Months ago I organised a family photo session with my cosmetic injector’s sister-in-law (that’s how things work, isn’t it ha ha!) Dannii Phelps Photography. Throw in a surprise house move and gallbladder removal surgery and it was postponed a few times. Completely meant to be though, because while I adore Dannii’s field sessions, while scrolling Instagram while laying in hospital a sunrise beach shoot she did popped up. It must’ve been the painkillers I was on, because I am NOT a morning person, but I messaged Dannii and volunteered as tribute for a family sunrise session down the coast.
I realised about a week out from our shoot that I would need to get up at 2am so I could do my hair and makeup, get everything ready and packed and everyone into the car in time to drive down the coast (about an hour or more) in time for sunrise. Umm….
TOTALLY. WORTH. IT.
Full disclosure, we ended up staying down the coast closer to where the shoot was but I still got up at 3am! Better than 2am though!
It was the first time meeting Dannii in person, but she is such a warm and lovely person that it felt like catching up with an old friend! She even joined us for breakfast afterwards. The boys really opened up to Dannii, you can tell she’s a mother with young children herself, it didn’t take long for her to have them acting comfortable and natural in front of the camera.
Our first outfits (yes we had a diva outfit change mid shoot) are below:
- Peter: Connor Clothing Knit (in-store only) and Darwin Chino Shorts in Rust
- Rachael: Bohemian Traders Carrie Dress
- Boys: Cotton On Kids Los Cabos Shirt & Shorts Set and Wide Brim Hat
We also used the stunning Golden Hour Extra Large Rug from Wilder the Label in the photos too.
And then we had an outfit change and changed backgrounds to the beautiful sunrise ocean, and yes before you ask, of course we all ended up wet!
There is the perfect mix of candid and gently staged photos, perfectly capturing our little family and the boys’ personalities!
Outfit Details:
- Peter: Connor Clothing Albany Linen Blend Shirt in White and Darwin Chino Stretch Shorts in Camel
- Rachael: Bohemian Traders Smocked Shoulder Mini Dress in Navy
- Cotton On Kids Los Cabos Shirt & Shorts Set
You could not hide the glee in the boys’ faces when Dannii suggested a water fight in the ocean… we all ended up drenched and laughing and Bebe even went for a bit of a swim!
I honestly can’t recommend Dannii highly enough, you can check out her other work on her Instagram page HERE, and I cannot wait to print and frame some of these beautiful images for our home!
Rachael x
CHAMPAGNE S'IL VOUS PLAIT 