Why Storytelling Photography Matters
It wasn’t long ago (though I try not to do the maths) that the only way to capture your baby’s early days was with a point-and-shoot camera you dug out of the top kitchen drawer. The photos came out grainy, the flash was far too bright, and if you remembered to print them, they ended up in a shoebox under the bed—or worse, in an envelope from the chemist labelled “November?” with a question mark.
And yet, I treasure them. Not for their sharpness or quality—because let’s be honest, they’re mostly out of focus—but because they remind me of a time I was too tired to notice was passing.
That’s the thing, isn’t it? When you're in it—knee-deep in nappies, washing bottles, trying to remember your last proper shower—you don’t think to mark the moment. You assume there’ll be more time. And there is. Just not that time.
It’s only later, when they start school, or borrow your shoes, or roll their eyes at your jokes (which, for the record, are still excellent), that you realise those baby years quietly disappeared behind you. No announcement. No fanfare. Just… gone.
Tell the whole story in every session with Grain & Weave.
You Don’t Always See It Until You Miss It
People talk a lot about being present. It’s the kind of thing that sounds great on a podcast or a motivational mug. But presence isn’t always a sunrise yoga class or tech-free weekend. Sometimes, it’s just noticing. A flicker of recognition that this moment—this messy, ordinary, heart-full moment—is one you’ll want to remember.
And that’s where storytelling photography does something kind of magical.
It doesn’t freeze time, but it does give you something to return to. Something that reminds you what it felt like—not just what it looked like. The way your baby curled their legs under like a frog. The way your eldest tried (and failed) to hold still for one photo. The way your house felt like the centre of the world, even if it was covered in washing.
The family dog is their friend and protector. ©Grain&Weave.
It’s Not About Posing
There’s a misconception that photography needs to be posed. Stiff smiles, matching outfits, perfectly placed hands. But real storytelling doesn’t need choreography. It needs comfort. Familiar surroundings. A good cup of tea nearby, if we’re honest.
The best images come when you're relaxed. When you're not trying too hard. When someone gently guides you into a space and lets the moment happen. You’re not posing—you’re living. The camera just happens to be there.
That’s what I’ve come to appreciate most. The photos that matter are the ones where I recognise myself—not just the version I’d post online, but the one I know deep down. The tired but joyful, slightly unbrushed, wholly human one.
Story-telling family photography in the family home, Sydney. ©Grain&Weave
Every Chapter Matters
We often think of newborn photography as a one-off—something you tick off the list like a birth certificate or their first teddy. But storytelling photography isn’t bound to a stage.
It’s there when your baby becomes a toddler, when your toddler becomes a big sibling, when your house fills up with laughter and noise and Lego underfoot. Every chapter has its own rhythm, its own light, its own magic. Why wouldn’t you want to remember them all?
The cheeky expressions might not make the wall, but they are important to the story! ©Grain&Weave.
Why I Work With Grain & Weave
I didn’t have this kind of photography when my kids were small. But I would’ve loved it. Something thoughtful. Something beautiful. Something that honoured the chaos without trying to edit it out.
That’s what drew me to Grain & Weave. They’re not just about taking photos. They’re about helping families slow down for a minute—to really see each other—and walk away with more than just a digital file.
They don’t make you pack the nappy bag or wrangle kids into the car. They come to you. With all the gear, all the expertise, and none of the pressure. And they capture the kind of images you’ll still be looking at in twenty years—when your baby’s borrowing your car, or calling home from uni, or introducing their baby to the world.
Honestly, it’s a bit of magic. The kind that sneaks up on you, just like those fleeting years did.
And that, really, is why storytelling photography matters.
Thanks for reading,
Jo
Writer & Storyteller
Grain & Weave
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