I have a confession...I'm obsessed with nature.
My love standing listening to my plants grow, humming along with the bright colours of my little garden as it sings its song of happiness, freedom and being alive. It makes me feel happy and keeps me grounded. ...but, that's my own little world where I sometimes escape and create.
It's not the only space that I find inspiration though, you'll often find me walking along the beach having long deep conversations with the waves as they try to convince me to see the lighter side of life. My favourite outings are going to visit the spots where I know the flowers are big, beautiful and dance in-front of me showing their passion and how to live free.
I'm addicted to nature.
I've always tried my best to do my part for the planet, but it's not always easy.
Where do you start? Well, I have a little secret.
I have a friend Kate. For years she's been teaching me how to shop my wardrobe when I feel like I have nothing to wear, shop second hand, shop local, up cycle, reduce, use reusable coffee cups, compost, grow some veg, not be wasteful, use your car less, have a good sense of humour and just be a generally good human being.
I love what she has to say, she's always extremely entertaining and has something inciteful to say. She's not alone though. She has some help. Kate has 2 cockatiels, Zugda and Buddy sitting on her shoulders and they’ll feature in her stories daily. She’ll record them having the coolest bird baths or when they’re all singing along to music that she’s playing.
She's been a really good influence on me with her tips on ethical living.
Then……… Kate got the most amazing new addition to the family, Chai. He is a labradoodle and I knew the first time I saw him that we had to shoot this family.
The shoot was SO much fun! How special is the little head scratch of Zugda on Kate’s shoulder? It’s so cute, so cool, and there is just so much love.
I live for this kind of stuff, it's all part of my obsession with nature. Do you have a great family that you need to have an experience like this? It's fun, easy and something that you will remember forever.
These are some of my absolute favs from their Auckland photoshoot
Kate is known for her sustainable and eco living lifestyle. She has many zero waste hacks most people can try & implement to make a smaller impact on our beautiful planet. Follow her on Instagram @ethicallykate
Easy eco tip
Let your dog break up toilet rolls. It acts as a dog toy AND the cardboard will compost faster once broken into small pieces
Kate has just written a blog where she shares her best sustainable dog owner tips. Everything from dog toys, dog food, accessories, hand me downs, advise for pet beds and even what to do with your doggy’s number two.
Find Kate’s ethical blog with How To Be A Sustainable Dog Owner here.
I’m dog photographer YELLOW LAB and I get my doggy fix by photographing dogs with their families in the Auckland (North Shore, Orewa, Albany and more) area. If you’d love a photoshoot with your fur babies, get in touch. Read more to see what you can expect with a dog and family photoshoot. Get in touch here.