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!

Gabby recently reached out to me about booking a boudoir shoot to gift her husband-to-be on their wedding day - the perfect excuse to pamper yourself in the lead up to the big day and organise a present for the partner who has everything. We chose Caroline St for her session as the earthy, boho feel suited Gabby's personal style perfectly and offers endless photographic opportunities in a peaceful, private space. 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 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 shoot today! Hair & Makeup: Metro Vision Hair & Beauty.

As technology develops, most of us have a camera at our fingertips but have seemingly forgotten just how special it is to hold a photograph in our hand. Getting photos together and documenting precious moments should be a joy, but so often it becomes too difficult and we resort to 'next time'. It's too hard to get Mum in a photo, it's too hard to get all the kids in one place and smiling, it's too hard to line up Dad's work schedule... sounds familiar, right? As someone who has documented countless joyful moments - the beginning of a marriage, after a new life has entered the world, of family milestones - it is important to remember these moments are the only thing you will have to look back on once that time is over. Your babies are only little for a short time, Grandparents sadly won't be here forever and nobody else will notice that you haven't lost that 5kgs that you're using as an excuse to not get in photos. One day in the future when your children are grown up, they will look back on your family photographs and cherish it more than any other images they have - memories are timeless and more valuable than anything you could buy. Your story is worth celebrating, you are worthy of existing in photos. “One day your children will look for photos of you, what will they find?” - Sue Bryce Photographer Now, don't forget that taking the photos is only step one of the process. Most clients can get around to uploading their favourites on Facebook and maybe changing their phone background, but then what? You let them sit neglected on your USB collecting virtual dust? Look at what happened to floppy disks and CDs - no doubt USBs will be outdated in a few years as well, but your prints will still be hanging on the wall. Ordering products is so easy to put off, yet so important to make time for and a good professional photographer will streamline the process for you! I can help with ordering heirloom quality prints, designing fine art albums or creating any kind of wall art display you can dream up - and have plenty of samples for those who'd rather see it in person first. Professionally printing your images turns them into a tangible keepsake that can be passed on for generations. I'm sure almost everyone has fond childhood memories looking through old family photo albums, so let's keep the tradition going and preserve those precious moments. Exist in photos.

Congratulations to the newlywed Mr. & Mrs. Clarke, an absolute cracker way to end my 2019 wedding season with such a special celebration and great company! This wedding was scheduled just four days before Christmas and I loved the subtle festive touches they incorporated into their styling. If you're dreaming of a classy country wedding scroll down to see some of my favourite details from Prue & Alister's big day - complete with a ceremony under an old tamarind tree, trucks decked out to transport the wedding party and a campdraft venue converted into their atmospheric reception. Venue: Paradise Lagoons. Videographer: Levi Appleton Studios. Bridal Gown: Gladstone Bridal Boutique. Makeup: Makeup Artistry by Rachael. Flowers: Simplicity Market Fresh Flowers. Celebrant: Roxanne Hodda Marriage Celebrant. Cake and Catering: Whisk Yeppoon. Transport: Gracemere Livestock Transport. Entertainment: Ben Beasley Acoustic Soloist. Ring box: Amonie. Cake Topper and Table Numbers: Dee & Co. Timber Laser Engraved Favours: G & E Fisher Designs.

This babe booked a boudoir shoot to gift her husband-to-be on their wedding day... the perfect present for a partner who has everything, and you get to treat yourself too! While I'd say Amy was a little nervous at first, she totally rocked her session and was kind enough to let me share a few photos below. We chose a boho/natural theme for her session and were lucky enough to use the recently renovated Queenslander 'Caroline St' for the location. The combination of lacy/soft lingerie with the earthy tones of the house made for some beautifully feminine images, which were then gifted to her hubby in a timber print box. Though the thought of glamour photography might be daunting, it is time to embrace the skin you're in and put some self-love into practise! I want you to believe you're beautiful as you are (today! Not when... [insert excuse here]). Every client receives my exclusive guide which explains the boudoir photography process, gives you all the styling tricks/advice I've learned over the years and helps you prepare for a fun, empowering photoshoot. Become a boudoir babe and contact me to talk about booking your shoot today! Hair: Elite Mobile Hair & Beauty.