Blog : Lacey & Chelsea

Catch up with Jade

Catch up with Jade

What a year it has been already, I have been here there and everywhere for weddings and – shock horror – a ‘kind-of’ holiday, and it’s only the beginning of March. What has this year still got in store for me with so much to go!?

How good was January for tennis – love the Aussie open and without wishing the time away (because there are some super exciting things coming up) I can’t wait until January 2016; I’ve bitten the bullet and I am finally going to the Australian Open – HOORAY! On a side note, I still don’t have a passport yet (Beej thinks this is terrible) so it’s my mission to get one this year – and hopefully a destination wedding with it (I’m thinking, Maldives, Canada, New Zealand?!?!)

Two and a half months into the year and I’ve been to Adelaide 4 times, Perth, Dunsborough, Riverland, Port Elliot….safe to say the little Holden Cruze gets a bit of a workout, oh and one flat tyre for anyone keeping count. Good thing I love to move around, and even better is that I have invested in some awesome tools to make working while travelling super easy!

I have met some awesome people already this year, and so it goes in my line of work, Im blessed to now call them friends. I am lucky that every weekend I get to hang out with people that are in good spirits, positive frames of mind, and ready to party – weddings will do that to you! Being single at weddings is a bit of a funny experience…actually super funny. I was talking to one bridesmaid the morning of a wedding photography job, and she was saying she was single and there were only 2 single guys at the wedding. With only 2 guys to choose from it seemed she wasn’t 100% sure on which she liked more, so she said ‘hands off, they are all mine!’ No worries from me, I’m gone by 10pm anyway, and that seems to be when the romance starts for singles at a wedding!

I’m gonna be honest here though – as tough as it can be for wedding photographers to spend whole weekends away from their families and behind a camera (and I sympathise with this), it can also be tough for us single girls – you don’t meet many people out on a weeknight (I’m usually travelling or behind the computer anyway) and as you can tell, there aren’t many single people at weddings!

March is an exciting month with the most weddings of the whole year. Mad March is definitely a popular month to get married, not only does it hold a long weekend, but we hit the nice weather, not stinking hot (hello February), a nice cool breeze for the boys in suits. It’s also not getting as dark as late as we hit the end of daylight savings so the sunsets are a little earlier for sunset wedding photos. I’ll be travelling to Ceduna, Adelaide, Cowell and Port Lincoln on the weekends and stop wherever I am during the week or head home to continue working on edits, album designs, marketing etc. You can imagine I stop for fuel a lot, so one day as I was filling up I was chatting with the console operator, and they asked what I was up to for the weekend. I explained I was off to photograph a wedding. His hilarious response? “Oh, so you’re a wedding photographer, do you work during the week?” *FOREHEAD SLAP!* He clearly doesn’t know what a wedding photographer does, you can see a little more about my day written in a blog post ‘Day In The Life of Jade Norwood Photography’.

This year I am again battling the work/life balance, and I feel like I am getting better. I must admit I still have a way to go, but I am taking steps forward and have even had a few chances to catch up for drinks and meals with friends. Winning!! Many more to catch up with though! Maybe there will be a non-working holiday in there soon too! Im thinking snorkeling on the great barrier reef…

While I continue working away and doing a lot of editing with so many weddings on the cards, I’ve got a few TV series going on to take away the silence! This year I’ve already watched/listened to 5 different ones from start to finish and now I am waiting for them to be released a show each week….That’s not going to work for me, so if you have tips on great shows to watch give me a shout out!

My poor D4 is also getting a thrashing, and has been totally knocked around this year, including me falling over last weekend hahaha and instead of letting it go I just used it as an extension of my hand… but it is a super workhorse and continues to work like a friggin champ…thank *expletive*!!

Lacey and Chelsea – my nieces – are still a huge draw card for me to go home to the West Coast, I miss them sooooo much when I am away. They are always growing, every time I see them they have changed, talking more, getting taller, learning new things. Do people want more photos of them?! I feel like I used to flood you all with photos of Lacey and Chelsea, but at your insistence I can always share more, I am sure that will make Nanna happy!

OH! I nearly forgot to say – I’ve gotten into make up! People who know me will be shocked out of their seats now, but it’s never too late in life, right?! I’m still learning, so I need lots of tips and I turn to youtube, but send me yours and let me know your favourite products, tricks and must have/must do! I’m also giving up my terrible habit of chewing my nails and have managed to grow them…what the! A big change, for someone who did it for their lifetime. I continue to battle towards a different image of healthy, but all I do, the time with friends and family and taking breaks from work – it’s all a part of getting me there. Here’s to the rest of 2015!

Cause every blog post needs a photo, and lets be honest.. How cute is Chelsea!! 

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Lacey’s First Birthday Cake Smash

Lacey’s First Birthday Cake Smash

Cake smash, Smash cake… However you want to say it.. Sounds like fun either way to me.. Oh except for the clean up!! Hahhaha

This post is a little behind the time, however thought you all might like to see it anyway! OMG can not believe how much Lacey has changed in this short time, really goes to show how precious capturing all these moments are.

Lacey’s 1st Birthday Cake Smash.

Huge THANK YOU to Sharnie Mahar for her amazing creation.

 

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Merry Christmas & Thank you…

Merry Christmas & Thank you…

It feels unbelievable that this year is coming to an end, and yet it is – 2014 is rolling around and I have so much to be thankful for in 2013.

I feel blessed every single day that I wake up and get to do a job that I love.  I feel so lucky to meet new and wonderful people, revisit families and seeing them grow – as well as providing them with memories that will last forever in their photographs. I wish each and every one of them a Very Merry Christmas, and a wonderfully happy 2014.

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Chelsea – nearly 8 months old

Speaking of 2014 – I am already looking forward to it with great anticipation, the brides and grooms whose weddings are approaching, the due dates of babies I have in my calendar – including those of wedding clients past! I cherish the times I get to be a part of these truly happy moments in people’s lives, let alone being the one honoured enough to capture them in my photography!

This year has thrown me some curve balls both personally and professionally. Families I have worked with in the past have lost those closest to them, and these losses have rocked our communities. I rest a little easier knowing that I was able to give the gift of cherished photographs to these families and others when life has thrown them a tragic circumstance. When I am given that honest and grateful thanks afterwards by those who have been heartbroken, it really does bring a tear to my eye that they can still find strength in what I’ve given them and I am so humbled by this.

I am also humbled by those that stick with Jade Norwood Photography – loyalty is the foundation of any small business and we find it tougher in that big bad world, so the fact that people stick by me and keep coming back again and again is an honour. Each time people choose me to take photographs of their families, their newborns, their weddings or their friends, my aim is to do better each time I have that camera in my hands. Ok will never be good enough for me!

It’s those same people that refer their friends, workmates and family to me also – without their testament to my work I may have got left behind in the crowd of photographers to choose from! So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and my business with such a compliment of a referral, and I take this chance to remind you that I do have a referral program now up and running – the more people you successfully refer, the more that’s in it for you!

Kids Christmas photos

Lacey and Chelsea wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.. xx

With so many shoots on the go, it becomes difficult to showcase them all to the wonderful people (you!) that keep coming back and visiting my blog or my facebook page.  Sometimes this is because people don’t want their pictures on the blog, and other times it is just because of where we are at in the schedule of what we have planned – so if you haven’t seen someone or yourself on the blog, don’t despair, their time will come! Keep your eyes open for our features in magazines, websites and newspapers too – we are always trying to share the beautiful people of Jade Norwood Photography with the world

But back to our own little world, and enjoying it for ourselves. My biggest piece of advice to myself, and to those around me coming out of 2013 with a few extra scars, is to switch off the technology, get away from work for a while, leave the dusting until tomorrow, because today is what you have, and today is what you should be spending with those that you love. It isn’t until something is taken away from us that we realise how truly lucky and loved we are, so as the year ticks over to 2014, sit back and take a moment to be thankful for everything you have – and show people how grateful you are! Pledge to no longer take things for granted when it can all be taken so suddenly. Take lots of photographs because you won’t realise it at the time, but each moment is a memory you want to keep. Have a laugh at your own expense, wear those heels you were saving for a special occasion, buy that more expensive fancy icecream and sit back and enjoy it.

In 2014 – make each of your moments count by bringing joy to your life in anyway you can. I look forward to capturing some of that joy. Merry Christmas.

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Lacey telling Chelsea a great story…

Lacey turns 2

Lacey turns 2

Well holy moly… Where has the last two years gone? My gorgeous niece Lacey turns two tomorrow!! Happy Birthday Lacey.

I missed her birth, her first birthday and going to miss her second birthday all being in Adelaide for work, fingers crossed I can make it to next years birthday…

Lots of people have been asking when I am going to put more photos up of Lacey and Chelsea; trust me, it isn’t from lack of having any to put up; I have soooooo many MORE images of both to share; including a super CUTE cake smash from Lacey’s 1st birthday (that we did a little after her Birthday when I got home) and Lacey with some ducklings at the beach!! Time just gets away from me; however I am loving having Beej and Alana on board helping carry the load. I reckon that by January we will have everything in tip top shape and sneak peeks, client proofing galleries, product delivery… oh and yes… more images of Chelsea and Lacey will be coming through alot quicker and more often.

These images were taken at sunrise before I left Ceduna for Adelaide, Chelsea is such a happy little chick, but Lacey wasnt so keen on being up and having photos taken at 6:30am… lol… well neither was I really.. lol.. Lacey was snuggling into her Dad, saying, “Lacey go non night, Lacey go non night”… CUTE… then “Lacey go back in car”… and all of you who know me well know that I am a night owl and 6:30am   is a lot closer to my going to bed time.. rather than getting up time!! hehehe

Here is just a couple… Happy Birthday for tomorrow LACEY.. xx

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Newborn Photos | Quick Chelsea update

Newborn Photos | Quick Chelsea update

I can’t believe how the time has just flown by, it feels like only a few days ago I took Chelsea’s first newborn photos in the delivery room, today she is 4 weeks old! Its really amazing how much she has grown; I had been away for a few days, and when I came home I couldnt believe how much bigger she was and her features had changed so slightly yet so much! I am so lucky that I get to capture all her changes.

As soon as I got home after Chelsea was born, I was searching the internet for props, rugs, head bands… all things newborn so that she would have something new, something unique, and something I loved! I seen something similar to the hammock below in the US but there was no way it would get here in time and of course I wanted everything.. yesterday…. A big thank you to Dad for helping me make this and also thank you to Alex, Kye, Abby and Indy for helping me find the snotty gobble:)

Of course I am biases but Lacey and Chelsea are just too cute… and Lacey is at a super cute funny age… the things she comes out with, her facial expressions everything… CUTE.. the next personal blog post of my nieces will include both of them and I cant wait to share ALL of Chelsea’s photos:)

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Baby Photographer Adelaide | Newborn Photos | Cute Baby Pictures | Newborn Adelaide Photographer