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Hello there! I’m Heather. An on-location photographer based on Oahu that specializes in newborn and family photography. I have two little ones myself along with a wonderful Dutch husband (please inquire if you would like to bribe me with stroopwafels and hagelslag). They will show up here on the blog regularly as part of my Keiki Mondays feature where I detail attempts to keep my kids entertained on the island – hikes, beaches, museums, playgrounds, art projects and more. Check out the Keiki Monday archives or follow me on Facebook to get some fresh ideas for your family.
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If you love photography, kids, or ideas for keeping your kids entertained, please, grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and stay awhile!
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My Story.
I was 6 the first time I held a camera. It had been abandoned at the playground in the rain and I rescued it. It only lasted a couple weeks before succumbing to corrosion, but that’s all it took to hook me for life. Still, photography was never my intended career. My education centered around wildlife conservation and the restoration of natural areas; something i’m still very passionate about. That work has taken me on some incredible adventures around the world – Patagonia, New Zealand, the remote Northwest Hawaiian Islands – and along the way I had a strong need to capture it all on film.
A friend once complained that there were never any people in my photographs only animals, plants and scenery. And I realized she was right. Although I loved to take photos I was a fairly shy person and didn’t feel entirely comfortable taking photos of people. There is something so personal about taking someones photograph. But, at the end of my graduate student career, there seemed to be a rash of broke students getting married and I found myself recruited as a wedding photographer. I was surprised to discover that I loved it. I loved telling the story of this incredibly special day and the way people responded to having an image that touched them, that they would they cherish for life. Powerful stuff and, well, it was addictive.
And then my son was born. He was to be our only child, so I made sure to cherish every moment. I started taking photos daily and I was captivated by the power of using photography to tell his story. I learned that I could capture more than what he looked like, but who he was. All the facial expressions, habits, and little nuances that were ever changing and evolving as he grew. When Micah finally started sleeping through the night (at 1.5!), we quickly forgot about sleep deprivation and decided we needed to do it all over again. Knowing first hand how quickly Micah grew and changed, I became even more enamored with photography as a way to document their lives.
I cherish those photographs. They are my most prized possession. Canvases decorate our home, albums line the shelves, we’re surrounded by wonderful memories and it makes me happy. I started Little Bird Photography simply because I wanted bring that happiness to other people too. That’s my story.