Welcome back to another edition of My Style File. This week, I’m chatting to the lovely Renee from the gorgeous photography blog and business, Life By Renee.
Hi Renee. Welcome to the blog! Let’s kick things off by telling us a little bit about yourself…
Thanks so much for letting me chat with you today Kirsten. I have been a fan and a reader of your blog since the very beginning!
I am a woman of many ‘hats’ (aren’t we all) I am a Mum to two little ones (4 & 2yrs) I work part-time as a Human Resources consultant and I also run my portrait photography business Life by Renee Photography.
So how did you get started in the photography business?
My interest in photography began in 2009 with the purchase of my first ‘big girl’ camera. But, my passion didn’t fully ignite until the birth of my first child in 2010. I wanted to capture each and every moment of his life and I absorbed everything I could learn to improve my skills. As my experience grew, I wanted to help others to capture these special, everyday, precious moments. Life by Renee Photography launched in 2013 and I am really proud to say that I love what I do and I am excited about every session.
What do you love about your job?
A recent psychological study found that when you engage with your photos, when they are on display in your home, you are much more likely to remember the small, emotional details of that time or event. What I love about my job is not just taking photos – but helping my clients to find ways to display these photos in their homes.
In fact this was one of the big reasons I went into business rather than snapping photos for friends and family. The way that a photo can make you feel is really quite special. What’s better after a crappy day at work, than walking in the door and seeing a beautiful print of your smiling kids to help the stress melt away – you just don’t get that with a disc or usb of images that never get seen (which was what I was doing). Who wouldn’t want to be part of creating something special for others?
I love that! And it’s so true. So tell us, what’s your signature photography style?
I specialise in natural light photography that is filled with colour emotion and is fresh, relaxed and fun. I typically photograph children and families and I aim to make these images real, candid and genuine – not a lot of formal posing here (but we do get a LOT of 3yr old posers)
*laughs* I bet you do! So is there anything exciting coming up for Life By Renee that we should know about?
Thanks so much for asking because yes, I am in the middle of a great event raising funds for Save the Children Australia. In the last ten years or so I have traveled a number of times to the Pacific; Vanuatu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea – sometimes for fun and other times for work. What often struck me was the vast difference between the wealth of tourist destinations and the realities of life for local kids. Not even the very basics of health care are available, and this broke my heart.
I wanted to come up with a way that I could help and so the idea for the Little Heroes calendar was born.
The calendar is going to be full of sweet faces and fun heroic antics and will also feature inspirational stories and highlights of the amazing work of Save the Children Australia in the Pacific area. You can’t help but smile at the joy and fun in these images. There’s something about being little heroes that makes kids feel strong and invincible.
That sounds like an amazing project. How do we get involved?
Well to have a calendar, I need photos so I’m taking bookings now for Little Hero sessions in Bulimba, Yeronga and Graceville in the South of Brisbane. For a set donation amount (that I send directly to Save the Children), your kids can participate in a Little Heroes session, receive a digital web-sized file and be considered for the calendar. If parents want to, they can buy additional prints from the sessions.
If your readers are after any additional information they can check out my website.
Special offer for Kirsten and Co. readers!
The set donation amount for the Little Heroes Calendar is normally $100, but if you mention you’re a reader of Kirsten and co. when making a Little Hero calendar booking, Renee is happy for you to pay a donation amount of your choice (although a minimum of $40 would be appreciated).
For more information on Life by Renee Photography and the awesome Little Heroes Calendar project, visit the website, Facebook page or shoot Renee an email.
Please note: This is not a sponsored post. I really love Renee’s fund raising idea and wanted to share it with you.
Have you ever had professional family photos taken?
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