Then at the end of 2011 days before my trip to the US mum surprised me and came over with my dad’s Canon A-1 and all the bits and pieces that accompanied it, lenses, flash, battery pack. It took me so long to find the batteries it was needing, I soon gave up on it again!

Finally, the urge to shoot film and a friend across the ocean (thanks Veronika) gave me the kick up the bum I needed to get it going. Found the batteries online, ordered the film and I was ready. It was exciting and daunting at the same time to shoot film, the camera that had last been used by someone so important and special to me, there was no screen on the back to check if what I had done was right and manual focus with little ones that move all the time, isn’t the best of combinations. The excitement of not knowing what you’ve captured and the wait that comes with film, was such a welcome change to the fast paced digital world we live in. I think that when it comes to photography I’m a bit of an old soul and hopefully my images reflect this. I love natural, raw, organic, imperfect and pure images. What you see is what you get. Film to me was initially a way to explore and expand my knowledge and passion, now I believe it has become my way of the future, for our family images and hopefully more.

When you think about people that do certain jobs for a living, a chef, a cleaner, a builder, you know they tend to put their own  off, to do the work of others, yes?! Of course, one because they are paid for that work and two, they don’t always feel like coming home and doing something they’ve done all day. Same goes for photography (for me anyway) I work through so many files and images for others, that being in front of the computer and working more, for my own family, at times is more of a burden than pleasure. I know I’d rather be spending my time WITH them, than importing, selecting, editing, filing away at images….as important as they may be.

Well, I thought film could have been the solution to the folders of RAW files that fill my external hard drives. My editing may be minimum, but shooting in RAW, there is still processing that needs to be done and my own family photos are always put to the end of them line. Being able to hand that processing over to someone else and have the anticipation of waiting to see what has been captured, to me is a dream! I can’t wait to learn and explore film and here are a few scans from the first images on my father’s film camera. Canon A-1 with a 50mm 1.8 lens. Kodak Portra 400 and HP4 film. Thank you to Film Frenzy for the scans.

There’s one person in particular who has no idea of the thoughts that go through my mind and most likely would need to hear them the most. The person that has, in the last year and more, taken the passenger seat in our lives and relationship giving me the chance to drive and in some ways take control; allowing me to dedicate myself to my growing business and giving up on his own needs, making sure our family and home were well looked after and always lending an ear in those many times I needed someone to simply listen. Thank you Igor.

My journey has crossed the paths of many others during this year, each of which I’m so incredibly grateful for and here are just a few of our captured moments together.

2012 thankful from Anya Ponti on Vimeo.

I’m so so so happy I gave my camera to Igor, as in the craziness of it all some of the little things are so easily forgotten, the small details and moments that make up one of the greatest stories of our lives: the arrival of our babies into this world. The little person we’ve spent the last 9 months dreaming of, waiting for, nurturing and loving and then the moment we’ve been longing so long for arrives; their entrance into this world, their first breath, the first cry, the moment their eyes connect with yours and the feeling this little person has always been a part of  your life.

Time flies, they grow and you just want to breathe every second of them in.

After a few months of settling in to a new country (for Igor) and our new family of four, the wheels were slowly put in motion, and thanks to a new (italian) friendship Igor found his first job. The one he still holds today! Much different to what he had studied and to what he was used to from the very busy northern Italy,  Igor found himself a job in a local restaurant, a job that only now we realize was/is perfect for our family and my business needs.

I at the time was at home with my little monkeys and after years of working with Qantas, had no idea what I was going to do with myself; again!

This is the story I tell many of my clients, when they ask how it all began, I don’t have a clear story as my passion for photography began when I began photographing, until then I had only had a passion for photos. My need for a new and better camera only came after attending my sisters’s wedding in Tuscany September 2008. The first time I was saddened to realize that all I had from that very special time, were a few average images, either too bright with flash or too dark and out of focus. An occasion that could never be repeated again and one of love, laughter and what I hold most important, family.

This, made me want to capture better images, never did I dream of doing what I do now. My passion turned into not only something that could capture meaningful images of my own life, but the life of others. Creating a means to support my family, to create a future and to LOVE what I do.

So after 4 years, many bumps along the way, amazing support from friends and family, we now have a place to call HOME.

When asked about our new home, it’s hard to find the right words. After a year of choosing, designing, changing, choosing again, changing again, stressful moments amongst the craziness of following the construction, day to day life and trying to keep 3 very patient little children amused amongst it all (without mentioning the pregnancy); now that we are in our home and have spent the last 2 months making it what we had always envisioned from the first day the bank said yes, it feels like it was meant to be. I don’t feel like I’ve moved into a new home, I feel like we’ve moved into our home, the one that Igor says, fits like a glove. So here it is, a work in process.

One of the most important things to me is missing, from each and every wall. Photos, memories, moments and people in our lives that have taken us to where we are today and I just can’t wait to start filling these new walls with our past, present and future. 

This morning insomnia hit and I was awake from 1 until 4, giving me time to catch up on a few missed events and answer a few email and messages. I finally got back to sleep around 4:30 hoping that (Alex) wake up would be later rather than sooner…

I awoke to the sound of quiet footsteps entering my room not knowing what time it was, they stopped; trying to open my eyes I followed the noise around me and the little person was now making his way around my big bed and over to me. Still turned to the opposite side, I could feel him getting closer and now climbing his way over all the pillows to get to me and reaching over, he gave me the sweetest kiss on the cheek, my heart melted. As if this wasn’t enough he then slowly pulled the covers down, trying to find bump, and as I gently rolled towards him he gave another kiss to baby.

I’ve always known Alex to be a kind hearted little boy, but he’s also just that, a two year old boy with energy to spare and two big sisters to keep up with, so quiet moments like today are rare and ones I want to remember.

Early morning thoughts I just had to put into writing xx

My First Project from Anya Ponti on Vimeo.