Capturing Life’s Most Precious Moments

A Special Maternity | Newborn Studio Photography Offer

There’s something magical about documenting the journey of motherhood – from the gentle curves of an expectant mother to the delicate features of a newborn. That’s why we created our $150 special studio offer, to capture two of life’s most beautiful chapters: your maternity journey and your baby’s first days.

Katie, our resident baby whisperer, will make you both feel comfortable and cared for during these intimate sessions. Gently directing your movement, always guided by your little one, so your natural connection shines through. With no uncomfortable posing, and plenty of time for bub to feed.

A Haven for Your Memories

Our light-filled studio, styled with soft organic props and a stunning floral feature wall provide a sanctuary for both sessions, and our beautiful mumma wardrobe of dresses featuring beloved brands like Spell, and Tree of Life, add to the magic of your whole experience.

The perfect timing

We’ve carefully designed this experience around you and your baby’s needs. Maternity sessions are best captured between 32-36 weeks, while newborn sessions take place during those precious first 10-28 days. Each 90-minute session provides ample time for feeding breaks and ensuring your little one remains comfortable throughout.

Your partner and the whole family are also welcome to the sessions.

Exceptional value

For just $150 ($595 value) this limited time offer includes:

a personalised phone consult
a tender maternity photo session
an intimate newborn photo session
access to our designer wardrobe
personal image selection appointment
8×10″ framed print or $295 print credit

Your final collections will feature over 20 carefully curated maternity images and 50 or more newborn photographs, ensuring every beautiful detail is captured.

More than just photos

Prior to the sessions, we’ll take time to plan your perfect shoot – together – so you can share your vision, and preferred schedule, to ensure every moment is captured exactly as you envision.

The ultimate experience

To ensure that nothing is missed in your baby’s early days, also consider our Studio Special Offer for families with babies, featuring a newborn, tummy time, and first birthday photo session package deal. Just be aware, that this offer can’t be combined with our Maternity | Newborn offer.

Offer ends February 2025

These precious days are fleeting so let us help you freeze time with our photographic time capsule. Contact us by 28 February 2025 to book your special photography experience that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Find out more

Explore our website to find out more about our:

Maternity + newborn sessions
Baby + children sessions
Studio sessions

Meet August, photographed by Jodi, our newest Heartstory team member

From April onwards, Heartstory will have a specialist newborn photographer as part of the team, and we are so excited!

These photos are of our darling baby August at 8 days old, captured in the studio by Jodi. Jodi comes to Heartstory AIPP accredited with 9 years of experience photographing newborn babies. She is a mum of 5, and dedicated to creating beautifully styled photos where your baby is the superstar.

With Jodi on the team, we can now offer something totally unique that no other Canberra studio is offering… newborn sessions that combine artfully posed newborn images together with relaxed lifestyle family portraits.

Please enjoy this peek into what to expect if you book a Heartstory newborn session with Jodi, and read on for more information.

Heartstory newborn photography Canberra

You will still have a choice when you book a newborn session with us.

What to expect: Designer lifestyle newborn sessions with Jodi

Sessions are available on weekends at the Heartstory studio in Belconnen. You need to allow 2-3 hours for your session, bearing in mind that the majority of this time is spent posing baby on their own. Mums and Dads are encouraged to use the time to chill out in our beautiful space, and even have a nap on the couch if you like!
If older siblings are involved, it’s a good idea to arrange for them to come along towards the end of the session once the solo baby portraits are finished. Luckily for us, we are right near one of the coolest little kid playgrounds in town – the Belconnen Markets mushroom – so you even have the option of one parent doing a bit of shopping and playtime while the other hangs out at the studio.
Jodi will take control of the baby handling. Posing newborn babies requires oodles of patience because they need to be super relaxed and asleep and not distracted by mum’s smell or Dad’s voice! Mums should be prepared for a couple of extra breast or bottle feeds while bub is being photographed to keep him/her super relaxed and content. It’s also a good idea to bring a dummy if you use one, as it helps in settling your baby into the props and snuggly positions.
After the solo portraits are done, Jodi will adopt a more relaxed approach to photographing the family, incorporating the typical Heartstory style of capturing emotive images of baby with each family member as well as a couple of variations of the whole family together. This means you get the best of both worlds in your portrait collection!
Babies should be under 2 weeks old for this style of session, with the ideal age being 5-10 days. Older newborn babies are more wakeful and can also be a bit more irritable and unsettled which makes this kind of session much harder. Also they commonly develop hormonal rashes around the 2 week mark. Of course with a new baby, it doesn’t always happen in the perfect timeframe, so rest assured we can still accommodate you.

What to expect: lifestyle newborn sessions with Katie or Jeremy

Sessions are available on weekdays only at the Heartstory studio in Belconnen. You only need to allow 60-90 minutes for your session, just like our regular portrait sessions.
The focus is on natural images with minimal posing. We’re not really fussed on whether baby is awake or asleep, and we handle baby minimally (leaving most of the snuggles to you so we can photograph moments as they unfold).
We include classic ‘looking at the camera’ photos as well as emotive moments of bub with each family member and the whole family together. We often include close up details of your baby’s adorable feet and hands and other squishy bits, and some black and white candid images.
Ideally babies should be under 2 weeks old, for the reasons stated above, but due to the nature of lifestyle photography, we are happy for babies to be up to 6 weeks. Just bear in mind that the older the are, the more likely they are to be awake.

Both session types will yield a collection of 40-60 photos to choose from, and an in-person purchasing appointment a couple of weeks after your session. This appointment will also take place at our studio, and is your opportunity to see your photos for the first time, design an album or some beautiful wall art and place your order.

Winter Studio Mini Portrait Sessions for Canberra families with babies

Canberra baby portrait photography

Come and warm up in our always sunny and cheerful natural light studio in Crace!

This July we are offering 4 weekend mornings worth of mini sessions for Canberra families with babies under 1 year old. These sessions have no sitting fee, and we have created a selection of special packages which will save you hundreds of dollars off our normal pricing.

Our signature style is fun, emotive, artistic and natural! We are known for how we connect with babies and children and we absolutely love what we do! We have some props and toys at the studio, but our emphasis is on capturing expression and personality. Please bring special items with you to your shoot (i.e., outfits, toys, blankets, etc). If you’re unfamiliar with our work, we’ve put together this special post to showcase some of our favourite studio baby portraits, so please read on, and enjoy all the pictures.

THE WINTER STUDIO MINI SESSION EXPERIENCE INCLUDES:

A 30 minute session in our beautiful natural light studio in Crace
An in person purchasing appointment, where you may select from a collection of 20-25 portraits
A very special range of packages designed specifically for our Winter Studio Minis, with hundreds of dollars worth of savings (details will be sent to you after we receive your registration). Regular a la carte purchasing is also available with no minimum spend. This means, if you’re not happy with your photos, you don’t have to buy anything (this never happens!).

ALL THE OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:

Studio Mini Sessions are designed for families of 4 or less, with a baby (or twin babies) under one year old (sorry, no newborns). Older sibling included of course! We will concentrate on capturing your little ones, but family shots are an important part of every session we do.
Spots are available on two weekends: July 1st/2nd and July 15th/July 16th ONLY.
We are completely waiving our regular sitting fee of $200, however there is a $50 booking fee, which will be credited back to you when you place your order.

REGISTER HERE // Registration is now open and spots are limited. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! // REGISTER HERE

Please note, a registration is not a booking. Once you register, we will send you our special packages and other details. We will then contact all registered families to book you in. Your $50 booking fee is payable at the time of booking, and will be credited back to you when you place your order. Please make sure you read our terms & conditions, which are on the registration page. Registration will be open until Wednesday 21st June, unless sold out sooner.

Tell me more… why a mini session?

So many reasons! It’s short and sweet and yields a smaller number of images than a regular portrait session: this can make the decision making process quicker/easier, especially if you’re just looking for a small selection of images, or an interim shoot before your next big one! We’re also offering custom designed packages that are going to give amazing value so if you’re budget conscious, it could be an amazing opportunity! If you’re worried about your kids not being able to tolerate a full length session, a mini is a great option! And if you’re considering booking us, but you’re wondering what the difference is between Heartstory and all the other photographers in Canberra, this is a great way of finding out! You just might find yourself with us for life!

How much will it cost?

First up, these sessions are completely free!!! We do require a $50 booking fee, but this will be credited back to you when you place your order! How good is that?! There is no minimum spend, so just buy what you love! Single matted portrait prints start at $140 and all our packages include digital files AND beautiful product! We also offer lay-bys. We suggest budgeting around the $1000-$1500 mark for the best value, but what you spend is totally up to you! (We don’t hard sell anything: our photos sell themselves, just ask someone who’s used us before!)

How should we dress?

We recommend planning a couple of very cute, special outfits for bub. One dressed up and one dressed down gives great variety. Have a browse through our work to see what other families wear in the studio.

Will you do family photos too?

We absolutely will! But our main emphasis will be on your baby. And if you have an older child, we will also work hard to capture a gorgeous sibling portrait too.

Is my baby the right age?

If your baby is aged 3 months to 12 months, you’re set. In our experience, the best ages are 4 months (or whenever they can tolerate being on their bellies and will push up for a few minutes at a time without face planting!) and around 7-8 months (sitting, but not yet crawling). But rest assured, you are in safe hands and whether your baby fits into one of those ‘best ages’ categories or not, we will capture some beautiful portraits and have a lot of fun! The babies in the photos below are all between 3 months and 12 months (with a couple of older siblings too).

Canberra baby portrait photography

Terms & Conditions:

Due to the short timeframe, mini sessions are suitable for families of 4 or less with a baby (or twin babies) under one year old. An older sibling is also welcome. No newborns. No pets. Studio only. Only one mini session per family.
Your $50 booking fee is required immediately upon booking, to confirm your spot. This fee is non-refundable if you cancel your session or don’t order anything, but is automatically credited to your order when you place it.
Winter Studio Mini Sessions include a 30 minute session at our Crace studio, and an in person purchasing appointment. Purchasing appointments are available during business hours on Fridays only and we expect families to be available unless there are exceptional circumstances. Orders must be placed at this appointment.
Your mini session is transferrable to another date in the case of illness or emergency, however this is subject to Heartstory availability. If it’s not possible to find you a new suitable date by the end of winter, we will provide you with a replacement gift card to be used towards a regular Heartstory session by the end of 2017.
This special cannot be transferred to another session type or used in conjunction with any other promotion, including gift cards.
All regular Heartstory trading policies also apply.

Winter portrait sessions // Canberra family portrait photography

Massive thumbs up to all the families who’ve braved the cold (and sometimes frost!) for us to capture some beautiful family photographs. This winter has been particularly cold and unfortunately resulted in quite a few cancelled sessions, but we’ve also had some classic Canberra winter days; still, sunny with the most incredibly soft winter light.

Enjoy this snapshot of the last two months of Heartstory portrait sessions… and thank you to the families who have given us permission to share their images with you.

Award winning Australian Family Photographer

The power of your family photographic story // Canberra family portrait photography

Heartstory will be 6 years old in a couple of months, and one of the things I’m most proud of is the number of long term relationships I’ve built with families over this period. We have many families on our books who have chosen to come back to us every year to continue expanding the beautiful photographic story of their family life. I cherish their loyalty and investment more than anything, because without them Heartstory wouldn’t be where it is today.

I’d like to showcase one such family’s story. I first met this family in 2012, and we’ve done each of their portrait sessions in their home, so there is a beautiful consistency to their images, despite each session capturing very different dynamics. Since I met them, their oldest has started big school, and their youngest is no longer the youngest! Now they are a family of 6, and it’s just such a special and heartwarming thing to see a selection of all their portrait sessions together in once place, so I really hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

“Katie and Jeremy have captured some beautiful moments of our family of 6. They approach the difficult task of herding 4 young children head-on and with a sense of humour. We choose to get our portraits done by Heartstory each year. It is surprising how fast a year can pass you by. Before you know it, it is time to get photos done again. Katie and Jeremy know our family, know our style, and know what works. The results are outstanding and will be hanging on our walls for years to come.” ~ Anna & David

We would love to be your family photographers of choice, and to have the opportunity to continue capturing your family as your children grow up. We would love you to become addicted to the feeling of celebrating what matters most; a feeling that being photographed can help create. We want your family history proudly hanging on your walls, constantly reminding you of beautiful moments from your past. And we want you to share your experience with your friends because you just can’t keep your mouths shut about how good it made you feel. We hope that this collection of images shows you how significant family photography can be.

MAY 2012

Canberra Family Portrait Photography

MARCH 2013

Canberra family portraits by Heartstory Photography
award winning Canberra family photography by Heartstory

NOVEMBER 2013

Maternity portrait photography by Heartstory, Canberra

JANUARY 2014

Family portrait photography by Heartstory, Canberra

Canberra family photography

DECEMBER 2014

Heartstory family photography, Canberra, Australia

Canberra family portrait photography

Highlights of 2014 // Canberra and Sydney portrait & wedding photography

2014 was a massive year for us. We merged two businesses, moved into a house where we could open a studio space for newborn & baby photography, photographed 21 weddings and close to 150 family portrait sessions, and somehow managed to fit in time for some travel. Putting together a selection of our favourite images was a massive effort, but very satisfying, and definitely worth sharing. So grab yourself a cuppa (or a thermos), forgive our over-indulgence, and enjoy our highlights of 2014.

Canberra professional baby portrait photography
Canberra newborn portrait photography Award winning family photographer, Canberra and Sydney Award winning Australian family portrait photographer Award winning Australian couples and beloved photographer Canberra and Sydney couple and beloved portrait photography NYC couple and beloved portrait photography Canberra and Sydney maternity portrait photography Award winning Canberra and Sydney wedding photographer Heartstory Portrait Photography Canberra 2014

A Studio Portrait Photography Session Guide for Parents with Babies

Well I think I’ve found a new favourite age for babies to be photographed. We’ve had a lot of this age in the studio in the last few weeks and it’s just too much fun! The drool! The chub! The wide eyes! The snuggles! The smiles!

So if you’re thinking of having some baby portraits done with us, here’s the lowdown:

When to have your baby photographed: a parents’ guide

NEWBORN
Age: 5-10 days is ideal, but any time up to 6 weeks is suitable.
What to expect: About an hour in the studio (longer for at-home sessions and longer if there are older siblings). A pretty extensive collection including details of toes and fingers, and (hopefully) both sleeping and awake photos.
Pros: You get a very special never-to-be-repeated time in your family’s life captured, a time that will feel like a dream when you think about it in the future.
Cons: Mums generally don’t feel great about being photographed during this period, but you can rest assured we do our absolute best to make sure you look your absolute best.

YOUNG BABY (my new favourite age!!!)
Age: 3-4 months.
What to expect: About 45 minutes in the studio. Lots of cuddly, interactive photos, as well as lots of opportunities for photos of your baby on their own, because it’s very easy to get a direct gaze and gorgeous smile out of a baby this age. The session featured in this post is a great example.
Pros: They’re still really small, but have so much more personality than a newborn, and there is a lot you can do with them in a photo session.
Cons: Some babies this age don’t tolerate being awake for a long time, but we work fast and carefully.

SITTING BABY
Age: 6-9 months.
What to expect: About 45 minutes in the studio. The ultimate explosion of cuteness in a photo collection, with more variety possible than any other age. More than one outfit is a fabulous idea.
Pros: Everything.
Cons: Some babies this age have a little bit of separation anxiety and can take a little while to warm up to strangers. There can be a lot of drool, so if you’re not a fan of that in photos, you will need to ‘manage’ it during the session!

Professional baby portrait photography, Canberra

About being yourself // Canberra and Sydney portrait photographer

If I had to pick one thing I’ve learnt in my time photographing children, it’s that kids don’t know how to be anyone but who they are. Mostly, they’re not afraid of being photographed. Mostly, what you see is what you get, and it pours out of them. Sometimes, what pours out is not always their ‘best’; they are kids after all, but guaranteed it’s always unashamedly real. As a teller of stories, nothing makes me happier than seeing kids truly shine in front of my camera, because generally, parents want their children captured at their best. But in order for that to be possible, children need to be happy, relaxed, comfortable, to know they have permission to play, and a little bit of control over what’s happening.

So here is a helpful rundown for parents, when preparing your family for a portrait shoot with us…

School aged kids are very good at ‘fake smiles’, because somewhere along the line, they learn that when adults pull out a camera, they need to do what they’re told, and mostly that means: smile, stand up straight, take your hand out of your mouth, wipe your nose, stop making that silly face. We don’t entirely agree with this! We want the experience of being photographed to be fun. We want children and adults alike to feel like photography is a celebration, and that who you are is worth it! Of course it’s helpful to us when children are well behaved, but we have our own ways of ‘directing’ them so that they still feel a sense of independence and enjoy the process. During a portrait shoot, we may capture a whole range of different emotions, including silly faces, cranky faces, and overly enthusiastic behaviour, but we find that by encouraging kids to be themselves we can connect with them in a special way, and that allows us to capture them at their most gorgeous, lovely, unique best. Parents, make sure your kids are dressed in a way you like, wearing their hair the way you would like to remember them at this age, but don’t worry about their behaviour. Just focus on having a good time. Allow yourselves to get lost in the moment, just like they do, and the connection you have as a family will be radiant, and preserved forever in the images we create for you.

These images are from a session from last year in one of my favourite locations, and a perfect example of what I’m talking about. Enjoy!

Canberra child and family photographer

Six today // Canberra portrait photographer

Dear Toby,

Today you turn six. I told you a while ago to stop growing up, and you said, ‘Mummy, birthdays happen. You just have to deal with it.’

A few things about you, aged six, that you might not remember when you’re a grown up, so I’m writing them down for posterity…

You have three girlfriends.
You are the worst joke teller ever.
You’re amazingly good at maths and numbers and your second term Kindergarten report blew me away (yes, I cried, and you thought I was weird).
You love sushi (and that includes roe), but you still refuse to eat pizza, even though it has three of your favourite things on it: cheese, tomato sauce and bread.
You sleep a solid 12 hours every night, and it’s extremely hard to get you out of bed in the morning.
You expect an immediate response to everything you say or you get very cross, but you’re incredibly good at ignoring me when I’m talking to you.
You love colouring in, drawing abstract patterns, watching movies and TV (anything superhero related), playing WII, building lego and playing with your figurines, but most of all, you love socialising.
You never stop talking.
You’re the most diplomatic six year old I’ve ever met. And also the most argumentative.
You’re always smiling or laughing. And if you’re not, you’re sulking or shouting.

I love your messy hair and your big personality. I love your singing and your crazy, creative dance moves. I love the way you incorporate every single new word you come across into conversation as soon as possible. I love how you love people and make friends so easily. I love how much you feel and how easily you express yourself.

You’re a funny, nutty, adorable little kid and I’m so, so proud to be your mummy.

Happy Birthday my gorgeous, sweet, precious little dude. I love you forever times infinity, with all three stars in a row, tonight and tomorrow and with all my guts.

Canberra children's portrait photography

Mentoring in Melbourne // Canberra child photographer

I know two mummies who have been waiting very patiently to see these images. Or possibly, they’ve forgotten it even happened because it was SOOOOOO long ago!!! Thank you for your patience Sarah and Malinda; things have been a little bit crazy at Heartstory Headquarters!

These images were taken in Melbourne, back in February, during an amazing day spent mentoring 4 photographers. Teaching is something I love dearly. I’ve done it in a few different ways now (I’ve taught Adobe Creative Suite to adults, and also taught graphic design at university), and have recently discovered that ‘small group’ and one-on-one is definitely my favourite. I don’t claim to be an expert – I’ve only been in business for two and a half years myself – but I believe I have a lot to offer new photographers, and those who are struggling to define themselves and their photography businesses. What I aim to do in my mentor sessions is to empower you with information, approaches and ideas that will help you move forward from where you are now, and to inspire you to be in charge of your business and your place in the industry. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you will know I’m pretty open hearted and I like to share. If you’d like to be mentored by me, shoot me an email katie@heartstoryphotography.com.au. Small groups or one-on-ones, in Canberra or your capital city.

So these gorgeous kids were our models! The first is Rupert (18 months), the youngest son of the amazing photographer, Sarah Black. The second two are Beatrix (2) and Henry (7 months). We spent about 15 minutes with each family, shooting in the beautiful morning light in Prahran, and then headed back to our roost for the day and talked and talked and talked and talked!!!

Heartstory portrait photography Canberra