About Kareena

Hi there! My name is Kareena, I grew up in a very a small town on the mid north coast of N.S.W called South West Rocks. Paradise town you must visit if you are ever in N.S.W.

I moved to South Australia in 2006 to be with my now husband, whom I met at the age of 17 in an online chat room, when chat rooms were new, cool and not creepy!.

I’ve had a passion for photography for as long as I can remember, I only ever had a point and shoot camera and I was like a pig in mud when I pulled it out. All of my friends would be saying, ‘oh here’s Kareena with her camera again’ always snapping away and always looking to find beautiful things in unusual places.

I started my newborn photography journey when my son Callum was born in 2010. My husband let me go out and buy a DSLR camera. Then the very next day I was induced to have my baby so I never even had the chance to go exploring, but hey what a better time to be getting photos then of your own child!. In the hospital I was snapping away all the time. While he was in the crib, while my husband was holding him and even when every single friend or family member came in to hold him.

From there I started looking on the internet while bubs was sleeping always wanting to find new ways to take photos of this precious being we created. Then my friends started or continued having children and I would persuade them to let me photograph their babies.

In 2012 our second child came along Ella. I had to take a little time off photography as I suffered from Post Natal Depression. (Gosh that is hard for me to say but I need you to understand the journey I have been on) Having the opportunity to have a live in model everyday was meant to be perfect but I couldn’t see past my own sorrow. So I talked to some amazing friends (my mothers group friends) who helped me understand that I really needed to see a GP. I went on some medication for a short while and I came back. I could then reflect on the situation and see it for what it was.

It wasn’t until I met a few photographers and followed their work and eventually became friends with them that I had opportunities that opened doors to many experiences. A workshop with Lorna Kirkby Photography came up that I could not miss! So I sat my husband down and we talked about the cost of doing the workshop and realised that you can’t put a price on knowledge. I completed a workshop with Lorna, had soooo many ah huh moments and from there my newborn photography has expanded 10 fold. About a year later I did a 1:1 mentoring session with her too in the studio to perfect some of the things I was struggling with.

If you are ever considering getting into newborn photography I would highly recommend you do a workshop with Lorna. Her skills are amazing and her workshops are worth their weight in gold!

Since completing a couple of workshops with Lorna and learning her amazing skills of posing, safety and learning natural light, I moved studio spaces and I took a new direction in my learning which required me to change to studio lighting. A friend and I packed our bags, flew to Melbourne then drove about 3 hours all the way to Sale, Vic to do a 1:1 mentoring session with Leanne from Leanne Curtis Newborn Photography. I had admired her use of lighting for a while and was so excited she allowed me into her home to learn her craft with light. I hosted Leanne in my home studio with 6 other local photographers in September 2016 and watched her use my space with the lighting which was beneficial as well. I love the consistency of studio lighting and it allows me to move my light around the room without disturbing baby who is blissfully sleeping.

Working with newborns is very challenging but the results you get from it, you just can’t put a price on it. (Well you have by buying my services) it’s so rewarding and the more I learn the more passionate I am about getting those shots and performing that pose. The photos that last a lifetime.

Things I love:

If you could make up a word mine would be Modern Vintage. I love modern looks with just a hint of timeless vintage pieces, I’ve learnt over the years that my husband loves modern and I love vintage, so while he is picky on things around the house I always try and add my own little flair in there somewhere hehe.

I love anything that is Chocolate and Mint, mix the two together and I am your best friend. I do enjoy a relaxing drink, either Bailey’s or Bourbon and diet coke. I have an addiction to Facebook that I need to curb. My kids are adorable and if I didn’t take photos of them every now and then I would forget that they just don’t stop growing and changing daily! I’m forever looking back at photos, and remembering how I felt that day, or a smell that is triggered in my memory. The good the bad and the ugly of photos and life lessons that really take you back to memories that you thought were gone forever. That’s why I love doing what I do, I love reliving memories through photos.

So now that you’ve read about me, come see me for a session and tell me a little about yourself. I love to listen and enjoy a good story.

info@photosbykareena.com.au | 0403 679 892 | Studio located in Woodcroft, South Australia