seen; to create a space for them to completely let go in front of you, is to make a unique connection with them. To photograph another person is to try and tell the unique story of who they are in that very moment, knowing that they will never be that same person twice; their impermanent being permanently captured in the frame. That, to me, is the most precious part of being a photographer.

Leigh.

There's been a common theme for me this year, and it's that of old connections becoming new ones; where social media has actually contributed to a proper connection with someone IRL. Up until Friday, I hadn't seen Leigh in 8 years. I had volunteered to shoot a launch event for Headspace Tweed Heads where Leigh works and rather than driving all the way back to Brisbane, I stayed the night. We talked plenty in the morning before we both had to leave, but I couldn't go before gathering the courage to ask if we could take some quick photos—I have absolutely no regrets.

Ben Robinson.

The first time I have taken proper portraits of a guy—two photographers taking photos of each other actually really works. Here are a few shots from some casual shooting & strolling with Ben Robinson. If you haven't already seen his work, check it out—his stunning, minimal style is lovely.

Georgia.

A short, casual portrait shoot with Georgia this afternoon.

Soul and Sound Series | Jesse.

Jesse Nikolic (more commonly known by his stage name JD Blunderbuss) is a guitarist and vocalist for up and coming Brisbane-based rockabilly band Regular Gonzales. Apart from being part of the awesome foursome making rockabilly music you can dance to, Jesse is also a rather excellent drummer. He is a man of few words, but an excellent subject: he is one of few people (especially males, at that) I have met who can be true in front of the camera and make it look effortless. I met Jesse and his sister Lauren through one of the other fantastic We Heart Collective ladies, Racheal.

Soul and Sound Series | Holly.

Holly Terrens is a singer, songwriter and pianist from the Gold Coast. When I first met Holly for this shoot, I got along with her instantly. Her friendly, upbeat manner made our afternoon incredibly enjoyable and I found myself talking a lot more than shooting. Despite being softly spoken, she was totally at ease as we exchanged stories, her positive demeanour contagious, her manner sincere.

It's no surprise that Holly feels most at home telling her stories through song. With music as her true voice, she wants to keep her songs honest to herself and her personal story—integrity in her work is something Holly holds high.

Soul and Sound Series | Georgia.

An individual's personal history can strongly influence their relationship to and perception of music. My latest series titled "Soul and Sound", produced for the We Heart Music exhibition, takes a look at each subject and their relationship to music, whether they are an avid listener or a musician themselves, through portraiture that gives an insight into their personality and emotive expression.

Over the next week or so, I will be posting each of my portrait sets together with a small write-up about each individual, to help give you a deeper look into who they are, why music is important to them and thus why they were chosen as a subject. Unfortunately my health, time and weather were against me in the lead-up to this exhibition, and I had to cut down on the number of people I truly wanted to shoot for this series due to a great deal of rescheduling, but I may choose to continue this series even after the exhibition is finished.

Today, I am writing about Georgia—some of you may know her as daisyhearted on Twitter or Instagram, or daggers on Tumblr. Like most of the fantastic people I have met in my lifetime, Georgia and I were interweb pals long before we met in real life. Funnily enough, we happened to chance upon one another at a different We Heart event in 2011: We Heart Home at the Home Festival, Kangaroo Point and that was when we first met.

Numerology Series

My mother has always had a keen interest in things like feng shui and numerology. Earlier this year I took some time to investigate what her tiny numerology book had to say about me and my "number". I am a two (a person born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th or 29th of any month). After discovering, to my surprise, how accurate the statements were regarding my personality and even little life facts (such as my career, my finances and my health) it became a topic that I studied even further. When the We Heart Numbers Exhibition was still in its planning stages, I already had my heart set on what I wanted to do.

THE SERIES
The Numerology series concentrates on nine creatives, all of whom are active within their industries, passionately striving to produce better work, influencing the industry in their very own way. Some of my subjects were friends or old contacts, whilst others I had never physically met before, creatives I had simply admired from afar (and on the interwebs). When I was first emailing these creatives in February/March, I feared that I would get a negative response (after all, it's not every day you get a total stranger asking to take photos of you in random locations): to my absolute gratitude and pleasure, they were all more than happy to participate in the project.

I gave them no prior direction when being photographed; the entire aim of the series was to truly communicate their personalities with little external influence and later analyse this with what I had read about their birth number. I also asked them to select their location, as this in itself says so much about a person. Their locations all had an impact on their final portraits, truly reinforcing their personality traits.

I initially wanted to design custom typographic numbers that were based on the qualities of each creative, but for the sake of my sanity and due to limited time, I settled for choosing numerals from already existing typefaces. These numbers were all carefully chosen and considered to ensure they remained as true as possible to the people behind the portraits.

I have been working on a summary of the definitions behind each number, but due to work and multiple commitments I haven't yet had a chance to complete this, and I couldn't wait any longer to share the series here.

Due to my great interest in my own number, I decided that the portrait for Number Two would be a self-portrait. My room in itself has always strongly portrayed a sense of who I am, thus my choice of location. Taking a self portrait was also somewhat of a personal challenge—as a person so used to being comfortable and confident behind the camera, I knew this was bound to throw me out of my zone, especially as it wasn't just any old portrait: it was to say something about me, to reveal myself as I truly am, a vulnerability I would need to overcome.

On a separate note, unfortunately I was unable to take a new, more recent photo of Hazel Dooney, one of the Asia-Pacific's most brilliant, controversial and successful artists, however I found that the photo I took of Hazel at TEDx Brisbane last year simply said it all.

I admire each individual's tenacity and active presence in their respective industries; they are all extremely talented, to say the least, and I could not have asked for a better group of creatives to work with. You should note that those photographed below are all under the age of 35 and either run their own creative business successfully as their sole source of income, are highly successful in their professional role, or both. I cannot thank them enough for their time and commitment to being my subjects for this project:

1. Chris Bouffler, Graphic Designer
2. N/A
3. Rachel Aust, Fashion Photographer
4. Alex Langridge, Filmmaker/Colourist
5. Erik Veland, Web Designer
6. Anja Ali-Haapala, Dancer
7. Ally May Carey, Fashion Blogger/Model
8. Liss Winnel, Fashion Blogger
9. Hazel Dooney, Artist.

Please feel free to email me directly if you have any questions, comments or feedback about the series or anything related to the topic at all: hello [at] camille-nathania.com.