A Beautiful Family

I LOVE this family. Beth and I have been friends since our mothers group began. Way back when our, now five year olds, were only a few months old. We have a beautiful bunch of mummies, we get along sooooo well, and although our kids have grown and are moving in different directions we still meet and have family times as well as the mummy only dinners we all LOVE. Our next one will involve dresses, heels, and yumy scrummy food, I can't wait!!

But back to this family. When Beth asked me to photograph them, what could I say but 'of course'!!! I had photographed them before when their little Miss O was just a teeny bubba, I was sooo looking forward to shooting them again. Beautiful family, gorgeous property, animals... my dream come true!!  .I think I will let the images tell the rest of the story.

Enjoy. xx

Happiness is ...... (6th Feb 2012)

Tonight I was lying with my daughter while she went off to sleep in our bed. She has taken to me wanting to sing her off to sleep. She says I have the best voice in the whole world. I don't. You have to love her for that little white lie.

It's nights like tonight that make me joyous to be a parent. These children I have grown inside me, nurtured, loved with everything I have inside me from the moment I knew of them. I birthed them, fed them and held them. They really are my everything. It makes me sad though that I don't always remember this. I get cross with them, tell them they need to be quiet because I am working or on the phone. I long sometimes for that quiet I used to have. It makes me feel sad and ashamed of myself for not always remembering what I have.

I have friends who are unable to get pregnant. I have friends who have lost their unborn babies at different stages on that nine month journey. I know people who have faced the possibility of losing their child and I know some who have. It makes my heart ache, and tears fall. I can not imagine the pain, the 'knock you to the ground' impact that such an event must have on you. Words couldn't begin to describe it. It sounds almost dismissive to say that I 'feel' for these people, but I dont know quite how else to put it. I feel for them every time I hear a story of someone who has lost a child. I feel sick and I feel like I should be a better parent. Better at listening, better at being patient, better at letting them just be silly and be kids. I 'feel' like my heart would just stop if that happened to me. I  respect all these people immensely to put one foot in front of the other every day. To keep going.

I have recently heard of the organisation called Heartfelt ( http://www.heartfelt.org.au/).  I just  have one small stop to an insurance broker to make before I can officially call myself a Heartfelt photographer. I joined because I am so very, very lucky. I want to give something if I can. I want to do it because I would hope that someone would do it for me. Because I am not always free in showing my emotions, this is the best way I know to do something that might help a little. I am an ICU nurse and before I had children I thought I would have liked to work in the neonatal ICU. After my children were born, I didn't think I would be strong enough to do it. I hope that doing this might selfishly fulfill something in me that wants to help those little babies, but  that knows it is a job I may not be strong enough to do everyday. Maybe it will teach me that I can be strong for other parents and take that leap to one day look after neonates. Perhaps.

I know for now that I need to not forget. To remember everyday that I am the luckiest woman in the world to have these beautiful children. That is what this 'Happiness is..' project has been for me. It has been a reminder. I flick through the camera at the end of the day and see the silly things they did, or the stillness they possessed or the new things they have learned. I am proud of them, I am excited for the journey to come and thankful for the journey we have been on together.

I will leave you will some pics of Amelia. These were taken before bed as we sang together and said silly things to make each other laugh. It was a gorgeous time. I am glad to have pictures to remember such moments. It reminds me of a quote of Aaron Siskind that I love 'Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever.... it remembers the little things, long after you have forgotten everything."

Exciting News... well some of it anyway...

Hi all, just a note that Mel Boulden Photography will be featured in the next issue of MAEVE magazine www.maevemagazine.com. I have been busily working away on 'A Valentines Tale'. A cute little story in pictures. Please stay tuned!! Excited!!! xx

A spunky little family.

A few years ago I had the joy of photographing a couple of little peas in a pod. Two little twinnies, Maeya and Imani. I worked with their mum Megan in my, 'other life' job as an ICU nurse.
I was so excited when recently Megan asked me if I could photograph their family again, this time with new addition, little Jack. How fab, a little baby brother for two older sisters to adore and mother. Very exciting (and busy!!) times for them.

I had decided I would like to begin doing some styling with some shoots. I asked Megan if she was interested and she was so lovely to be my guinea pig and say yes. So here it is, my first real attempt at styling with this gorgeous family. The outfits Megan chose added so much to the pics and I am so pleasd that everyone seemed to have a good time. Sorry about the cupcakes Megan..lesson learnt, don't put out too many!!.

Enjoy. x

Project 365: Happiness is ..... (week one)

So it's welcome to the new year. And for some of us, or lots of us, it is a time to start a new, to refresh, reenergise and put all the crap that the previous year threw at us, behind us. For me though, I didn't have a bad year. I had a great year. Some of us make resolutions for the new year, but what was mine, was I going to have a project? some proper resolutions?? Firstly I wanted to look back on the year I had just said goodbye to.

2011 was special to me for lots of reasons. It saw me grow  a big fat belly (for the last time). I loved being pregnant and still get a little tweak when I see a pregnant belly, but I know that my family is now complete. I grew that bubba, and birthed him. He has grown into a healthy strong and very happy little man. I have a beautiful little girl that has gone through kindy, only one more term left, to become a strong, questioning, happy social little soul who I know has a wild and exciting life ahead of her. I also have a 'middle man' who is almost three. He's had a big year, going from not wanting to go to ELC to now loving it and asking to move from half days to full days. He has become more independent and has begun that great trip down the toilet training road. (I can't wait for the end of that road).

I decided to make photography my 'business'. Going head on to progress from it being a hobby, to making a real and definitive step towards becoming a professional, has re-energised my passion for photogaphy and I am ever so grateful for that. Towards the end of the year I have 'put myself out there' so the saying goes, and I have received a lot in return. Some of the results of which are still in the works. I have plans, I have bookings, I have inspiration, I have study, I have a new D700 (yay me!) and have dreams of some new (and very expensive) lenses. As they say, the future looks bright, with my rose coloured shades on of course.

So I have a lot to be thankful for... but I know I am not always as grateful or as happy as I should be. As beautiful as it is and should always be, I am still a mum to three messy kids. I need to cook, feed them , wash their clothes put the clothes away, clean the house... you get it,  lots of you get it. That, a lot of the time, gets in the way. I know it shouldn't but it does. Sometimes I just want the quiet that I used to have when it was just me.. then if I ever have the opportunity to get it, it always feels like something is missing! Mmm, what is it I am really after then??

So after pondering the year of 2011 and thinking about the year ahead. My thoughts went to resolutions and I have made some, professionally and personally. So my photo challenge, well I decided it could revolve around a resolution, a resolution to see the joy and the positive in everything.  I decided that I might need reminding of the small things. The things that should make me happy but often don't. I decided I wanted to breathe it all in, what I feel like is the monotony of life and turn it into something else. I want to take a photo each day of something, something simple that makes me happy, or that should make me happy. To not sweat the small stuff. I want to come away from this project being happier, less stressed, more generous, more open, more patient, more loving. I want to not be irritated by those things that sometimes drive me crazy, but learn to turn them into something that might instead make me smile, or even give me a laugh.

So begins my 'Project 365: Happiness is....'


Week One
Day One: 1st Jan 2012. Happiness is...being disorganised.

I missed it, photo taken as an afterthought. Oops, bad start!!



Day Two: 2nd Jan. 2012. Happiness is... three kiddlets.
Three pics (to make up for day one, he he). Everyday these three bring me joy.

Day Three: 3rd Jan 2012. Happiness is...a clean, tidy, well stocked pantry.

Part of my deal to myself for the new year was to start on an organised foot. These things take time, as my front room and kiddies rooms will attest to! But I got a delivery of groceries today. It was a big one. I thought ok, lets do it now. So finally clean, re-arranged and organised, this is the way I wish it to stay. I looked at it and it made me smile.

Day Four: 4th July 2012. Happiness is...friends with a sense of humour.

When Benjamin was born he received some gifts. One of which was this...(made me laugh the first time I saw it, and still does).

Day Five: 5th Jan 2012. Happiness is...doing a job I love.

I love taking photos. I am grateful that I can do it for 'a job' and spend my days creating and capturing gorgeous images for families. I love that they will pop them on their walls, see them and that the images will bring either a smile to their lips, or possibly a tear to their eyes.

Day Six: 6th Jan 2012. Happiness is...getting your bum wet for the sake of a good photo.

Inviting myself , and family, along to join in someone elses day out is not normally something I would do. But a friend said she was going down to Victor with her family, I thought since her kids are best friends with my kids that it would be an awesome opportunity for all of us to have a relaxing and fun day out. And wow, it was an awesome day. It produced some great memories and some lovely photos. The one below though is one I remember because I was in the waves trying to get shots of the kids faces as the waves came in. I knew I had to squat to get the angle I wanted, so sacrificing my dry state I sqautted and got this shot of the gorgeous Alice, I think just as I pressed the release the wave came up and wet my bum. I didn't care. It was a beautiful day.

Day Seven: 7th Jan 2012.  Happiness is...the rain.

I love the sound of the rain on the roof and the smell of life after the rain. When the rain stops, the droplets sit idle on the trees.  It makes me think about the cycles of life and lving and dying; how the rain plays such a big part, in so many ways in nourishing us. It makes me happy that I live in a place where the rain falls easily, and I have food to nourish myself and my family. Then my thoughts go to those that don't have all that, the rain, the food, the lucky life that we have. We have three sponsor children, and i feel happy that we can help them. Then I smile to myself, all of those thoughts, just from a few drops of rain sitting on a leaf.

Day Eight: 8th Jan 2012. Happiness is...sleeping in.

Since Benjamin was born I don't think we have been to bed before 11:30 pm. He likes to be with me from about 7-11pm to be cuddled and to suckle. Sometimes I feeel exasperated that I don't appear to have much freedom at that time of night, and helpless to anything but to give in to his needs. He has never really slept through the night, usually waking for two feeds. He won't settle unless he has it, so again I give in. We have been getting a bit stronger and letting him cry a little more. Last night I put him in and he slept, he fell asleep on his tummy, he cried a few times and was patted off to sleep. He woke up about 8am this morning. He had slept all night and in the meantime given me a sleep in. I am happy about that. But it has also made me realise he is growing up and the cuddles (eventually) will become less frequent. It has made me think about really what is important. If he needs my cuddles at night and my milk, then hey, he can have it. I don't think I will ever regret spending my evenings this way. But if he wants to allow me a little more sleep, yep, I'd be happy with that too.

Merry Christmas from mel boulden photography and Pod and Pea

Little Miss Ava Jay

My last post was about a gorgeous couple, Megan and Adam, with a little baby girl on the way. That little girl turned out to be little miss Ava Jay.

Ava decided not to make things easy for her mummy and daddy and got herself into a tricky position for her birth.This threw up a few hurdles for Megan and Adam, but they handled them so well, and took everything in their stride. Ava's position turned out to cause another little hiccup for herself, and her little hips. She had to wear a brace from birth. So mum and dad, had a few more little hurdles to jump over, but being ohhhh soooo in love with their GORGEOUS little girl, they hardly seemed phased at all.

When I met them again, they were dealing with her little brace like it was second nature. They both seemed very at ease and parenting seemed like second nature to them both. And just like Adam could not take his eyes of Megan in their pregnancy shoot, this time both Megan and Adam could not take their eyes of little Ava. Smitten, and oh so in love, they made such a gorgeous family. We even got some cutie patootie little smiles from Ava, they were soo cute, some of Megan and Adam's friends even ask if they were photoshopped in!! No, they weren't, just her gorgoeus little spirit shining through.

Thanks so much to the three of you for letting me into your lives to capture this gorgeous time for you. Looking at all the love you have for each other just makes my heart melt. Love to you all, 
Mel xx