Welcome to Shailee Connolly Photography - I’m so glad you’ve chosen to visit my page.
I am a wife, mother, and business woman who has always known one thing for sure - I truly love art and photography. When I figured out that I could use my artistic eye and photography skills to help parents capture the most precious and special memories of their children, it was truly an amazing realisation. It is a privilege to work in an industry that provides such a meaningful gift to parents, and to be able to stop time for them so that the memories of their little ones can be perfectly captured and last a lifetime. I am humbled and honoured every single time I photograph a new addition to a family.
I am a lover of organic, timeless, and stylised images of newborn babies and love bringing out the unique energy and character of each little bundle of joy. My style is somewhat dreamlike but natural at the same time, with lots of texture and beautiful light. I love neutrals but also adore colour when used carefully and monochromatically to enhance images and keep focus on the most important feature of the artwork - the beautiful new baby.
Whilst my specialty is newborn photography, I also love capturing the character of older babies and children at important milestones. These little ones present such joyous energy to work with, showcasing their clever sitting and standing skills and offering lots of bright eyes and cheeky smiles. It’s also adorable when older siblings are in portraits with the newest little addition to the family. I love showing the care, love and affection that exists between all members of a family. I have learned from first hand experience that they really do grow up far too quickly.
In order to capture the entire journey, I also welcome the opportunity to take beautiful maternity portraits of the mother-to-be. These sessions present some of the most stunning artistic opportunities as they can be taken outdoors in picturesque settings including parks, beaches, and trails, or in gorgeous indoor studio sessions that capture the wonder and beauty of a growing belly.
The journey to starting Shailee Connolly Photography was quite an organic process for me, continually driven by my persistent love of art and photography. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, I taught Visual Art to secondary students for many years which enabled me to pass on some of my passion to the younger generation and to explore many different artistic styles and techniques. I have travelled many parts of the world with my now husband and was always awed by the varied and vast populations and landscapes. I felt compelled to take photographs and capture beautiful compositions - on some trips taking more than 10,000 pictures. When my children were born, this love of photography easily transferred into motherhood. I made it my mission to capture all of the special moments in their development and set up a studio in my house to produce the best images possible. Some beautiful portraits started to emerge and it didn’t take long for friends and family to begin asking me to take portraits for them too. I quickly became hooked on newborn photography and found it simply joyous to capture these perfect little people - their pouty lips, their tiny fat rolls, their peaceful sleep. When my family was then offered the opportunity to move to California I knew exactly what I wanted to do - I was going to start my own photography business with my own artistic vision and have a studio full of the best equipment and most beautiful props and backdrops. It’s incredible that dream has been able to become a reality.
I feel so very fortunate that I am now able to make my living in such a joyous profession whilst living in such a wonderful location.
I really look forward to meeting you and your loved ones.
With love and best wishes,
Shailee
