This One Was Meant To Be
For a while now, I’ve been dancing around the edges of my photography business. Some days, I’ve been in love with the work while other days, I’ve felt the weight of burnout, especially when it came to editing (never the shoots themselves – I adore them – but the editing… that’s been another story). I’ve had many well-meaning voices suggest outsourcing, but the truth is, I pour too much of my heart into the process to hand it off. I want every image to feel like me, like love.
So I pressed pause. I stepped away from big shoots, like weddings. I started saying no more often. But then Hollie and Chris reached out.
They asked if I’d capture their family. Not just the two of them, but their two beautiful fur-boys, Colt and Coper. When they mentioned their dogs, I felt a familiar tug. Then they said the shoot would be on the north side of Brisbane. Sandgate, right by the Shorncliffe Pier, one of my favourite spots. It felt like the universe had quietly whispered: This one’s for you.
So I said yes.
From the moment I arrived, I could feel it… the kind of quiet, gentle love that radiates in every direction. Hollie is pregnant with their fifth family member (how lucky is that little one?!), and even while growing a human, she was so gracious, so grounded, and so accommodating. Especially when I mentioned my recent injury (ruptured half of the ligaments in the ankle if you didn’t already know). It made me feel seen, and I carried that warmth into every shot.
Chris, who’s no stranger to cameras thanks to a big family and years of practice, joked that Hollie “moved in and never moved out.” Their story — one full of simplicity, loyalty, and quiet magic — is theirs to tell on their wedding day, but I felt honoured to be let into a small piece of it.
We wandered along the foreshore, let the dogs sniff everything in sight, shared stories, and grounded ourselves in the late afternoon light. As the sun dipped, Sandgate did what it always does this time of year, it showed off. Soft, golden light kissed the edges of everything, and for a moment, everything was just still.
That shoot gave me something I hadn’t realised I was missing: a creative spark. A reminder of why I ever picked up the camera in the first place. Not for the hustle. Not for the inbox full of edits. But for this — the connection, the presence, the feeling that I’ve frozen something honest and beautiful in time.
To Hollie, Chris, Colt, Coper, and the soon-to-arrive newest family member, thank you. Thank you for letting me witness your love. Thank you for your kindness. And thank you for bringing me back to myself, one shutter click at a time.
I hope your baby bubble is everything you dreamed of and more. And I hope your little one grows up to be just like you — kind, calm, gracious, and so full of love.