Jennifer Stocks Photography – The Blog

In the spirit of Christmas I thought it would be super fun to run a lovely little giveaway. So… I am giving some lucky blog readers the chance to win some FUN stuff for Christmas. Anyone at all can enter – clients, blog readers, fellow photographers….

All you have to do is tell me a little bit about yourself. I love to learn cool things about other people, hear about their favourite things and see what others do at Christmas time. So, that is what this little giveaway is all about!

SO…. What fun stuff is up for grabs?? Well, I love cute kids clothes, and I love beautiful things. So, I’ll be giving away vouchers to some of my favourite online stores.

I have one $100 voucher at Baby’s Got Style (www.babysgotstyle.com.au), two $50 vouchers at The Hip Infant (www.thehipinfant.com.au) and two $50 vouchers at Pink Frosting (www.pinkfrosting.com.au). Baby’s Got Style and The Hip Infant are online childrens boutiques with a yummy selection of baby and kids clothes, toys and accessories. Pink Frosting is an online party supplies shop, which has everything you need to hold a gorgeous kids party, bridal or baby shower. The range of invitations, decorations, favours and other funky things are sublime.

All you have to do is follow these easy steps:

1) Post a comment on my blog (just under this post) ensuring you leave your email address and name in the designated areas.

2) Answer these simple questions:

a) What do you love about Christmas?

b) If you could have your photograph taken with any famous person who would it be?

c) What is your all-time most treasured photograph?

d) If you could give one gift to anyone in the world, what would it be, and to whom would you give it?

e) What do you like most about my photography?

f) List your town & state

3) You have between now and midnight on Wednesday 23rd December to submit your comment, answering the above questions. The winners will be announced on my blog on Thursday 24th December (Christmas Eve). Vouchers will be sent out early in the new year and my mum will be responsible for the selection process! Anyone can comment, but Australian residents (living in Australia) will be the only prize recipients.

So, get busy peeps! I can’t wait to read everyone’s responses! I’m think I am even more excited than Big Kev. weeeeeee!!!

Oh yes, I love this time of year. I love seeing Christmas lights, and excited kids, and thinking of the most perfect gifts to buy for our children. I love wrapping presents, and watching the fairy lights sparkle on the Christmas tree at night. I anticipate Christmas morning – there is something so special about the reactions and delightful squeals from kids when they open their presents, or venture outside to see their latest newly assembled backyard play stuff.  I can’t wait to read books about Santa to our boys on Christmas night, and leave out beer and bikkies for him, and for them to come racing into our bed in the morning for cuddles and toy-showing.

But …. while I wait for my Christmas thrills, it is high-time I updated my blog visitors and clients with some news. It has been an amazing year for me – personally and professionally. I have seen my business grow tremendously, and have received amazing feedback from my clients, and visitors to my blog. I have been booked out until the end of January for quite some time now. My Christmas sessions are all wrapped up, client prints have been packaged and delivered (minus a few bigger items which will arrive shortly).

Now, the most important part …… I won’t be taking bookings for at least 3-4 months after this time as we are expecting our third child at the end of January. I think this is the first time I have announced it on here! There have been times over the last few months when I have been too busy to even remember there is a little life growing inside my belly! I cannot wait to meet our newest little one, but first I think I need some serious nesting time.

I anticipate at this stage I will be accepting bookings from mid-late Autumn onwards. If you are interested in a session in 2010, please contact me and I will add you to my waiting list. There is a possibility I will be offering some mini-sessions before this time, but they will likely be for babies aged under 12 months (ie. ones that don’t walk yet!) If you have a youngster you would like photographed, contact me and I will inform you of details if/when they arise.

Between now and the New Year, I will be taking a bit of a break to spend some time with my family – please forgive me if I am a little slower to respond to phone calls and emails.

And during my baby ’spell’ time, I am also looking forward to updating my website, and taking some photos of my own kids – who have been seriously neglected by my camera of late! But… because no post is complete without images I am posting some of my beautiful boys and their cousins (including adorable newborn Eli, who just makes me smile and smile and smile!). What a mammoth effort getting the 5 boys together for a photo – holy cow – it is so much harder to photograph your own kids (they just don’t listen for some reason…..). We are so lucky to have been fortunate to get away to visit them on the Central Qld Coast this December. It is a toasty place alright – HUMID as all buggery. Mind you, I think Bathurst feels hotter at the moment (not to mention the fact we have millions more flies to deal with).

So, keep your eyes peeled over the next few months for more client previews and possible baby news! I also plan on going wild with newborn baby shots when our little one arrives… Regardless of the above, I will be doing my utmost to ensure I accommodate everyone as much as possible. So, if you have any queries at any time please feel free to contact me. Although I will not be doing many sessions from the end of January until the end of April, I am still very much contactable during this time.

Wishing everyone the very best and merriest Christmas, and a fabulous 2010! xoxo

Weddings are beautiful. There is no doubt about that. Seriously. I love them. There is nothing sweeter than witnessing two people joining forces for good. It was especially so for this great couple.

I have known and loved Jo and Dan for over a decade, and I have to say…. watching them get married made me smile giant smiles. These guys rock. Seriously. Love them. Collectively (and individually even), they have pretty much every excellent quality known to the human race – they are fun, friendly, hilarious, smart, cool, classy, good looking and all the while they have the ability to bag the absolute crap out of themselves. Their bridal party share in these excellent qualities, and it was so fun to be around and photograph old friends for a day.

Their wedding was sublime. Every detail was perfect. As much as I rack my brain I can’t think of anything that did not run smoothly or look beautiful. Jo looked absolutely divine, her dress, her bouquets, her bridesmaids…. all totally stunning. Dan and his man-crew were spunky, cruisy and funny. The venue was awesome, the guests were having an absolute blast (and it was great to see more old friends amongst them).

The ceremony was held at the beautiful St Stanislaus College Chapel and Father James was his usual brilliant self. This was followed by after-ceremony shots at the beautiful village of Millthorpe (one of my favourite places in the world to shoot). I love this place for its character and charm – I could live there in an instant. The reception was held at the fabulous Tonic Restaurant (in the recently converted old movie theatre next door). This new function room has a great courtyard, and the room just lent itself to socialising. I swear, none of the guests were sitting down – everyone was up, about and chatting.

Dan and Jo, thanks for having me around on your wedding day. The love and respect you guys have for one another is unreal, and I am so glad you found each other all those years ago. Your wedding images are all finished now, and I will have them to you when you get back from your worldly honeymoon.

I had the great pleasure of visiting and photographing Skye, George, Charlotte and Poppy at their beautiful home recently. They are the loveliest little family. The girls are so sweet, beautiful and charming, and their parents are equally so. I photographed Poppy when she was a fresh little newborn, and it was so great to see how much she has grown – such beautiful big blue eyes, and a crazy little  toothy smile. Her big sister Charlotte dotes over her, and is so smart and gorgeous. I actually have seen these girls grow quite a bit over the 10 months or so, as we seem to run into each other wherever we go.

I loved photographing these guys – they are just like friends and are so easy to be around. Skye and George are wonderful, fun and caring parents and I love watching them interact with their little ones. The first time I photographed these girls, little Charlotte (the older girl) kept calling me JOHN! Hahahaha. This time however, I got JEN instead. (I kind of liked John though – it made me laugh.) We had lots of fun playing tea-parties with Charlotte (once Poppy had gone down for a snooze), and I even had the pleasure of meeting their lovely dog (who was so chilled out – perhaps the fact both George & Skye are vets has contributed to him being such a well-behaved doggie?)

I hope you guys enjoy your sneak peek. I loved coming to photograph your family and I will have your full gallery ready really soon! xx

I visited and photographed three beautiful little lads recently. We spent a little time inside the house (mostly for the benefit of the little one), but then ventured outside to their backyard – a place I would call ‘boy heaven’. A backyard with chooks, vege gardens, kiddy tools, play equipment and an assortment of cool ride-on vehicles any little boys would go bananas over.

The two older ones are outdoor boys, and are clearly obsessed with their daddy – they follow him around, helping with all the the ‘jobs’. They dig in the yard, help collect the eggs, and generally potter around. They were so full of personality, and loved showing me around. Their mum really wanted some ‘real’ photos that showed what their life is like (they have a lot of overseas relatives – many who have no idea of their lifestyle). We were also lucky enough to hold the session when Sophie’s parents were visiting from the UK – so we managed to get a few shots with their grandparents too.

Sophie – thanks for having me photograph your little men. They are absolutely gorgeous,cheeky, full of life and are the epitome of ‘boys’. With a mum and dad like you guys, it is an absolute certainty they will be ‘good blokes’ when they grow up. I hope you enjoy your sneak-peek  and I will be in touch with your full gallery very soon.