As it turns out, we aren't the only ones to think any excuse to sneak in a Travelshoot is a good one...
When Zoe Aitken had to drive an hour to pick her mum up from the airport in Newcastle, she thought she may as well make it worthwhile with a family Travelshoot! We caught up with Zoe to find out more about her family, and the importance of capturing family photos professionally.
Tell us a bit about your family!
We are a small family of three who live in Melbourne. Our son is three and a half and we've been married for two years. We had the baby and then got married! My mum Sue also joined us on the Travelshoot and holiday. My father passed away two years ago, so my mum is the only parent that we have who lives nearby in Melbourne (as my husbands family is in NZ). We invited her to join us for our holiday to spend some quality time together away from our busy, day-to-day lives.
What took you to Newcastle and what did you get up to?
We were holidaying in Hawks nest (about an hour away from Newcastle). It was our first time to Hawks Nest as we wanted to try a new holiday destination. We were tired of going to the same old places for our family holidays, so my husband and I decided to try something new and experience a bit more of our beautiful country. A friend recommended Hawks Nest to us, so we took the plunge and booked it in. We had to pick up my mum from the airport in Newcastle, so we used it as an opportunity to book a family Travelshoot there. I wanted Mum to be involved in the shoot as we don't have any nice family photo together, and given she is such an important part of our lives, I thought it would be a nice memento.
Talk us through your Travelshoot - what was your favourite part?
The Travelshoot was really relaxed. Our photographer was great and happy to work in with us and our preferences. We didn't want anything too staged or contrived, so we were really just hanging out as a family while Shannon clicked away. We were a bit worried how our son would go as it was quite hot on the day of the shoot, and we weren't sure how obliging he would be getting his photo taken. However, given the shoot was so unforced and natural, he ended up really enjoying himself.
What are your thoughts on the importance of having professional family photos?
When our son was 12 months old, we invested in some professional photos and I love them so much. I'd never had professional photos taken before, so I didn't know what to expect - but those photos are just so valuable. The details and quality of the shots is something that I could never replicate myself. I know that as he gets older I will cherish them even more. Given our son is now three, I decided that it was time to get some more photos done. Obviously, I can catch life's day-to-day moments on my phone, but the quality just doesn't compare. Not to mention, it's nice to be in the photos once in a while too!
Where to next?
Our next family holiday will be to New Zealand at Easter to visit my husbands family and meet our new little nephew, Finn.