kelly van viersen images

sometimes a girl needs flowers

2010-08-28T23:53:00.000-07:00

happy mothers day

2010-05-09T04:57:00.000-07:00

I have the most marvellous mother. She is the most inspiring, caring, and generous woman. She is one of the few people I know who doesn't hesitate to give to others. She is someone I try to model myself on....if I were more like my mother, I would be a much better person. A few years ago my brother was a victim of a terrible accident that almost took his life, and certainly left him battling to survive. For many, many months he was in hospital....first ICU, then the RPH Trauma Ward, before moving to a Neurosurgical/Orthopaedic Ward. From there he was transported to rehabilitation. My mother sat by my brothers bedside every day. When Doctors we're talking about turning off life support my mother believed that he was going to be alright. When they said he would never have a 'normal' life, she still never left his bedside. It seemed the more bad news they gave her, the more her resolve that all would be ok strengthened. Every day she massage his feet and hands, and encourage him to try and move them. Every day she tried to slap those muscles and nerves back into action with her gentle massage and passive movements. Once he could eat, she brought him real food, every day. She really epitomises what it means to be a mother. She never once gave up, and she never once stopped believing that her son would come home to her. And she was right. I believe that it was the love of my mother that helped bring Ben back to us. Of course we all wanted him well, but every day my mothers faith remained steadfast. I could only hope to be half the mother one day, that my mother has been. She has taught me so much about what it means to be a mother, and a good mother at that. It is the hardest job on the planet....it takes all of your heart and soul, and no price could ever be put on that. It is often the most under-rated of all jobs. At times the love of a mother is just expected, because it is always there, unwavering. It can be an eternal state of fatigue, especially for new mums of babes. For they are always giving, giving, giving. Somehow, it seems, when you become a mother, it is no longer about your wants and needs, but those of your children. How many times have you heard a mother say she would "die" for her child. That they would rather be in those hard places than their children. I know I heard my mother saying it all of the time. But it was more than words....it was in every action. Unwavering, believing, and supporting her child. And it doesn't matter if that child is two or twenty two, or forty two....what mother wouldn't help her child. Even my mother needed her mother during those tough times, and my nanna, being the true mother, was there, unwavering, supporting and loving. I am so lucky to have such a marvellous women in my life. I know that whenever, and wherever, they will always be by my side, in a heartbeat. My mother is the definition of a mother, and I am so grateful. I hope I let her know that I love her, more than just on mothers day, but what a lovely day to share my love for such a wonderful woman....Happy Mothers Day Mum.

frisbees and sunshine

2010-05-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

...i have a lovely life....

Some Black&White

2010-05-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

for a monday afternoon....

Are you pregnant?

2010-04-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

I am seeking suitable pregnant women who are looking for something exceptional...who want to do something exceptional. I have had a project on my mind, for the longest time, and I feel that now is the time to try and put it into action. Being a midwife I see a lot of pregnant women, and I have come to realise that every pregnant woman is different. How the same woman will birth her babies can be very different. Each pregnancy and birth is unique. It is special. So what I am seeking is a few pregnant women who are interested in sparing a few hours of their time in return for some 'special' images. If you are, or if you know of anyone who is interested in pregnancy images, and discussion of their experiences, please forward your interest to me. For more information, please contact me at kellyvvphotos@gmail.com.

Home

2010-03-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

So I have been more than just a little distracted for the last few months, as you may have noticed! It's amazing how quickly one month turns into two, and before you know it we're into Easter!! But for a number of months, the man of my dreams and I, have been looking for a home! And what an effort and exercise that turned out to be! For anyone that has not yet been through the ordeal of finding and purchasing a home, at best it can be a nightmare! Looking through endless home opens sounds like fun, until it overcome every weekend for a few months, then it looses it's shine! And to make it all the more confusing, real estate agents have a language all of their own. Needs some work, means it needs a complete overhaul, so don't even bother to look at the homes that are a 'renovators delight' because really, they're going to need a hundred thousand just to make it passable, or a bulldozer through it! And tidy does not necessarily mean it's clean. Most likely things are shoved in cupboards in the hopes you won't open them and things come tumbling out! Roomy means you have a courtyard! Cosy means your guests will have to sit on your lap! Seriously, it was hard work deciphering what was worth looking at and what wasn't. In the end we had it down to a fine art. But don't think for a minute that once you have found 'THE' house, that the job is over. Then you have to deal with a bank! What a nightmare!! At one stage, there was almost daily discussions (I won't say communications, because there wasn't a lot of communicating going on!) with things that hadn't happened, had gone not quite to plan, or had happened that we hadn't actually requested! The best one was when all of our mail was suddenly redirected to a place that neither of us had EVER lived! Good old banks....but somehow, we got through it...somehow, we managed to get the place of our dreams....somehow, we were suddenly home owners....and so begins the new chapter of our lives! So here are a few images of the home that has taken all of our time to find, but which is just perfect! And now that we've found it, I can get back into the things I love......photos!

And when I write these posts....this is where I will be sitting! My own little office!

sigh

2009-10-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

....oh to be a little girl again!! so gorgeous!! And after the heart-breaking day I've had, it's nice to share some smiles and sunlight. Happy Wednesday everyone...

Sunshine & Smiles

2009-10-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Under yesterdays beautiful skies, I had the privilege to photograph this beautiful family. I studied Midwifery with Peta. Now she has two beautiful children with her lovely husband Phil! It was so lovely to catch up with them, as this is the first time I have met their children!! This gorgeous little girl kept us on our toes for the afternoon.....but we did get some really cool little candid shots of her running all over the place!!

Thanks Peta & Phil....it was great to catch up and to finally meet your two gorgeous babies! Hope you like your little sneak peek!

beautifulbabybelly

2009-10-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

This is a gorgeous lady that I used to work with....she's now on maternity leave!! She is seriously one of the funniest most beautiful women that I have had the privilege of meeting. And as these images testify, she has the best smile!! But more than that, she is so unbelievably generous. Nic kindly allowed me to take these pictures for my portfolio. As I'm heading back to uni next year, Nic was generous enough to allow me to take these photos so that I could show the direction that I am hoping to head with my photography. I LOVE baby bellies, which is lucky considering I see a lot of them in my day job!! But this is one of the beautifulest baby bellies ever, because it comes with the most natural mother in the world!! And doesn't she just glow! You are going to be an absolutely beautiful mother....your baby is lucky to have you and Cam as parents. Thank you so so much for today....I am so grateful to you both. I hope you like these images....and again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

word salad

2009-10-18T23:25:00.000-07:00

It's a term often used in Mental Health. It basically is used to describe the incoherent, random use of words without form or structure. I feel like a word salad today. Sometimes I have so much that I want to say, but the words don't make it out right. So I'm going to try and run with it all the same.....

Life is so fragile. So very precious. So very short in the scheme of all time. Why cause pain? Why cause suffering? Silence can sometimes be as damaging as ill-chosen words. Consider you words - or your lack of them...you never know who is listening.

Have faith, believe that people can do things for the right reasons....that they do want to do good...that they mean you no harm.....that their intent is good, kind, and decent.

Love with everything you have....because ultimately, that is the only true gift you can give....it is the only thing you leave behind that is 'solely' you. Love and do no harm. Let love be your intent. Only good can come of it...

.....every action has intent, and an outcome....and a wise man once told me that 'positivity attracts positivity.' I believe him.....

....imagine.....just imagine the possibilities....

...fertilizer for the soul...

2009-10-05T02:36:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we never tell people exactly how it is that we feel about them? This thought has been on my mind all day today. There have been so many songs, movies, and books about this subject....about the regret of never saying exactly how you felt....so why do we never learn? Why do we hesitate to say exactly what it is that is moving through our thoughts....to say what it is living in our every movement but not being spoken? I'm a little tired of it all, myself. I feel, at times, like I am being really dishonest with myself....like I am doing myself the biggest dis-service....and maybe others too....maybe what I do have to say to someone could make all the difference....maybe it is important that they know exactly how I feel, because one day it IS going to be too late. No-one has a crystal ball and can say for sure what is going to come from one minute to the next....so why wait for that time when it is too late? Why not just say so? Tell that someone you love them, that your heart beats just that little bit faster when they're around....even if you THINK that they know it. What if they don't? And who doesn't want to hear that they set someones world on fire?? Do you love love? Do you love being loved? Then I'm sure that those around you are just the same....love is fertilizer for the soul. A life lived without passion is a life half lived....a half lived life is not the point, surely?? Make someone matter, tell them they're important....tell them they have made all the difference....even if it sounds silly, or foolish...it could make the world of difference...connect and prosper.

Do you ever...

2009-09-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have days where everything seems just so right? As if the elements were conspiring to make everything align....as if everything were just as it were meant to be...like your life could fit you like a glove. Because I am well aware of the days where my life feels like an ill-fitting costume...not quite right. So I love these days, where everything feels right, like home, like love. On these days the sun seems to shine a little brighter (and did it shine today!), and seems to kiss your skin...the breeze seems to whisper in your ear...your heart is so full, and so alive, and so aware, that it almost hurts. To feel so much love, and gratitude, it really is like it is going to burst! Do you ever have those days, where you think you could not possibly love someone or something anymore than you do, or you could physically combust?? Today was one of those days for me. Today I could see so much beauty it made my heart ache...today I could just feel, and it was like a big sigh of relief. Like I could actually catch my breath, and breathe, finally breathe. It is so second nature, the act of inhalation and exhalation, that sometimes we don't realise that it's shallow, that we just need to breathe deeper...the act of being alive and living at the same time...for one really is not the other. Today I was so aware of that....I was living it. I wish that I could be better at making it a more permanent reality, but so easily I get caught up in the hum-drum that makes up merely moments of a life, but which seem enormous when you live them. Put into perspective, really, my problems are nothing...they are minor. All that really matters, I believe, at the beginning and the end of a life, is who loves you, and who you have loved. Who is it that makes your heart ache with goodness...who is it that makes you shine...makes you sing...makes an average every-day anything but average...because, really, every-day is a gift, its potential un-limitless...maybe I am a hopeless romantic, but I believe in love...it is the pinnacle of existence. Love makes it better than ok, because it is a comfort, a belief, a hope, and the only kind of sustenance that can feed a soul. On a bad day it gives us strength and hope....and on a good day....well you sing! Today, I feel it. I feel the promise of the unknown around blind corners....the hope in the unexpected. Today I feel it....days like these, do you ever?

Just Because....

2009-09-26T00:37:00.000-07:00

I thought this image deserved a post all to itself!! What a sweetie!

in love in narembeen...

2009-09-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

Some more photos from the lovely wedding I was lucky to be apart of in Narembeen. It was really exciting to be taking photos around the place where we all grew up. There is such a beauty there, which when you live there for a long time, you sometimes become blind to. If it is always there, sometimes you fail to appreciate it. Having come and gone from Narembeen for years now (due to high school, university, and generally just life) I come to look at it with new eyes every time I return. I guess as I grow as a person too, I am able to see more vividly, more honestly, and with a much more open heart. Because we live so far from town, I sometimes felt that I never really belonged - I was never present enough. But after spending some time back home last year, and especially after taking these photos, I have never felt more at home. I am proud that it is my home. It has been the best place to start....and it will be the place that I will always return to...a part of it runs through my blood, and is apart of my system. It has chiseled me into the person that I am, and that I am becoming. And I think that is a good thing....better than that...it is a great thing!

So Much Beauty..

2009-09-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to this song by The Weepies for a while now, and I have to say it is a firm favourite. A real single song soundtrack for a life...makes you want to strip back the restraints and get outside and dance in circles...spin until you fall down giddy and dizzy and sick...but the good kind of sick....the tummy turning and your vision helter skelter whilst you try to 'aclimatise' to your surroundings sick....your hair in you face, the smell of grass in your nose, the feel of sun on your skin, the sky at your back and all as it should be...no worries of tomorrow, no concerns about today...just now, in your giddy excitement. Its nice to stop and smell the roses...but first you have to notice they are there...and that I believe is sometimes our biggest problem...noticing the things right in front of our nose...be they good or bad. But no matter what...there is so much beauty...

Lucky...

2009-09-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

Truly, I am. Lucky that this couple believed that I could do the job that was required, because without that I would never have known how much fun I could have, and how much joy it would bring me!! Yesterday was the first Wedding that I have photographed by myself. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous...but this couple made it so easy, and so much fun! They were so open, and easy going. I tried to dissuade M initially from wanting me to photograph the wedding....I think I told her about three times that I 'wasn't professional'!! Thankfully M believed that I could do it, and I have to say I am really, really proud of some of these photos!! I have so many to go through, and these are just the few I've done today, so excited I was to get started!! I cannot thank M&S enough for this opportunity...I hope you realise that you have opened a whole new world up to me, which without you both, I would never have pursued! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! For letting me be part of you day, for believing in me, and letting me see that joy that is both of you. I had so much fun....it was a day of endless laughs, which is always the sign of a great time! M&S, I hope you had a wonderful night, and I hope that your honeymoon is all that and more. And most importantly, for me at least, I hope you love these photos as much as I have loved bringing them to life! I could not think of a better place to start than here!! Thank you....and there will be more soon!

I love this image....*sigh*

Another favourite....how I love you sun flare!

Told you I loved the flare!

Aaaahhhh...

Yes, I love the 'flare'! Hope these are all you hoped for M&S. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

life in the fast lane....

2009-08-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

It was freezing cold....and I made a snap decision to go to Kings Park early in the morning, as the sun was rising. Sun rise isn't as fun for me in Perth...back home on the farm, on the days I wasn't too lazy to stay in bed, watching the sunrise is literally breath-taking. The colours are glorious, and you're surrounded by the soundtrack of nature. Watching the sun-rise in Perth has never really given me a real kick...sun-set, yes. But I am glad I went, because I could see the beauty, in its own developed, man made way. If you squinted you eyes enough you could believe that you were in some fairy land. And there were a few birds singing in the trees....but wow, the roar of traffic in peak hour!! Makes me ache for the open spaces and sounds of nature. I'm heading home in just over a week...and I am so excited. Excited about going home, seeing my parents, stirring my brother, living that country life for a while....and also really excited about photographing my first wedding. I'm really honoured that someone liked my work enough to trust me to take their wedding photos!! I've got some mad ideas that I am looking forward to trying out, and I can't wait to see the scenes of Narembeen come to life with these two in it! Going to be so much fun...though I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little nervous...but a little bit of nerves is good, right? It means you want to do your best, and you're going to give it your all to do your best...Count down is well and truly on....hoping life is lovely for you all...

Rehash...

2009-08-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've had a bit of time on my hands this week, having hurt my back, so in between climbing the walls....and moving every few minutes to get comfortable, I've been going over some old photos, and re-proving them. Seems like a life-time ago...

Family Photos....

2009-08-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Some pics of a family that I photographed a while ago....back at the beginning of the year!! I went to school with A, and haven't seen her in a few years....so it was great to catch up and see her two young ones!! Aren't they cute!!

Such a gorgeous little girl!!

And sweet little boy!!

Beautiful Families!!

Families = Beautiful

2009-08-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

Brothers, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins....everything a family should be....Karen...thanks for asking me and trusting me to take these photos....these are a few of my favourites that I've worked on...you made it so easy, and so fun...thank you....I am very lucky!! Hope you like....

A fun one....oh what a feeling!!

I love Lynnes smile...so happy!

The boys....

What a gorgeous little girl....

And he told me he didn't know how to smile!!

I love this picture....this is one of my favourites from the day...so warm and calm on a cold blustery day!

Beautiful!

Just as the rains showers started...

Really, what more needs to be said??

Thank you guys....I hope you enjoy this little teaser....

Much Love....

Loss

2009-08-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago our family dog, Bailey, unfortunately passed away. He was my Mums dog really, in every sense of the word. Mum bought him, and it was like he knew that she paid in full, so she was the boss! I came second in command - when I was home...followed by Dad, and running fourth, was my brother Ben. But if Mum was around, none of us got a look in....unless we had food, of course!! He was my Mums shadow....you could always find her by the click click of litte paws on the slate. So it comes as no suprise that Mum is really feeling the empty spaces now. So much emptiness. The other night, we we're sitting around talking about our little 'Hay-Bales' - all the funny things he used to do....his growling talk...how he tried to talk; his riding pillion passenger on any seat you would sit...sulking on Mums bed anytime she would leave him home. It was then we realised that even though he was 'just' a dog, he had given love, so much love. And real love. You could see the hurt in his little eyes whenever you were upset - he'd often smooch up, and snuggle, and never leave your side if tears were streaming. It was like he was on guard. Such a sweet dog...so not so suprising really, that such a void has been left. Dog or not, he was a very important part of our little family. He gave much, and was loved much. RIP little Bailey....at least you will always have Mum in your sights where you are now.

moments

2009-07-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

Life is a funny thing. It's made up of so many moments. Millions and millions of moments. Some we label as good, others we label as bad. There are moments we recall, and there are moments we look forward to. But the most important of all moments, is this one. This moment now. For every minute before, is nothing like it. And every moment to come, we cannot know, until we get there. This, I am slowly coming to realise, is all that is. This moment. Nothing in life is good...and nothing is bad...it just is. It is just this moment, as it unfolds in its own glorious way. Living, experiencing and allowing it to be, gently I unfold...resistance, really, is useless...because what is, is...what is going to be, is going to be. I can resist and cause myself pain when it does not yield...or I can allow it to be, and in such submission to the moment, realise that all is as it should be. The sun will rise, as it wall fall...there is nothing I can do to change it....this is the way it is. So is every moment as it should be...heart-breaking though it may be...but does heart-break not provide us with an insight? Does it not allow us to realise the beauty and joy in the moments where life is glorious? With the first breath of a little life? A little life created by two people who love one another....what a beautiful symbol of a moment of love. Life is so precious...in every moment of madness....in every moment of beauty...I love it all...every moment...even the hard times...because they are not me...they just happened to me...I am all that I am in this moment.

life...& living

2009-07-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

For some reason, unbeknown to me, I woke early. And I was fresh, wide awake at 6:30! No going back to sleep...my day off and I still don't sleep in - seriously I think there is something wrong with me!! So up I got, plodded for a while and eventually jumped in the shower! The best thing on a cold morning!! Now, I know we're in the age of being water wise, but I am known for being a little bit of a dawdler in the shower! I'm a bit of a water baby, and love nothing more than my showers - well maybe some things! So in the middle of a dawdling patch, I stared off into space...looking and finally seeing my bathroom tiles. I've seen my bathroom tiles before, and believe me, they're really nothing all that special...lovely '80s job, but this morning the looked...well...pretty! The droplets of water were catching in the sunlight basking through the bathroom window and little rainbows of colour, and complete whiteness of the tile was almost breath-taking! Now I can guess what you're thinking...she's cracked it! No-one finds bathroom tiles the slightest bit interesting at the absolute best of times. But it was the sudden realisation that every inanimate thing - bathroom tiles included - are made beautiful by what the 'living' reflect off it. In this case, light and water on a bathroom tile...but even simple things like a photo frame....generally its beautiful because of the image inside...often a special person...a living thing, and the emotion that 'lives' in you every time you see it!! The fog has lifted...and there it is...crackers & all!

Self Portraits...

2009-07-22T23:53:00.000-07:00

I am an avid blog reader....I love reading what other photographers are up to, and seeing some of their absolutely stunning imagery!! There are so many that inspire me!! One such lady whose work I love is Tara Whitney (http://www.tarawhitney.com/justbeblogged). Tara has posed a weekend challenge of taking a self portrait...by the way, hers are lovely...and I have loved reading and seeing the images that other photographers have take...they are stunning! So on Monday, (although after the weekend!) I thought I'd have a go!! Oh my.....absolutely terrifying taking your own photo...plus having to look at it!!! I have always been better behind the camera...never in front of it...so many of my family and friends can testify to this, with so many photos of me just a blur as my head whips around, or a hand!! So here I go....3 of my images!!

Well that was scary!! I challenge you!!

Gracetown

2009-07-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

More pictures from our weekend down at Margaret River. This was part of our few fleeting moments at Gracetown. It was blowing a gale, but we were really lucky in the sense that it seemed to always rain when we were either indoors (eating!) or driving in the car!! I really love Gracetown and Yallingup...they have a real quaint honest feel about them. Such a lovely place to be!!

Caves Road, Margaret River

2009-07-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

How I love this road!! Caves Road has to be my favourite drive in Australia!! Especially this little bit of the Karri Forest. So, so beautiful. I could spend all day amongst these trees! It was a lovely weekend away...just what I needed! It's almost disappointing to be back to the harsh reality of work and bills!! It has been a while since I have spent some time in Margaret River, but it never fails to revive me!! If you're going to stay in Margaret River, I highly recommend Studio 9 Apartment - absolutely beautiful and in the centre of town! And the Duckstein Brewery is also really beautiful...and the food wonderful!! Such a picturesque place...I could have taken photos all day!! I hope your weekend was as lovely as mine...until the next one, enjoy the images!

Whoops....

2009-06-16T03:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been so so so so long between posts!! I have been quite busy with different things...but I have some very exciting things in the pipe-line!! Unfortunately I cannot say more, but I am really positive about some big things that are coming up, and some of these new ideas will provide a view into the 'real-job' that I do!! Which I feel is an exciting thing to share, because I think being a midwife is a very beautiful thing....to be given the huge privilege to share a little lifes first few moments!! And watching that absolutely beautiful moment where a family begins, and where parents fall in love with this little life they have created!! So cannot wait to share more of that with you all!! I hope that it all falls into place and I can share some really beautiful images with you soon!! I think it's a really important thing for people to see and have some awareness of...life is very precious and I think child-birth highlights this in the most beautiful way!

So lots of things have happened since I last posted!! I have a lovely new camera and a couple of lenses which I have had a lot of fun playing with!! Here are a few of my photos....my lovely little dog, who is a complete handful, but I could not imagine life without her!! Crazy little dog!! But at least she always is willing to 'pose' for me!! So I hope life is treating one and all really well....lots of rainbows amongst the falling rain...the best part of winter I feel! Hope to share some great news with you all soon!!

The Idea...

2009-04-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't the idea of 'The One' the most beautiful thing? That there is one person out there in a sea of faces who is just for you, and you just for them. I think these two have found it!

Real Love

2009-04-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Wow!! That's all I think when I see this photo! To me it signifies real love and contentment. This is my best friend Sarah, and her lovely fiance, soon to be husband, Alex. They were generous enough to give me a few hours of their day to take some photos of them both! What an absolute blessing!

It is such a lovely thing to see two people in love...how they are able to communicate without words or touch...how in that space between so much can be said and understood. I love love, but I really love Real Love. Love that you can see doesn't have any boundaries or conditions, it just exists and prevails despite any challenges it is posed. It flourishes even in the driest and harshest conditions, because it makes you appreciate those really great times, where loving is so easy. Because loving someone isn't always a bed of roses...it can be the hardest thing, because generally it is those that we love the most that hurt us the worst. Mostly because we put so much weight on their opinion and their word, because it means so much, the opinion of the one that you love. And that is the beauty of Real Love. It gets over itself, and sees the bigger picture, and continues to Love. And although it maybe never forgets, it always forgives. Arguments will happen, and differing points of view, but Real Love keeps it all together, because it relishes these differences amongst the sum of its parts. For every low, there will always be a high, and these are the blessings that you count on your way to sleep every night. Real Love will never die. Yes, it will change, as all things do, for who wants a stagnant love? But it will continue to Love and Love and Love, in its ever changing, magic way. Real Love is an amazing, beautiful thing to feel, but its absolute magic is being able to see it in others. Sarah and Alex, I see this Real Love in you both, and I wish you both the most magic, beautiful, exciting, marvellous live together. And it will be, because you are both the definition of Real Love. Thank you so much, for sharing yourselves with me. Much Love and Many Blessings to you both.

Belief

2009-04-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

I love the beach! I think most of you have probably gathered this by the number of pictures I take of or at the beach! But it is the most relaxing, serene place in the world to me. It is like all of that water washing over the sand could just wash away all your problems. If only it were that easy, but I am beginning to believe that it can be. My life has changed so much in the shortest space of time, that I have come to believe that anything is possible. The power of a positive mind! Last year I saw so many sad and disheartening things, but I also met some of the most amazing and courageous people, whose positive attitudes carved out a whole different world for themselves. And if they can achieve such greatness with such adversity, surely so can I, who really has no real troubles in my world. These troubles are, I believe, produced by a mind not willing to listen or believe. Believe in the endless possibilities that are available to us all, if we only wanted them bad enough to believe that they could and should happen to us. Because, really, we are all deserving of great things! But for some reason, many of us, myself included, don't believe it. We doubt ourselves, our abilities, and sometimes our intentions. But I have been pondering more and more on the words a very wise gentle soul once told me....that if you would never say anything negative or cruel to a newborn, then why would you say it to yourself? Because we have all been that newborn...what changes? Why do we treat ourselves with such contempt at times? We all have the ability to be great...to be wonderful...to be inspirational...we just have to believe!

Easter Campout!

2009-04-14T01:57:00.001-07:00

Hoping that you all had a great Easter! I loved my days off (I felt like I really needed it after the busy week at work!). It was so nice to get out of Perth for a while, and experience life outside the city limits again, albeit for only four days! I spent the weekend on Madoonia Station, south of Coolgardie/Kalgoorlie, on a campout with some wonderful friends and family! I was able to have some snuggles with the beautiful babe you see in the photos! Its been a long time between snuggles...she is growing into such a beautiful little girl! I really want to say a huge thank you to Gaynor and Ned for having us for the weekend! You are such beautiful people, and it was the most refreshing weekend! Anyways, here some more photos! It's so much fun to take photos of someone elses farm!! Anways, enjoy!

And more....

2009-04-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

Some more photos from my past....I love rodeos!! This was my first one back in Derby in 2006! The best fun! Such a rush and a great day!! And a wonderful opportunity to take different photos! And some great laughs! I have only been to one rodeo since, but now that life has settled down in recent months I plan to go to more! Looking forward to next weekend (Easter!) as I am going to a friends cattle station just out of Coolgardie! Not only to I get to spend Easter with these wonderful people, but I get to catch up with my little angel 'niece' (I promoted myself for this role!) Matilda! Cannot wait! Hope everyone is well, and that you too have an Easter that makes you smile inside!

The Past & a Present

2009-03-29T19:48:00.001-07:00

I have just been going through some of my old photos and reliving!! These are actually from a year and a half to two years ago when I was living up north for a while! It's good going back, I feel, and reminiscing about what was...even if it wasn't always so great! Which is why I have loved revisiting this place, to remember the good things, because they always count for more at the end of the day than the things that bring you down...well so I believe anyway!

Life is finally settling into some form of 'normality'!! I have returned to the workforce, which feels good after such a little while! Mums, babies and families are such wonderful people to work with! And it has been wonderful to reconnect with so many of the beautiful midwives that I used to work with over two years ago! They are some of the most wonderful, beautiful people I have had the good fortune to ever meet, so I feel very lucky to be able to 'slot' back into their midwifery lives again!

But for now....more photos!

Morton Bay Fig

2009-02-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

I love being outdoors! I am soaking up the time I have left before I have to start my 'real job' in March. Whilst I have the time I am heading to all of my favourite places in the city to take some photos to try and capture why I love them so much...trying to capture the feeling it evokes in me. This was one of my favourite places to wander when I was at boarding school (over 10 years ago!!). It is this beautiful Morton Bay Fig down by the river...its roots actually wander into the water. I love the root systems of these wonderful trees...they are just so beautiful! There is another big beautiful one in Perth City, just down the road from Royal Perth Hospital...it is huge...I used to love walking past it when my brother was in hospital...it felt like a big bit of nature amongst the hustle and bustle...albeit trapped by the pavement!! This Morton Bay Fig sits down on the Swan River in Peppermint Grove. It is acutally a really lovely walk through this area...I had forgotten how beautiful it was until I walked it again the other day! Such a nice little treat! Life is good!

Things are finally starting to come together!! I have finished moving all of my furniture!! And I have a new computer on order to keep up with all the photos I plan to be taking this year!! Next on the list...new camera! It's good to dream!!

2009

2009-02-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

I love the beach. It is one of my favourite places to be as the sun rises or sets...I am not picky! There is something so relaxing about breaking waves, a gentle sea breeze and sand between your toes! I love it! So it was good to head to the beach for a short holiday in Kalbarri (yet again!). I have been going to Kalbarri yearly (sometimes twice yearly!) since I was a babe in my mothers belly! It is like a second home! It was nice to escape and spend some time up there soaking up the sun, and taking photos! I also got some water skiing in, which I also absolutely love! But now its back to reality, and moving furniture back to Perth, working, and trying to save!! Ahh life!

lovin life...

2009-01-14T23:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long between posts! Life has been moving at a hectic pace, and lots of changes have been happening!! My life is unfolding before my very eyes, revealing itself and its plan to me slowly! Currently my life lies in boxes, packed and labelled, with not an inch to spare...though I don't know where I am moving yet...but even this excites me...leaving it to the wind to decide! I have just spent the last week and a half in Kalbarri...our old family holiday haunt...but begrudgingly I have to return to work! In between I will be heading to the farm and working on some more photos that I have taken during my time in Kalbarri, as well as prior to holidays!! Have just been a little slack...needed a break! So hopefully I will have some photos up for you all to see soon! I hope that life has been treating you all well, smiling down on you and awakening the senses to see the beauty that exists everywhere...big smiles and best wishes...

A full heart...

2008-12-29T03:17:00.000-08:00

Today my heart feels so full....I wish that you could take a look inside, because I think it would be a truly beautiful sight to see..it is brimming with love, and life, and hope, and gratitude. Everything feels like it is just as it should be...the sun is shining and painting the world in its colour...there is living and laughter, and joy. I feel this overwhelming happiness, and love for everyone and everything that consumes and plays a walk on role in this life that is mine. I am so lucky to have the beautiful family, friends, and even the acquaintances I have in my life. They have given me so much love and acceptance and courage this year; they have believed in me when I could barely believe in myself; they have encouraged and nurtured me...I am truly blessed. And I am honestly humbled and grateful. Thank you one and all...and happy new year wishes to you all...

living...

2008-12-16T02:07:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this time of year! And the last couple of days it has really finally felt like summer!! Nothing better than a 36degree day outside! I love the feel of the sun on your skin, and I love harvest. It is my favourite time of the farming year, albeit one of the most stressful when things don't go quite to plan. What makes this year even better is that my brother is driving the header...major achievement considering the year that he has had! This shot is from when I was sitting on the header with him the other day...an absolutely beautiful day, and Ben (my brother) had the biggest grin on his face...it was truly beautiful. It makes me so grateful to be alive, just seeing his smile...knowing how hard he had to work to be here with us, and that he is soaking up these little moments of living. He makes me realise all my mundane little gripes with life, are really worth nothing at all...it is a choice...a choice to be happy, and choice to be sad, a choice to hang onto the past and let it destroy you, or the choice to move on and find the beauty in the 'mundane'...because it is never really mundane when you are alive to experience it! Living is such a miracle really...we just become so accustomed to it that we begin to miss the beauty in the everything-ness that is life and living. I love that my brother has given me this gift of seeing again, seeing things with fresh eyes, like they have never happened upon it before...when in actuality I have, I just never took the time to notice. I have been so fortunate this year, not only with my brother, but with the other blessings that have come into my world...the new friends I have made who really 'see' me, the life experiences and knowledge that so many people have shared with me, some of which have helped unlock so secret hidden part of myself. It feels as though it has finally come alive, as though I am truly alive...of course there are moments where I falter...but I am only human! Today, although I do nothing that sets me on fire, I feel alive, and I feel love, and I feel anticipation and excitement for what is to come, today, tomorrow and next year...how truly lucky I am to finally have my eyes open...to experience and see this living...

blessed

2008-12-14T03:26:00.000-08:00

I am so blessed....I was so lucky to photograph a beautiful family the other day. It highlighted so many things that I had learnt from the amazing workshop I attended with the wonderful Jesh De Rox, and it has made me so much more aware of my surroundings and what I want out of this life. Love occurs in many varied forms...sometimes if you blink, you can totally miss the moment that is sends sparks out into the atmosphere...it is in the moment a mother cradles her child; the moment a partner kisses their loved one; the moment an aunt reaches out for your hand; the minute that somebody totally understands you rhyme and reason for being. It is a living, breathing entity, that takes up as much space in a room as a human being....it is a true blessing to witness it, and breath-taking to believe in it. Love is such a precious thing, and I think at times we take it all to much for granted...and we don't allow ourselves to love freely enough, for fear of being hurt, or being embarrased, of being let down....but isn't it better to put yourself out there? To love with all you heart? To have love in every moment? This session really emphasized that for me, and has made me take a real hard look at my life and the way that I live it. Life is really too short to live it half hearted....I need to throw myself with reckless abandon into the things that I love. The time has come for a spring-clean of my life, my (mis)perceptions, and to sweep out the monotony that I sometimes allow to come into my life. Of course the hum-drum will always come back into play, but I plan to find that 'moment' in every moment...the absolute essence of and in it. I cannot thank Jesh enough for opening this space inside myself that for so long I have neglected....although it is hard, and it does sometimes hurt. And I cannot thank this beautiful family enough, for allowing me a few moments in their lives, to entrust me to take images that I hope they will carry and love forever. You are a wonderful family, and I am so grateful to have met you. I don't think you realise what a wonderful experience meeting you all was....thank you and blessings to you all.

the week that always was...

2008-12-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

I have just had the best week of my life...I feel totally renewed, and energized, and empowered, and blessed. I have spent the week at a Jesh de Rox Workshop in Perth, which I thought would be wonderful - but I never believed it could have been such a life changing experience!! Until this week I never thought that I could sit in a room of people, and after one day alone, think of them as some of the most wonderful friends that I could make...but it has happened. After three days with these people I did not want to leave...my heart is still sitting in that room, soaking up the experience and love! It has been the loveliest three days of my life...and I will carry them with me forever. My whole perspective of life has changed, and I now feel that I am finally on the right path...that I am on my way down the road that I was always meant to explore. And I am learning, which I will continue to do until the day that I die, but better still I am EXPERIENCING again...something that I seemed to have forgotten! My mind is slowing and heart is racing...just the way that it should be!! This photo is from the self portraits we had to take after the second day...I haven't worked on it at all, and it kind of happened by accident...it isn't that great, and I took it for particular reasons that will remain unknown to most....but now I see a new meaning in it....it is the 'old' me...the unevolved, waiting, and quietly hoping me...and that part of me is fading out as I am renewed. Now I am hoping daringly, and I am more willing to step out onto the platform and free-fall. It all sounds scattered I know, but there is no way to articulate properly the amazing beauty and clarity I feel in and about this life...I am blessed, which I always was, I just didn't fully experience it! But now I know....now I know. All I really want to say, is thankyou. Thankyou to the wonderful Jesh for being so giving...and thankyou to the other wonderful photographers who opened the arms and embraced me like I was one of their own...I have never felt so 'at home' as those three days with you all. You have given me the gift of really living and experiencing, and my hope is renewed. I really feel I can step out, and free fall and land without fear! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou...for being who you all are, and for giving as you have! I am a better person for it....thankyou.

Just a couple of old photos....haven't been back to the computer as yet...back to work at the real world....not for much longer!! I am taking some photos for a lovely family on Wednesday, so hopefully they will be willing to share! Until then, all my love and gratitude....

Midwives...

2008-11-24T07:03:00.000-08:00

I have just spent the last 8 days in Narrogin, working in the Maternity Unit. What a buzz!! Although it was really quiet (which they assure me is rare!) it was really lovely to get back into the Mid side of things. I absolutely love Midwifery, and although I took a bit of a beating a while ago, it really feels like it is the right time to 'return'. Midwives are the luckiest of all people - we are given the ultimate privilege of being present when a little life enters the world! And it really is a privilege. Working as a Midwife has taught me so many things about not only myself, but the world. It has taught me some of lifes hardest lessons too - as one of the most heart-breaking things is to lose a child. But still I love it. Birth is an amazing event. It is spectacular. To watch another human being birth life into this world is absolutely overwhelming. But my absolute favourite part of the job is when I get to see people fall in love. I honestly believe that you can see that moment happen before your very eyes...where parents fall in love with their child, and fall in love with one another all over again. You can see the moment where everything changes, and a parent decides that they would lay their own life on the line for this little bundle of joy that they have created. It is such a primal and natural instinct, and you feel like nothing could be wrong with the world in those few moments. Although we all know that not to be true. Sometimes bad things happen, and they happen to good people. But for those few moments everything feels okay. We midwives, we are the luckiest of people, the fortunate who are given a front seat to the relationships that are formed and bonded with the birth of a child. What a job...so thank you Narrogin. In celebration of my time in Narrogin, here are a couple of shots from around the township! Beautiful.

life...

2008-11-15T00:37:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love this time of year....slowly the crops turn, and we get closer to starting harvest...I love the odd green head of wheat in amongst the rest of the golden crop. Especially when its a beautiful day, the sun shining, and warm! Those are the days, the days you appreciate every minute of your life - the beautiful days where you feel like your heart is going to burst; the sadness that seems to intrude; the heartbreak at the moments you cannot change; the gratitude that you have what you have in this very moment. Every little minute that etches itself upon your skin, tattoos itself on your heart, and forever carves its mark to make you the person that you are. It amazes me how no single event can pass without changing you, no matter how removed you may be from the situation. How life, death and birth all intersect and merge. It's hard not to get angry at times, with how powerless we are. But I guess it is something that we must accept, because there is little we can do to change it. So you ride out the storms that weather you life, batten down the things you love whilst waiting for clearer days, and take a deep breath when they finally arrive. Good days will come again, though the scars from those storms will remain. And I accept them, for they make me who I am. So if I cry, I will cry with my whole heart; and when I smile, I will smile it with all of my being; and when I say 'thank-you' for being here with me, and 'thank-you' for giving me this moment, I say it with all that I can am. These days that make you wonder about the majesty of it all...these days that make you really sit back and appreciate every mundane moment, for in actuality, they are not really mundane moments....they are your life...

RIP Annie

My Brother Ben

2008-11-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

This is Ben....He is my younger brother, and today is his 23rd Birthday! We weren't sure we were going to be celebrating this occassion this year, as Ben was the victim of a hit and run in Perth. Ben is the root cause for the dramatic changes in my life!! He has fought hard to be with us this year...he has had to re-learn to walk, talk, think, the works! But he is amazing, and living proof that miracles do happen!! He is walking, talking, thinking, laughing, driving (!), being cheeky...everything!! He is just amazing...and we are all so proud of him! You're a little miracle Ben, and I thank who-ever reigns over this madness for giving you the strength to pull through! I hope you have the happiest of days, because this year it is a true celebration!! Happy Happy Birthday....Love you matey!

Ben with his (& our!) sublime friends, Hamish & Kylee.

Have a wonderful day....

my name is...

2008-11-12T01:33:00.001-08:00

My name is Kelly....as the title suggests. I am not a professional photographer. I get by in the 'real world' as a Nurse and Midwife, which I have always enjoyed. However, over the last 12 months, my life has changed dramatically. My priorities have changed. I no longer want to sit back as a passenger in this life. I want to live it full throttle...although my definition of full throttle may be a little different to many. I want to experience each moment for what it is...the joy, the sadness, the anger, the awe, the hope...all of it. I don't want to wake up in 10 years, and wonder why I stopped doing the things that I loved...why I didn't try harder....why I cared so much about what other people might think. I no longer want to be restrained by the notions of doing what is safe....although I know that many of these restraints are the ones I place upon myself. So I am going to learn, and I am going to try, and I am more than willing to take on the comment of any and many. So as I take a deep breath, steady my hand and get ready to plunge from my ledge into the great unknown, I hope that you enjoy my moments of beauty captured.

Thank you....