August 20, 2026

At home with the Hopwoods

Families

There’s something pretty special about capturing a family at home, right in the middle of their real life.
No perfectly behaved children required. No spotless house. No need for everyone to sit nicely and smile at the camera.
For this Coffs Harbour family photography session, we stayed home and let the afternoon unfold around us with their newest addition , two very excited older siblings, dogs weaving their way through the chaos, a warm fire and plenty of jumping on the couch.
Basically, exactly the kind of family session I love.
Welcoming a new baby, without forgetting the rest of the family
Newborn sessions don’t have to be entirely about the newborn.
Bringing a new baby home is such a huge shift for the whole family, especially when there are older siblings. I love photographing all those different relationships — tiny hands reaching for their new brother or sister, parents soaking in the newborn cuddles, and the bigger kids getting to be completely themselves.
Rather than trying to make children sit still, we give them space to play.
And on this particular afternoon, that meant jumping on the couch.
There was laughter, movement, slightly wild energy and all the little interactions that happen when nobody is worrying too much about the camera.
Those are often the photographs that end up meaning the most.
Family photos that actually feel like your family
One of my favourite things about at-home family photography is that your home gives your photographs a sense of place.
We lit the fire, spent time together in the living room and included the family dogs because, of course, they’re part of the story too.
There is something beautifully ordinary about these moments now — your children piled onto the couch, the dog wandering into frame, the way you hold your newborn against your chest.
But years from now, ordinary is exactly what you’ll want to remember.
The house you brought your baby home to.
How small they looked in your arms.
The way their siblings played together.
The noise.
The cuddles.
Even the chaos.
Relaxed newborn photography in Coffs Harbour
If the thought of getting everyone dressed, packing the car and leaving the house with a newborn feels like a lot, an in-home newborn session can be such a beautiful alternative.
You don’t need a magazine-worthy home or a perfectly styled nursery. I’m much more interested in finding beautiful light and documenting the connection between the people who live there.
My approach to family and newborn photography in Coffs Harbour is relaxed, natural and centred around connection. I’ll give you direction when you need it, but there’s plenty of room for your children to move, play and be themselves.
Because your family photographs don’t need to look perfect.
They just need to feel like you.
And sometimes that looks like a newborn curled up against Mum, two kids launching themselves onto the couch, dogs underfoot and a fire burning in the background.
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Looking for a Coffs Harbour family or newborn photographer?
If you’re welcoming a new baby and would love photographs that capture more than just what they look like, I’d love to document this season for you.
Whether we head to one of the beautiful outdoor locations around Coffs Harbour, or stay tucked up at home with the kids, dogs and everything that makes your family yours, your session can be easy, playful and completely personal.
Because these days are ordinary right up until they’re gone.

Sunset on the Sawtell beach

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