Vacation Photography in the Macedon Ranges: A Family Getaway

As I turned into the driveway, I was greeted with the most beautiful sight – deciduous trees on both sides, now turned golden for the season. It was a session on twelve acres located at an AirBNB properly in Newham, Hanging Rock sitting in the distance behind it. This is exactly the kind of setting that makes vacation photography in the Macedon Ranges so special. The family were up from the Mornington Peninsula for the weekend with no other reason than to enjoy some family time together and have it captured while they stayed present.

Mum and Dad were there with their two little ones, a big sister of four and little brother, plus the grandparents from both sides. After a quick hello, we headed straight outside into the morning sunshine after a few miserable days of wet weather.

The kids wandered into the olive grove picking olives, waved at every car that passed at the top of the driveway (there weren’t many, but none went unacknowledged), kicked a soccer ball, blew bubbles the wind kept stealing, and dragged each adult out onto the jetty over a small lake to look for any little critters they could find. I tried scouting a few extra spots further across the property and found boggy ground instead — grass on top, water underneath, boots sinking underneath me (thank goodness they were waterproof). There were endless cuddles, lots of play and tickles with a few group shots for good measure.

When the cold really set in (as it tends to do in the Macedon Ranges), we headed back inside for a cuppa and homemade cake while the kids worked away in their colouring books at the table. There’s a comfort that settles in almost instantly once kids are somewhere cosy, even somewhere that isn’t technically home.

The moment that’s stuck with me most was the big sister’s love for her younger brother. Clearly mirroring her wonderful mother as she watched over him throughout the session – steering him around, calling him over, narrating what he was up to like she’d personally been put in charge. He mostly ignored his big sister and did his own thing. Three generations, pottering around together and it was just beautiful.

Vacation sessions like this can be a great alternative to sessions in your own home, particularly when you’ve already planned time away – a home away from home, if you like, with your people and all the goodness that comes from a family holiday. Whether it’s just the four of you or the whole extended family along for the ride, these are photos that capture what the trip actually felt like.

If you’re coming up to the Macedon Ranges for a getaway, from Melbourne or further afield, I’d love to be part of it. Get in touch if you’d like to chat about booking your own vacation photography in the Macedon Ranges.