A lot of my friends have family overseas. Most are from Europe or the United States. They come here to study and then stay and do contract work. I always joke with them that I am not sure if we should hang out that much because every time I get close to one of them, their time in Australia is up and they have to go home again. Over the years I’ve had a lot of good friends go back home and it is always a very sad time.

I really do admire them because a lot of them are leaving their own family and friends and coming over here to work on their own. Family is so important. I don’t know if I could move overseas for years on end for work, even  if it was good for my career.

Most of them go back home annually to visit for a few weeks but it is just not the same. Thankfully these days with the internet and Skype it gets a little easier.

When writing this story it got me thinking of a very old TV commercial advertising international calls using OTC (Overseas Telecommunications Commission, which became Telecom, which became Telstra). Can anyone remember it or am I showing my age? It was based on the Barbara Streisand song “The Way We Were”. It’s was a very powerful advertisement in its time and really hit home the importance of family and connection. Guess what I found it on Youtube. Check it out below:

The tagline was: When you’re thinking of home, go home on the telephone.

Family Portraits for Loved Ones Overseas

Recently I had Tom contact me for a family photography session. Tom’s wife, Kaori, family lives in Japan, so he wanted to create a beautiful family portrait to send over to them.

It was a very thoughtful idea and would have a lot of emotional impact. Now Kaori’s family would have something physical to touch, hold and look at when they miss Kaori.

Can you imagine how proud Kaori’s family would be of her all the way in Australia? That family portrait in their home would be a fantastic talking point for their friends and family.

“Look, that’s our daughter and this is her family”. I can just see neighbours and friends visiting for the sole purpose of a peak. Just like in the OTC ad.

Tom loved the family portrait and had this to say about the whole process:

I wanted to say thank you for the beautiful family portrait you took of my family, the photo is really full of life. Everyone looks so natural and at ease, even the dog. We really appreciated your professionalism, and this includes how your personality put everyone at ease. We originally had this photo taken as a mothers’ day gift for my mother in law who lives in Japan. We visited my wife’s mother at Christmas time and she had your photograph on the wall in her living room taking pride of place. It made me realise how important it is to have images of people who are important to you.

Don’t you agree this is a wonderful idea?

Are you in a similar boat with family overseas? Do they miss you deeply? Would this be a perfect gift for them? If so I would love to discuss creating a family portrait for you to give to them. I can even organise shipping for you so that you do not need to stress about it.

Give me a call at the studio on 9570 6191 or drop me an email.