After such a challenging year for our year 12 students amidst the Coronavirus crisis, it was so lovely to see them glammed up and ready to celebrate the end of their high school education! Kamani, her formal partner Steven and boyfriend Tom were so much fun to photograph as I'm sure you can tell from their photos - even the car was matched perfectly to their outfits!

The title for this post says Paige & Ruan, but really little Brandy the Maltese Terrier was the start of this shoot! It is always a great to include pets in your photos, after all they're family too right? I have a great list of pet-friendly locations available to all my clients, so just let me know if you're thinking of bringing your furry friend(s) along!

You may recognise Bec & Jamie from their wedding photo which is featured as the home page banner on my website... but now they're actually a family of four! It's always an honour to have clients return over the years and be able to see their families grow, so here is the Smalls - enjoy!

From their engagement session a few years ago to their wedding day in 2019, I've had the pleasure of capturing life's most important moments for Jess & Mark. A few months ago they contacted me again to book some photos, and revealed they had an extra special announcement to make. I'm so excited to see this new chapter in their lives unfold and can't wait to meet Baby Skoric!

I have been wanting to use this location in the forestry for months, and Keirra & Harry were the perfect pair to try it with! We had some fun with a smoke bomb among the pine plantations, then headed up to Stony Creek for a few more photos at my favourite paperbark tree. It was only after they had both climbed it that Harry told me he wasn't a fan of heights! At least the photo was worth it, right?!

1. Exist in photos To have beautiful photos, you first need to take the hardest step and be in the photos! Anything after that is a bonus. 2. Make it ‘you’ If your dogs are your babies, bring them along. If you go fishing in your spare time, go to the coast. If you’re from the bush, pick a country location. 3. Style it up Pick outfits that are subtly matched, make your feel great and still reflect your usual style. You want to put your best self on display while still feeling comfortable. 4. Match the look to the location Just as flowing dresses and linen shirts will look great on the beach, your warm jumpers are probably best suited to the Byfield forestry. 5. Add personal touches If you are dreaming of a picnic theme at the beach because that’s how your partner proposed, tell me! It’s special little touches like these that can make all the difference to your photos. 6. Get pampered If you aren’t confident doing it yourself, professional hair and makeup is a wonderful confidence boost and will ensure you look your best. 7. Time matters Late in the day is best for photos, even though it can be a challenging time with kids. I can help with plenty of tactics to keep them smiling so you can focus on genuine interactions. 8. Put the extras away! Phones, wallets, sunglasses, hats… they’re better off out of your photos (and anyone who’s been photographed by me will know this well). 9. Start with the end result in mind Knowing where you would like to display your photos later can help with choosing a colour palette, styling theme and overall look for your photos. 10. Trust your photographer!

Would you believe it's been 10 years since I started Madelyn Holmes Photographics this November?! Since 2010 I've captured over 100 weddings across Queensland and countless portrait sessions including couples, families, school graduations, boudoir shoots and more. My business birthday was the perfect excuse to get dolled up and stand in front of the camera for a change... though I think I spent more time wrangling all those balloons in the wind (haha!). Thank you to my partner Josh for helping take these photos and my sister-in-law Amy for her cake-making talents, enjoy!

Sam & Wade are due to be married in mid-2021, so in the meantime we made plans for an engagement session. As soon as Sam mentioned she was a succulent lover, I knew she would enjoy stopping for some photos at the cacti section of the Rockhampton Botanical Gardens. I was also awe of her beautiful flowing skirt, perfectly matched to Wade's shirt - so of course I had to grab out some colourful smoke bombs for a bit of extra wow factor too! If you are looking to get your own couple photos - whether it be a proposal, engagement, wedding or just for fun - get in touch!

After a few recent conversations, I think it's time I posted a reminder of why sourcing prints through your photographer is so important! Professional file management - If 'Why is my photo pixelated?' or 'Why is my head cropped off?' sounds like you... Warranty - we're perfectionists and know how our work should look. In fact, my canvases have a 75 year unconditional replacement guarantee (even covering accidental damage!). Archival paper/ink - it's a completely different paper stock and far superior printing method to any major retailer. Ready to display - by the time you've bought a print, found a frame, bent the photo trying to tape it into the frame and put the hanger on the back... you could've let me handle it all for you. Calibration - as great as Kmart is, printing and colour reproduction isn't their strong suit, and we all know my bright photos are my jam.

These two have known each other since primary school, although they never had romantic feelings for one another at the time. After they graduated high school, they reconnected over an ice cream date and have been together ever since! Paige & Ruan's elopement was a beautifully intimate gathering - they were married by Paige's grandfather, with the ceremony live-streamed to family members who sadly couldn't make it and they even got photos at Pebble Beach where Ruan proposed. Though it has been heartbreaking to see so many couples affected by the COVID restrictions currently in place across Australia, being able to capture smaller weddings has made me especially grateful for my work and cemented the importance of having images to treasure. Venue & Catering: Kanangra Heights. Bridal Gown: Gladstone Bridal Boutique. Bridal Shoes: Suna. Groom's Attire: yd. Flowers: Lilly & Lotus. Cake: Dean Street Bakery. Hair Stylist: Salon Tifanie. Makeup Artist: Amanda Edgar. Celebrant: Bernard Wells (Grandfather).

Boudoir sessions are a fabulous way to celebrate yourself and embrace the body you've been given. For many ladies, they are also an opportunity to create a unique gift for their partners on their wedding day, Valentine's Day or Christmas. A good photographer can help with ordering keepsake print boxes, creating wall art displays or designing fine art albums with your images - and, as seen below, the mini album is a popular option for my Boudoir Babes. This 'Little Black Book' of glamour photography is such an elegant, timeless way to display your favourite images - whether you're gifting or keeping it for yourself, an album is sure to be a hit. Customise your very own boudoir album with choices of cover colour, embossed text and of course the images within – all designed by me on your behalf and hand crafted at a premium Australian printery. If you're thinking of booking your own glamour session but feeling a little overwhelmed, every client receives my exclusive guide which explains the boudoir photography process, available products and gives you all the advice I've learned over the year to help prepare for a fun, empowering photoshoot. Contact me to talk about booking your own boudoir babe experience today!

Alec's Mum got in touch with me to organise a gift certificate for her son and daughter-in-law, who were not only expecting but also in the midst of planning a proposal (much to Elley's surprise!). As a country couple, we picked the perfect location and put together a plan for some announcement photos followed by Alec's cue to go down on one knee. Of course, when they arrived to their session in a charismatic vintage Toyota Land Cruiser I had to get some photos of them with the car as well! It all panned out beautifully, and I was honoured to be able to capture such an important moment in their lives. If you are looking to have your own special announcement captured - whether it be a proposal, engagement, pregnancy or gender reveal - get in touch!