Bon Voyage

Some of you may remember this family from a shoot I did a few months ago. I was asked to photograph a Bon Voyage party for them, as they’re repatriating to Canada in a few weeks. What you may not know is that I met Kathleen a few years at the gym where I teach Combat classes. She loved the first few classes and started bringing some friends along and so I met Shan and Carey, also from Canada.She always spoke of Combat being her “therapy” and I have to agree it’s how I see it too! :) I was thrilled to photograph the Radley family earlier this year and it was rather bittersweet having to shoot their Bon Voyage party a week ago too.

I’ve lived in Australia for nearly 10 years and I can only imagine what it must be like after building a network of support and friends around you, to have to return to a country that has moved on without you. One returns as changed as the country one returns to. We have to be grateful for these twists and turns in our lives. It makes the journey so much richer. Kathleen, I’ll miss seeing your smiling face in my class and our little chats. Thank you again for the opportunity to preserve some of your last Brisbane memories for you and your family! ~ Gill