Its been a LONG time since I've done a running event - 2 years I think.  So it was SO awesome to be able to do the GC30 a couple of weeks ago, with some great friends!  

The lead up to the event was a bit stressful with my right ITB twinging and aching any time I went for even a short run, and my left hamstring had been niggling for several weeks as well... I stopped running two weeks beforehand in a bid to rest it, but they were still a bit sore the night before.  I decided to tape my right ITB and hope for the best.

It was a beautiful morning on the Gold Coast - although I did have a moment, getting up at 4.30am, when I thought "What the hell am I doing this for?"  Also, the queue for the toilets was a bit crazy - we waited 45 mins for a port-a-loo and thought we were going to miss the start - eeek!  

In the end, the injuries held up ok, the course was amazing (a mixture of road and hard-packed trails, all along Main Beach) and not too busy or crowded, and the time spent with friends was awesome.  We did the 15km event and I loved every minute of it (despite the early start!)

I purchased the event photos last week and love how I'm smiling a big gumby grin in just about every photo (sharing the not-so-gumby ones here lol) - what a blast - cant wait to do it all again!

Beautiful baby Neve was a star during her newborn session in the Tamborine studio earlier this year - mum and dad requested "Natural and neutral tones" and I have to say, they just worked perfectly with this gorgeous little one's natural complexion!

Big sister Layla was so sweet and loved giving her new sibling some gorgeous cuddles.  We also managed to get a cute one of both girls in a tutu - what adorable little princesses!

​Thank you so much Melanie and Jayden!

How do you manage the kids time on devices?    For me, its a love/hate relationship.  I love the ipads because it keeps them quiet, and lets me get some work done.  But there are a whole variety of reasons why too much is NOT a good thing for my two.

Lately, I'd been saying "yes" a bit too often, and the devices have started to take over - hours and hours of staring at screens.   And then the daily requests (sometimes hourly with Master 9!) to have them again, it almost becomes an obsession and just about all they think about.

So this last month, we've pulled back.  They've gone whole weeks AND sometimes whole weekends without them, or very limited time on them.  Yes we get some moaning, but after the initial half hour of being bored and grumpy, suddenly they find stuff to do.  They've created LEGO towns, spent hours on the trampoline having fun together, done some cool drawings or read a book, or baked some brownies.  Last weekend they came to me with some old mismatched socks and googly eyes, asking if they could make sock puppets!

So my goal is to continue to say "no" more often, and encourage their imaginations to go wild. 

What do you do, to manage the kids time on their devices?

This week's blog post features adorable baby girl Lyrik!   Lyrik's beautiful mum Hailey loves florals, so Lyrik wore one of my cute little lace floral rompers.  It was lovely to capture some gorgeous sibling images with big sister Islah too, both girls were amazing and did everything I asked, and more!

Thank you so much Hailey and Cameron, I loved meeting your gorgeous family and capturing these memories for you!

Here are some favourites from the session:

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Its been a while since I've updated about our house renovations!  Anyone who has been to our place at Tamborine lately will have seen the huge amount of work going on.  My hardworking hubby is tirelessly working towards finishing this extension/renovation - and we are getting closer!

The most recent "big" event was the installation of our timber floors.  Deciding on the actual species of timber was a task in itself, with our original choices not working out and the colours not looking right in our home.  We eventually went with Queensland Spotted Gum - rich caramels, reds, blondes and browns give it a real warmth and we are so happy with it.  He has also top nailed these, so they look a bit more "old school" and rustic.

Here's some photos of how its coming along - next up is wardrobes, carpet, tiles and kitchen... still so much to do!

I recently had the pleasure of capturing this gorgeous family for the second time - and this event was the arrival of their beautiful baby girl, Andi!

​Check out the proud smiles on her doting big brothers - so adorable!  Rose golds and dusty pinks made this a beautifully soft and feminine session - perfect for a sweet little princess.   Little miss Andi also gave us a few gorgeous wide awake moments and a few big yawns before drifting off to sleep for the rest of her session.

Thank you Jianli and Simon for asking me to capture these precious memories for you!

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How are you all faring in these wet conditions?  Our block is pretty sodden, like everyone elses, but we are safe and dry - the only issue so far was a blocked drain and overflowing dam right down the back.

The kids school is closed right now so we are home learning again - master 9 did a massive fist pump when he heard that he didn't have to go to school, and actually I'm also pretty happy to be staying off the roads with so much local flooding and mini landslides going on!

Here's some photos of what its like at our place today...

Sweet little Everleigh came to the studio for her newborn session earlier this year and the theme was natural tones, pinks, purples, and florals - so beautiful! 

Big sister Layla was all smiles getting to cuddle with her new baby sibling - these early moments are so precious!  We got some cute wide eyed/awake images at the start, and then baby Everleigh settled off for a big sleep during the rest of the session.

Here are some of the favourites from the day:

Anyone else got a tween daughter who wants to have TikTok?  Miss 11 has asked several times, and we are still holding out on her, much to her disappointment.  But she was pretty excited the other week when I announced that I was starting to use it for my business.  Think behind the scenes, editing before and afters, a day-in-my-life kinda stuff...

Its been kinda fun actually and its got me thinking of fresh new ways to show what I can do!   Miss 11 is constantly asking me if I've posted any new TikTok's and if she can have a look... I think she secretly just wants to see what else is out there haha.

Are you on TikTok?  Let me know your handle and I'll give you a follow!

If you want to see what I've been doing, my handle is @hilaryhudsonphotography  or use this link: 
https://www.tiktok.com/@hilaryhudsonphotography?lang=en

I know its only March, but its been a pretty busy year for newborns so far!  My very first session of 2021 was gorgeous little Chase - and he was amazing!!  Such a beautiful little boy to start the year off, he even blessed us with a few cute smiles.

The theme for this session was neutral and natural tones, with splashes of blues and greens.   We also incorporated a few "baby in hands" poses, which are awesome for those parents who dont necessarily want traditional "posed family" photos, but still want to be part of the session and IN the photos.

Here are some of the favourites from the day!

They are back at school, and super excited about it!   Check out these poses:

1. The standing still "do we have to?" pose
2. The "I dont want to actually touch my sibling" hug (note the hands hovering over shoulders lol)
3. The traditional "rabbit ears"

I dont know about you, but I had all these grand plans and a list of things we wanted to do with the kids in the school holidays.  Roller skating, parks, playdates and coffee catch ups with friends, maybe a theme park, day trips and bushwalks...

But we did NOTHING.  I mean, we just . stayed . home.

In between family visiting, Christmas, newborn sessions and editing, renovations (my contribution - bogging holes and sanding), staying home while the painter or the plasterer was here etc etc - there just didn't seem to be any time to do anything.

We are super lucky that the kids play well together, and generally like each other, but they are really really hanging out to see their school friends again.  And I must admit, being the introvert/quiet-loving quiet person that I am, so am I!  Today is the day!

How are you feeling about 'back to school' day?  Are you happy?  Or sad?
​

Continuing on from my last post, I'm catching up on some sessions that I didn't get a chance to blog about last year.  How gorgeous are these cuties?!

Ok - wow, its been a while since I've written a blog post.  Life turned upside down there for a little while, in early October, when my mum had a stroke and sadly passed away a few days later.  So things were a little hectic around that time and while I kept busy working, a few things (like blog posts) took a back seat.

We are also full steam ahead with the renovation/extension, and completion is getting so much closer (and yet somehow still feels quite far away!).  The last few months of 2020 saw the internal walls/VJ/plaster go in, the electrical wiring get done, the new Biocycle system installed and some paint on a few walls and ceilings.  Next up will be floors, and a kitchen.

So in my first blog post for the year, I thought I'd share some highlights from some family sessions from the second half of 2020 which I hadn't had a chance to blog about!  (and more of these to come!)

Check out these gorgeous families and these stunning locations on and around Tamborine Mountain and Scenic Rim, in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast beaches!

A beautiful (but chilly!) family photography session at Seaview Farm Retreat on Tamborine Mountain

A fun family photography session with this gorgeous family at Priestdale.

Highlights from some of this years Fundraising Mini Sessions on Tamborine Mountain!
​

Stunning location at Christmas Creek for this awesome family!

Currumbin beach always delivers!  Loved hanging out with these guys for a Gold Coast beach photo session.

More beach fun, this time on an island at Labrador!

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​

So I have admitted on many occasions that I love winter.  I really do - I love wearing jeans, I love boots, I love snuggling up in my dressing gown and ugg boots.  I love eating warm, hearty meals, soups, stews, roasts.  I love electric blankets and being able to run faster because its not humid.  But I dont know if its because of Covid, but I'm really over winter this year.  

It hasn't been helped by the fact that our house is partly renovated and we've had lots of little gaps and airways exposed for the last few months.  And it gets pretty fresh in Tamborine - we've had a few frosts, a few mornings of 1 degree... brrrr!  The other morning it was 6 degrees INSIDE the house - I had so many layers on that I looked and felt like the Michelin man!

So welcome to Spring!  I'm looking forward to the return of warmer days, wearing Birkenstocks and boho dresses, eating more salads and ice blocks, and enjoying the beautiful weather that we are so blessed to have here in Queensland.

Sweet little Arliyah was just 10 days old on the day of her newborn session, what a gorgeous little girl - I just love her cute pout!

The theme for her session was natural and vintage lace, and the blush pink tones of the wraps and romper complimented these perfectly.  Mum and dad brought along some western boots to incorporate into the session, and it adds a perfect country touch to the image!

​Here are some of the favourites from her session: 

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​

Like a good doggie-mama, I try to walk our dogs several times a week.  Mostly short walks to collect the kids from the school bus, an occasional longer one if we have time.  One thing I have learned with an English Bull Terrier though, is that they will only walk ON THEIR TERMS.

Most dogs will go wherever you lead them, and with enthusiasm, right?  Not our Yoh-si.  If we head in a direction that she doesn't want to go?  Stops dead and refuses to move.  She wants to sniff something but we're in a hurry?  Stops dead and refuses to move.   Need to get off the road in a hurry because a car is coming?  Stops dead and refuses to move.

She even digs her heels in when you try to drag her along.  I've tried bringing treats along - she learns that stopping gets her more treats.  I've tried using my bossy voice - no response.  I've tried dragging her.  My husband said I'm not being firm enough with her, but then he tried, and got the same result!! 

I'm sure the neighbours must be laughing at me whenever they drive past, and they see me trying to heave our stubborn pup along :D   I will keep persisting though - surely she will lose the stubborn streak eventually!

I met Brianna earlier this year for a beautiful maternity portrait session here at Tamborine.  The kangaroos were out so we were able to incorporate them into the session to create a lovely rural theme.  Brianna brought along a lovely floral headpiece, along with her hat, which gave her several different looks - what a stunning mama-to-be!!  And then we waited for her little man to arrive...

Greyson!  Such a little cutie - he was a superstar on the day of his newborn session - full of sleepy smiles.  He posed beautifully in mum's hat too - and Brianna brought along a little rocking horse - see below - he was actually posed very safely on a beanbag, and then the two images (rocking horse + baby) were Photoshopped together in a composite image.

Thank you so much for the amazing cuddles, Greyson!  Here are some of the favourites from his session:

In another instalment of "funny things my kids say" - here's one that Master 8 delivered last week which gave us a chuckle:

We were shopping for some kids clothes and ended up in Cotton On kids.  They had some cool retro/band t-shirts and Master 8 was particularly taken with a "Nirvana" shirt he'd found.  At that stage, he knew a grand total of ONE Nirvana song, but I was pleased with the fact that he at least knew who they were...

So we bought the t-shirt and went home.  Master 8 was super excited to run in and tell dad:

"DADDY!  I got a NEVADA t-shirt!!"

Blank looks from daddy... "a what?  A t-shirt about the US state?"

"NEVADA!  You know, the band, Nevada!"

​                   *************************

On a related note, one of miss 10's friends was in our car last week and a Nirvana song came on the Spotify list.  Miss 10 was super excited to find that her friend knew the song - to which the friend replied:

"Oh yeah I know this song!  This is one of the first songs I ever listened to from the olden days!"

Now - do you feel old??
​

On a stunning afternoon earlier this year, I was so privileged to capture Amanda & Jason's maternity/family session before the arrival of the newest member of their family.  Such a beautiful time in their lives!   The sun was absolutely amazing and we savoured every moment of it, capturing these precious memories and moments, what a gorgeous family!

When baby Summer arrived, we did her newborn photography session in her home on Tamborine Mountain - she is just perfection!  The soft pink tones, whites, earthy and boho elements suited her and the family just perfectly.  Big brother Cruze was very proud to have his photos taken with his new baby sister - he loved watching on as we created these images of her.  I also loved including their cute little dog in some of their photos.

Here are some of the favourites from the day...

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