Ashlee Schroen Photography

Each January I undtake a personal project. I aim to take a photo a day of my boys and share them with you all and a little about us.

I really enjoy picking up the camera for this raw project, each year I look back at all of the pervious years images and see how we have all grown and changed. I love having everyday images of my boys I wouldn’t usually take and then being able to share this snap shot of our world with you.

Please follow along, read, comment and join in the journey. I love to read your comments.

Jan 1 | 4:31pm

Today was a quiet day, a day of rest. We played games, we did puzzles, we watched a movie and my little artist painted. He seems so grown up all of a sudden, he helps to prepare his meals, he gets himself dressed and he set himself up with his new paints and off he went.

Time is an interesting thing, something I am not very good at Keeping. My Husband would say my worst quality is that I’m always late. Time allows us to keep track of milestones good and bad.

Today July 15th is marks 5 months since the day that truly changed my sons life forever. It marks a time my inner mother strength shone and simultaneously broke with my heart, I felt gratitude for life. For the people around me. I also felt pain, a pain I had never before experienced one that hurt from the inside out.

Today I don’t have that pain, I remember it as I have a daily reminder on my sons face and the feeling in somewhat embedded in my brain.

I saw a dog yesterday different breed, on a lead being walked by it’s owner, seemly harmless but I immediately flashed back to that day, my inner subconscious screamed caution even though I was inside my car headed in the opposite direction, time is an interesting thing.

It may be that my little man has been unsettled at night, he seems to be extra cuddly and likes his comforts, it doesn’t happen every time I see a dog.

I am sure there will be a day I will feel different, a day in another time.

Days like these are the ones that we remember the moments we cherish and a simple reminder to love and appreciate what we have.

Rainy Melbourne weather, but the sunshine was bursting out of my boys.

I dragged them into the studio as we had no other plans and I am a true believer in practicing what you preach. I am a lover of photography, photos and capturing moments that may fade or dim in years to come in our minds, they will be kept vibrantly full of life and feeling in these images for far longer that I will be here for cherished by me, my family, friends and my beautiful boys.

Timing is everything! It’s amazing how the world works in mysterious ways.
Just a few weeks ago I got to spend 2 whole weeks in paradise with my beautiful family, I am ever so grateful to have spent this time with them and it could not have come at a better time in our lives. Our holiday was booked early about 10months in advance, we were heading away to celebrate my wonderful husbands 30th birthday.
When we booked we had no idea of the year we had ahead of us, we just knew it would be wonderful to spend some time away together as a family.
As the year progressed I got stuck into my studies and him into his, we spent time together loving our boys everyday and life was good. Our big boy E got tense and anxious, something he had always been to some degree but it got to a stage that we could no longer achieve daily tasks with ease so we began to see a physiologist to help us as a family get through the day a little easier. E was diagnosed with Anxiety, something I kind of worked out he has always had we had just seen it as a personally trait and tried our best to parent accordingly. It was nice to know there was a reason for the struggle and therefore a ways to help us all everyday, I was going a little crazy before hand more so than your average overtired parent. From here we moved forward stronger than ever as a family unit and as individuals we were no longer questioning our parenting skills daily and racking our brains about what was wrong.
We finished the year on a high and being 2016 with a count down to our long awaited family holiday.
Come February my little P was attacked by a dog, which was splashed all over the news and social media (just what we needed) we had friends, family etc texting us before I had even had a chance to speak with my Mum (who lives in Darwin).
This was heart breaking in so many ways, I was scared for my baby, and for my other son who was there,  I was worried about how it may affect a 15 year friendship I had and if would ever be able to go near a dog again.
As kids do, he bounced back, it was and still is a long road to recovery. It will take us all years to fully recover if we ever do at all. I know I will never be the same again and neither will my son.
This was i thought one of the hardest things the year would bring but I was oh so wrong. In April we had an Aunt pass away, it was an accident something we as a family had not experience with a death before, not being able to say goodbye really sucks! I had in the past always been lucky enough to know the time was coming.
So fast forward to May and the count down begins, we were all run down, emotionally stretched and hanging on the hope that some time together would help to heal are wounds.
I had said to a few people before going that I was worried it wouldn’t meet my expectations, I have been before around 4 years ago and loved it but this time there was so much expectation and emotional baggage that I wanted to leave at the airport on our way over and never pick up again.

Bali you were food for the soul, time spent relaxing by the pool, running along the beach, visiting temples and eating delicious food was everything the Doctor ordered and more.
I think I will always hold a special place in my heart for this particular trip, it allowed me to truly relax for the 1st time in months and to be at peace with the past.
I have always been a believer that everything happens for a reason, I may not know what the reason for any of it is but right now, I don’t mind.

2016, has brought a lot to the table so far, it has been a whirlwind of a year and I can’t believe we are half way through!

Where does the time go.

I am so glad that it has brought the opportunity for me to work more, to take on more projects and expand my business.
I have always photographed families mainly clients who’s babies I photographed or family and friends. But now with my boys a little older I have more time to spend with beautiful families outdoors and in your home.

I am really excited for spring to bloom and to have the opportunity to take on my family sessions.

This session is from a  couple of months ago, this lovely family wanted some photos with their little boy for his 1st Birthday and we spent a lovely morning at Payne’s Rise.

Having a photography session should not be a chore, it should be a day you look back upon as time you spent together, a day you went out and played, laughed and enjoyed each others company. Capturing it is the icing on the cake, the photos are a reminder of a age and stage you are at as well as the love you have for each other and the time you took to be together.