Welcome Emilia, to the world!
The arrival of a newborn baby brings people together in a very special way. Matthias’ parents came from Vienna and Clare’s flew all the way from Melbourne. They had just three days together. Clare and Matthias decided that capturing the moment was important to have for the future. In our planning meeting it was clear that formal photographs were not the order of the day. They wanted to get together for brunch and capture the spirit of the moment – all the connections, conversations, laughs and special moments with Emilia.
Naturally I recognised the importance of the occasion and felt honoured to be chosen for the task. The collection is simply beautiful and very touching. Every aspect, every detail, every nuance, all captured. This special day will never happen again, everyone will go their separate ways, Emilia will begin to grow and change, life will move on. Memories can serve us only so well. Photography is an extraordinary medium because it enables us to relive an experience over and over again in fine detail. So the question is, which moments of today do you want to take with you?
Emilia sleeps in the quiet hallway.
Clare carefully prepares the room for brunch.
A lovely ‘mother hen’ moment shared between mother and son.
This is the kitchen in Matthias and Clare’s Berlin apartment.
Clare’s mum Sue, looking very happy and about to toast the event.
Everyone was busy chatting and toasting with champagne.
Clare and Matthias had been up a lot the night before with Emilia.
They took a quiet moment together.
I can feel the history of Peter and Erna in this image.
I asked Peter, how does it feel to become a grandparent?
He said, ‘overwhelming happiness’.
A beautiful, textural detail – the flowers that are sent to congratulate.
Aww sweet muffin, I love that little hand.
She’s a Berliner baby!
Matthias was visibly moved by this collection.
It’s a very different role in life, to be a father.
So much to learn, even how the pram works!
A glorious day and perfect for a stroll in Volkspark Friedrichshain, Berlin’s oldest ‘people’s park’.
Little Emilia opened her eyes briefly.
Malcolm and Sue requested a more formal photograph with their new granddaughter.
Emilia obliged and gave us a little smile!
You can feel Clare’s tiredness, but also her quiet and total happiness.
A simply stunning and gentle moment captured of this newly formed family.
They may leave Berlin and spend some time in Australia.
The perfect Berlin reference with the bier garten benches in the background!
Lots of personality and poignancy.
A classic Berlin scene – the DDR buildings, the wide footpath, the bikes, the tram and the Fernseturm TV tower at Alexanderplatz.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, it’s about time to wrap up.
The parents chat quietly while Matthias and Clare attend to Emilia.
I love the light and Peter’s hand resting gently on the table.
It’s just a beautiful moment to treasure.
Clare and Matthias flopped down on the couch for some quiet time with Emilia.
Today’s events will form the next artworks for their wall of memories.
Thank you for reading, it means a lot to me that you’ve stopped by. Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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A bundle of sugar indeed!! She is a lovely little girl and very lucky with such a great family around her. Thank you Clare for taking the time to write your thoughts I really loved to read what you had to say!!
Very quietly indeed…yes it was softly softly. A delicate line to walk between being there and not being there. Thank you Anika for taking the time to share your thoughts
Thank you so much Elk for having a look here at Clare’s images, she keeps a beautiful blog herself too. I”m so pleased that you can feel the essence of the day in the images – hard to do but very rewarding when it happens!
i love clare’s blog ..and this stunning simple . yet intense series of photographs touched my heart ..you really captured the essence of the day and the feeling of family .
Really beautiful images…the moments you captured are so perfect to keep for a lifetime-a wonderful story. I love the honest moments you captured what seems very quietly, just lovely.
Wow, these photos are just gorgeous, I am a good friend of Clare’s – the images really capture the love between the families. I love the soft light too, and the pale colours. She is a bundle of sugar (the baby that is), can’t wait to meet her.