Darwin Newborn, baby and child photography | Danielle Stahl Photography Blog

It’s rare that my children will let me take photos of them these days. Caleb moreso than Madison. Madison is starting to pose, which is really sweet. Caleb HATES it. Usually i have to tell him i love him 24098 times and then i am allowed to take just a few! So sweet.

This morning we tested out the new studio!! Enjoy!

We have just returned from a relaxing holiday in Cable Beach, WA. We stayed in a beautiful villa in the Bali Hai Resort and Spa . It was bliss. During our stay I spent three hours at the spa, and i don’t think i have ever been more relaxed in my entire life.

We went there with close friends of ours, who are getting married at Cable Beach club resort and spa mid 2010. I took a few photos of them which i have included in this post.

I have plenty of exciting things on the horizon including a trip to Western Australia to shoot a wedding on an outback station, where the movie Australia was filmed!! I am back in the office now and just about to take my holiday voicemail off my phone. Looking forward to an amazing 2010!!

Towards the end of 2009, I had big decisions to make. I had well and truly outgrown my my current set up, and was needing to either make big changes or get a retail studio shopfront. As I have two young children, I felt I am not ready to work full time just yet… So i came to the decision I would rearrange the current studio and buy some more furniture as the final step towards a shopfront when the kids are both at school. In 2010 I will be continuing the hours I currently work. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am to 5pm. The studio will continue to be used for Newborns, Babies and Maternity, and toddlers will be on location. During the wet season, we may need to schedule toddlers in the studio also- due to the wet and hot conditions outside at the moment.

I have to give a HUGE Thanks to my friend and Brisbane/Gold Coast photographer Danielle Hamilton . In Darwin we are quite limited in variety and she sourced the Curtains and a few other things from Brisbane for me… Thanks again Danielle!!! The couch also had quite a long journey from Vic. A labour of love this studio!!

Here are a few quick shots of the new layout!! Looking forward to a fantastic 2010!!!

Four weeks until Christmas. I can’t quite believe how quickly that happens every year! I have been diligently collecting my favourites from each session in a folder, and am looking forward to sharing the sideshow on my blog in a few weeks to celebrate a FABULOUS 2009 in Darwin.

Today i was getting caught up on my admin and filing and came across my testimonial folder of a few beautiful notes I have collected over the year. I can’t quite describe how amazing 2009 has been for both the business and my personal life. I feel quite blessed. My most recent bride sent me this gorgeous email… aren’t my clients awesome. She made me cry with these beautiful words!

“All we can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! You are AMAZING! YOU ROCK!!!!
I am so overwhelmed by your photos – and seriously can not believe this is me! I LOVE THEM! Both Byron and I really wanted to say that your the Best photographer we have ever met. Not only is your work professional and the best…. You are such a caring and beautiful person! You went far and beyond our expectations! Even dealing with the chaos before the wedding – help dressing the bride- to keeping everyone focused. You made my day!”

I have decided to add a testimonial section in my portrait website, so more clients can share the love!!: Portrait Testimonials and my wedding website (under “information” tab): Wedding Testimonials

In other news, due to the wet season’s arrival and my love of natural light, all studio sessions will now be held in the morning.

I am taking a light schedule over the festive season, and will be interstate from January 1st for a few weeks and will give more details closer to the date.

I have some fabulous new things in store for 2010 and i cannot wait for the New Year to begin!

Thanks again to all of my clients, blog readers and photographer friends for your ongoing support, love and encouragement!!

Danielle xx

Christmas is rapidly approaching! My cut off for a guaranteed Christmas delivery is the 13th November. Any orders placed after this date *should* arrive before Christmas depending on when orders are placed, but i cannot provide any guarantees.

Danielle Stahl Photography is closing over the period 18th December 2009 until 12th January 2010. I will still be accepting newborn bookings over this period, but will be interstate for the first week in January.

I have been getting lots of beautiful products through the studio and thought i would share them with my past and present clients!

Leather Wedding Album

Portrait Session Album

Framed Portraits

And lastly, I must share some more images of beautiful baby Maddison. I love my job!!

We had planned on going out to the local gardens yesterday to get some family photos and head shots for my website and marketing material. Madison put a swift halt to our plans as her and Caleb were being silly together and a wall got in their way. Off we went to hospital to get a little split in her head attended to!

We managed to organise it for today instead and then went out for dinner afterward. We set up the tripod and I was holding the remote. Can you believe in that first photo the kids are looking at nothing but my camera on the tripod!!! They refuse to look at the camera when i am holding it.. but give beautiful smiles when its all by itself. Figures.

Enjoy!

I also was approached by a client of mine, who also works from home as a life coach, to do a short interview. Kirsti’s Blog can be found here: Your Creative Revolution, and facebook page here: Facebook. If you need some inspiration in your life definately subscribe to her blog and facebook page. Kirsti is a beautiful person, inside and out!

Here is the the interview for you to read!

Name: Danielle
Age: 26
Share a little about yourself – Something new, interesting and perhaps somewhat cheeky… First and foremost I am a wife and mother. I was married to my soul mate at 21, had my first baby at 22 and wouldn’t change a thing. I adore trashy TV, wine with friends, a clean house, sunlight, warm weather, shopping, dresses, high heels, seafood, laughing, chick flicks, music, dancing and am quite possibly the most girly girl in the whole wide world.
What is your business? Photography- Newborn, Children and Weddings
Website address + any other marketing info you want to share… www.daniellestahl.com.au
What is your biggest accomplishment so far? Believing in my abilities and myself enough to make my dream a reality.
What was your dream as a child? My dream was really to become a mother and give my children- what I sadly never had. I had no career goals- until my passion for photography came along.
What action did you take consistently to get where you are right now in your business? My key to my success came from within. After a pretty horrible 2008, I decided that the only way to go from there was upwards. Over the end of 2008 and start of 2009, I did a fair bit of soul searching and working on rebuilding my self confidence and belief in my self worth and importance . From there I realised that the sky is the limit in terms of my goals and plans for the future of my business and my family.
I take my hat off to other mums who are in business! What have you overcome to get the success you have achieved today? I have spent a long time juggling children and work to get to a point in my business where i can put my children into daycare, and schedule work and family time. I now have my life strictly scheduled so that every aspect runs smoothly.
Did you ever consider giving up your dream because it seemed too hard? Absolutely. There has been quite a few obstacles over the past few years where i felt like it may not be the right career choice. Standing at the point I am today… I feel so blessed and am so proud I kept going.
What did you have to believe about yourself? I had to believe that everything will work out exactly how its meant to. I also had to believe that i have the strength to deal with the balancing act of being a work at home mother.
How do you balance a being a mum to two children, running your photography business and doing it solo sometimes as your hubby goes away for work? As I mentioned my life is strictly scheduled. on my work days the kids are in care, and when they are home, the computer is off and I am tending to their needs with the knowledge that my work will get done in the allocated time.
What is your secret to success? A positive attitude, believing in myself, and dreaming BIG.
What does Success mean to you? Being happy, healthy and financially secure.
If you can give one piece of advice to those people who have a dream and it hasn’t happened quite yet – what would you say to them? Start with looking within and the answers may be there. Limiting thoughts and negativity is a vicious cycle, which is a hard habit to break. Believe in your self, set goals, dream big and the path to success and happiness will follow.