26/01/2026
Christmas and New Year have come and gone, and like many families, ours carried a mix of full days, big feelings, and quiet moments. We said goodbye to our beautiful Glenda — our family friend who was truly family, a second mum to me, and one of the most influential women in my life. Bella is starting intermediate this year, and somehow the year turned while life was still very much happening.
Back to work.
After surgery and a quieter stretch than usual, I’m back into Pop-ins this week — and I’m genuinely really excited to be here again 🤍
Just a heads up that I’ll be moving a little slower than my usual lightning pace over the next couple of weeks while everything settles. The upside is that my “slow” speed is still pretty normal speed, so nothing dramatic.
This week alone I’ll be photographing well over a hundred little humans (solidly in the many babies category), which feels like exactly the right way to come back.
Some of you may have seen my recent email about looking for my photography twin. I’m still quietly exploring what that could look like and working through the details.
Alongside that, I’m also looking for another assistant to help on event days. The hours are very casual and flexible, and overlapping help is absolutely fine — it’s never been a one-size-fits-all role. I’m always happy to catch up for a coffee with anyone interested. It’s often been a great fit for mums with some spare time, or those just wanting to get out of the house for a few hours on set days.
All of my beautiful assistants to date have been kind, friendly mums — women already in my life, or Pop-in mums who stepped into the role for a season while it suited their family lifestyle. It’s been a real privilege to know, meet, and work alongside these women — just as it is to know and talk with all of you. Our own little Pop-ins coffee group, month after month.
This week is a mix of siblings, family, and monthly sessions, and there are still a few limited spots available if you’re keen.
👉 Bookings here:
https://popinphotos.com/book/Stace
I’m also already looking ahead to February–March family sessions, and the beginning of Mother’s Day specials, so keep an eye on your emails for the pre-registration links.
A little quiet prep day in the studio today.
Tomorrow I’m back with my Te Awamutu poppets, and I’m really looking forward to those big, beautiful smiles, familiar faces, and some new poppets too. I can’t wait to see how much you’ve all grown over the summer.
Peter Rabbit has clearly had a good holiday too 🐰 He did very well at his January Pop-in today and has a whole new batch of stickers ready to give out.
Stace.
