renee oakenfull photography

Introducing...

Charlie Kane Oakenfull

Is it strange that he has a middle name? Sure...

But what do you do when the whole family votes on one name except Daddy and Pacey?

We took a trip on Wednesday afternoon to pick him up. Stopped in to see my Uncle while we were there. I wasn't sure who was more excited... him or the kids.

He's been soooo good so far. He's still very quiet, which I know will change soon.

All of these are larger then usual so click to see them bigger. Hey! He's so cute, how can you resist?

I also want to be very clear that we did NOT get Charlie to replace Jack. We all still miss Jack very much and we'll never forget him. We have been talking about getting a bigger dog for about 6 months now. We almost didn't, because we didn't want the children to think that pets are replacable... but the timing was such that we couldn't pass it up.

sisters - a sneak peek

What's better then spending time with a gorgeous family, capturing some memories and then swinging past McDs when it's all finished to grab 2 sundaes for some great models???

I still have a few photos left to proof but I couldn't resist posting the next 3...

Seriously, could they be any cuter?

Such a cutie

This little cutie and I spent some time together for a mini session a little while ago.

He likes jellybeans... I like jellybeans... it's aaall good :)

Here's a few of my faves...

and this is his reaction to my attempt at playing peek-a-boo from behind the camera... classic.

some more

from this session. I realised that I hadn't posted more from this session yet so I thought I'd do a quick catch up.

A time for secrets...

A time for love...

cousins/buddies

This is Domanick... and Pacey of course but I'm sure you recognise him.

Years ago, Domanick and Piper were total 'partners in crime'. They are 3 months apart in age. They would do insanely naughty things when they were together that neither of them did when they were apart. They were the best of friends. They've grown apart though, which is sad. She's a little too girly for him and he's a little to independant for her (meaning she can't boss him around the way she used to).

The bonus though... is that Pacey and Domanick are growing closer. They're almost 2 years apart in age and Pacey totally looks up to him. He has a big brother of course... and he and Bailey get along really well... it's just that, well... Pacey is such a typical boy. And Domanick is soooooo much the typical boy.

This photo is crazy with the stamping ink all over Pacey's face and it has a snapshot feel... but that. is. ok. I forget to take snapshots a lot now. I'm so glad I captured this...

My sister

I primarily shoot children but lately I've had the opportunity of shooting adults. And not just any old adults... but adults in love.

I love my sister. She is a fantastic person. If you are ever in need, she would give you the clothes off her back and the food out of her mouth (ew).

He's not too bad either. My children adore him. Actually, he's Piper's most favourite person in the whole wide world, except for her daddy of course. I do think that the fact that he's over 6ft tall which makes him like a human show/fair ride doesn't hurt.

The biggest thing I admire about these two... is their deep friendship. They were friends before they were in love and it trully is the core of their relationship.

So little sister... I hope you like these.
I love you.
xox

too 80s or too cool?

Slogan t-shirts.

Are they too 80s or too cool? Either way, I just don't care... I love them. We have a ton in the house now. I need to get photos of them all... I only have a few of them immortalised but I am setting out on a mission.

Here is Pacey's...

puh-leeeeease disregard the crappy wallpaper (can't wait until we move)

Starbucks

Thanks to everyone for the support. Ugh... I have NOT had a good couple of days, and I'm kind of wavering right now. I hope that I wake up determined again. Cross your fingers for me...

On to nicer things :)

While getting lost following Danny's lead in Sydney, we came across a Starbucks. For those that know me... well, you can imagine. For those that don't... hmm... well, my friends think I'm more American then I am Australian and even though I really don't like good coffee (I like the instant kind) there was no way I'd be walking past Starbucks without getting anything.

We both got a White Chocolate Mocha. Omgosh! It was absoloute deliscious! Yummm....

On the way back, I wanted to get a frappuccino. My feet were killing me and they were sooo busy so I grabbed the first one on the menu - Toffee Nut. Well... can't say that I liked it but I did get a photo :)

Processing is one of the new actions I have coming out... it's a soft cross process. I've included a before & after for those that are interested... just click to see it bigger. I also cloned out the line in the background and sharpened both images.

Did I say Monday?

I was talking to my girl Laureen the other night... about how I'm turning 30 next year and one of the things I want to do before then. I don't know how it happened but I ended up setting a date for the big change and waaay sooner then I was thinking. Tomorrow... the big day... no. more. smoking. That's right - big confession... my shame.

So, spare a thought for me tomorrow - completely cold turkey. Think about my poor husband and children while I go through the crazy stuff that's to come.

No photos today... will post some tomorrow though. I think I'm going to take Pacey for a walk and do a mini session to keep my mind off things. There is a new blog header though... what do you think?

a taste of what's to come...

I've tried to keep any talk of actions and other resources on the vibe blog... but I'm so excited about this next set of actions that I can't keep it to one place. If you've been checking the vibe blog (which you do, right?) then you would have caught sight of one of the new actions already - called 'blue sky mine'.

I couldn't resist giving another taste... I wanted to keep it all a surprise until they were ready to launch but I suck at that... so here you go :)

Original image:

my crazy boy and some wide angle fun...

and the action, with minimal tweaking:

and again - original:

and with the action - very minimal tweaking:

Apart from the action, the only thing I did was resize and sharpen for web.

What do you think?