set your alarm to go off every 30 min from the moment you wake till the moment you go to bed…

each time the alarm goes off photograph what you see…

it was a very interesting project, a little snippet of all the day to day things that happen around here that seem so insignificant at the time.  definitely something i will be doing once a month, and i have a few little variations i am going to try out…

if you give it a try, please be sure to check back with me and let me know so i can check out your pics
(all these pics were taken with hipstamatic for iPhone and originally shared via instagram.)

Jen is a Newcastle gal, studying Nutritional Medicine and writing a very informative blog along the ways…  check it out here…  she is also a lovely past bride of mine from a few years ago

floral art by Sapphire Designs

hair and makeup by Tranzformations

a collaboration of some very wonderful people…

model: my gorgeous daughter Liana

photography: renee bell | photographer (that’s me!! lol)

floral art: Rach at Sapphire Designs

hair and makeup: Josie at Tranzformations

Liana’s clothing:  pettiskirts from Princess Ratbag, singlet from eeni meeni miini moh, belt from Allanah Hill

big thank you also to Jen and Bec for helping out on the day!

and a little behind the scenes action…  little models get tired sometimes!!

do you want to collaborate on our next project??  looking for clothing and accessory designers.  please email studio@reneebellphotographer.com.au to chat

here is what Kathryn had to say!

Wow, wow, wow, you are a magician Renee! Realistically, I have grey hair, wrinkles and a little extra padding and on most days feel frumpy and ‘just a mum’.

However, these images made me see the part of me that I rarely feel or see - the happy girl inside. I don’t look at my flaws in these photos, but the great feelings that you helped invoke. I love them so much, and I know that Linden and the girls will love them too. Thank you so much

view Kathryn’s slideshow HERE

from her 12 week announcement shoot, right up until 38 weeks… check out Kate’s journey through pregnancy below…

and then meet her new little bundle, Spencer!

and the little man… Spencer at 4 days old…

and 2 weeks old…

here is an email that Kate sent me just after her last maternity shoot…

Just want to say a HUGE thank you Renee, for capturing one of the most special times in my life ? It’s hard to believe it’s been 9 months since we started this journey and i’m so so so happy with the results of all of photos. I really think every woman should do this when they are pregnant. It’s amazing to look back on and i’m sure in the years to come i will appreciate it even more!
You have been an absolute pleasure to work with, both professionally and on a friendship level. Your work is quick and amazing and i cannot wait for you to capture our new baby when it’s time xoxox

are you interested in documenting your pregnancy journey in this way??  i am currently looking for 1-2 ladies to take part in this project in 2012 so please get in touch to discuss details if you are in the early stages of pregnancy and almost ready to make your announcement at approx 12 weeks…

contact me here ~ i look forward to hearing from you !!

madly scrambling to work out a wall that i can have a massive print of this on.  canvas or metallic print i wonder?

and… i have an idea.  a big idea!  stay tuned

happy monday, friends!

you can view Anna’s full slideshow here

and here is the text message Anna sent me after viewing the slideshow the first time…

Renee… OMG these are so incredibly beautiful! I am lost for words!!  Yep me = no words, unusual

Seriously, I am sitting here with the hugest smile and tears rolling!! You have captured me I think perfectly!!!  Not one is my favorite – they all are!!!  Wow!!  This collection is going to be so treasured.

I think my favorite of favorites is the 1st one of me with blue scarf in the doorway of that room.  Stunning.  I think I’d be happy to see myself in that pic everyday large on the wall.  I really love the colour, the way I’m sitting, the shadow, the feeling.

Oh Renee – you are incredibly talented!!!  Bloody awesome xxx

chatting about love, life, and everything in between… a fabulous meal, exploring The Rocks in Sydney, a beautiful view and some photos…  i couldn’t have asked for a better night, or a new friend who was more fun, funny, and fabulous!  what a way to forget my jetlag!

i got home the next day to this email from Lisa.  it is long, but well worth the read!  i love that i can allow a space for such amazing people to see their own beauty.  to document their lives…  Lisa says how she felt much better than i can, so take a read, and check out the images at the end…

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello hello hello! You are fast becoming my very own personal photographer and I am loving it!  Mostly because it is not just about the camera, not just about the photo, not just about whether my crazy hair is sitting in just the right place.

As I am sure most women feel at times, placing ourselves firmly behind the camera becomes a safe place from which to capture the world around us.  Life experience, a little wisdom and a lot of self love has allowed me to venture out from behind the camera lately.  I knew that I would only want to venture out in front of the big scary lens with the right person, with the photographer whose style and depth of talent I felt a sense of connection.

Renee your style has always ‘spoken to me’ and the world of social media, blogging and connecting online (where I spend most of my nights whilst my toddler is tucked in bed and dreaming) is where I first came across your work.  As a bit of a fuss pot with most things in life, including champagne, music and photography – there are only a handful of photographers who I took the steps to make contact with when I first decided to be brave and get in front of the camera with my little man.

After taking that first leap into our beautiful Mother/Son Beloved shoot late last year and spending the weeks following in awe of our images I was SO excited to explore a little further and have a solo shoot.  (Excited plus slightly scared, thoughts running through my mind included ‘how on earth was I going to cope on my own in front of the camera with nobody to distract me from my nerves!)  But then there was the thought of having my 38 year old self frozen in time, in a way that I knew would truly show ME, and that was quite serendipitous, and a little bit spooky as well. 

Losing my Mother when she was only 48, and in fact actually only 38 when she had the car accident that changed my life forever, has been on my mind a lot lately.

On my mind because I am that exact age that she was when the accident took her from us for the first time through her brain injury.

On my mind because the accident happened in the month of December.

On my mind because her 60th birthday would have been this Boxing Day.

On my mind because she died in the month of January.

Spending the hours that we did together in our beautiful city last night was a little bit surreal.

When you asked me to describe myself with words that started with each letter of the alphabet I instantly knew that this shoot was meant to happen at this exact moment in time, in my life.

One of the ways that I have always dealt with anxiety and in particular at night, is to do just that, think of a word to describe myself using each letter of the alphabet.  It was as though I had been practicing for your question all this time…

A is for authentic, B is for brave, C is for compassionate, D is for driven…

There were moments as your questions lifted the edges off my firmly guarded thoughts when I instinctively prepared a response in my usual orderly style.  I loved the chance to sit, stare and speak when prompted…  The story of my life is usually written in my own words, carefully crafted with accompanying images mostly of others.  Thanks to you I now feel much more at peace with including pictures of myself in the story!

Lisa xxx

if you want to watch Lisa’s slideshow – you can see it here

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