Julie Adams is a Sydney based fashion photographer who has lived in the UK, Italy and New York and travels the world taking beautiful photos of gorgeous women! Her first exhibition - The Beauty of Italian Women exhibited too much acclaim last year.
Julie lives in Freshwater, NSW with her daughter, Madeleine 3 and husband, Blair and is 28 weeks pregnant with baby number two.
Julie Adams
C4K: As a fashion photographer you must be out and about all over the place. Do you have a daily routine?
JA: I am a freelance Fashion photographer and working for myself means my schedule is pretty irregular. I currently have a couple of days of formal child care for Maddie each week and ideally if shoots fall on those days, that's fantastic, otherwise on those days I might be on appointments, processing etc. On child care days I am head down with work, whether that means shooting, editing or doing my admin! If photo shoots fall on non-daycare days though, I rely a lot on my Mum.
On the days I have Maddie home - I am Mum. In the Summer that means a lot of swimming, in the Winter a lot of park action. I usually get an hour or two at nap time to do catch up on some calls or emails for work.
C4K: So how did end up being a fashion photographer?
JA: I always loved Photography - for my 13th birthday I got my first little camera from Kmart and started sending my films away in the mail ... terrible pictures but a lot of passion! I started my career in advertising and moved to London where I had the opportunity to work at a very inspirational agency called Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH).
It was there I just thought "what am I doing skirting around the edges of photography when I really want to be taking the pictures myself?", so I left advertising and started out in London as a photographic assistant . After 5 years assisting I started out on my own as a Fashion Photographer.
C4K: When did you go back to work after having Maddie?
JA: Just before having Maddie I let clients know I would be taking 4 months totally off work. A friend gave me some advice that it was better to be clear and have dates, so clients knew exactly what to expect. I think it probably was best for me too – it stopped the temptation of jumping in when I wasn't ready. I needed every bit of those 4 months - I was in the thick of sleep deprivation and wouldn't have been much good to anyone.
C4K: What were your main motivations to return to work and what was the hardest thing about it?
JA: I love what I do, so that was my main motivation. On top of that, I had Maddie in New York and we had just moved from London, so I was in a completely new market.
As a freelancer and in somewhere as competitive as New York, I was nervous of being overlooked if I stepped out for too long, although I did feel really positive about juggling Motherhood with my style of career.
The hardest thing was definitely the fact I was breast feeding - and quite often my job involves long days and travel etc, so for a time I just had to be realistic about what jobs I could take.
C4K: So you divide Maddie's time between formal day care and your mum when you're working? What sort of formal child care does she have and how flexible is it for you?
JA: We now live in Sydney and I am very lucky (well, I think I am!) as I live literally next door to my Mum and Dad and 22 year old brother - who give Maddie so much love and give me so much help!
My schedule is unpredictable so I really need a flexible situation. Sometimes I travel for work and can be away for 5-12 days. Maddie's daycare is wonderful (Sandcastles in Freshwater). Sometimes there is the opportunity to pick up extra days, which I am so grateful for. Presently though she is only there for two days a week, 3 days next year. There is a lot of time though without daycare and my Mum is fantastic. While I am away Maddie is with Mum during the day if she's not at daycare.
C4K: What were you looking for in your child care arrangement?
JA: Even though I had my family near by, I really wanted Maddie to be with other kids and also to have some sort of structured day care situation. She's always been very social and I felt that she would thrive in that environment. A friend recommended 'Sandcastles' and I was thrilled to get Maddie in. I wanted somewhere with a great reputation, a stimulating day structure, good energy and very clean and ordered. Sandcastles is all that.
Maddie is so happy there that when I leave her there I am totally at ease ... and what better benefit can there be than knowing your child is happy. I think if she had it her way she'd go every day. She has her set of friends there and she loves it.
C4K: You sound like you have the perfect situation with your set up with the blend of family and child care.
JA: Yes, I am so lucky to have family support nearby and really that is the greatest situation you could hope for - but I did have Maddie in New York and I realise how hard it is for parents who don't have that support.
Now we literally have a gate in the back fence to Grandma and Granddad's ... we think it's brilliant ... but I'm surprised my parents haven't jumped ship yet!
I am truly very lucky because not only do I get help so I can work, but sometimes I just get 20 minutes off while Maddie pops next door - just to keep my sanity! I may find that my newly retired parents start travelling a lot once our second child comes along!
C4K: Where was this photo of you as a family taken?
JA: This is a great shot because it was during my first overseas 'shoot' after having Maddie ... Blair took a week off work to come along as the nanny! It wasn't hard to convince him - the job was in Tuscany! This shot was taken by my assistant at the end of the shoot when we were all on location together! At the end of the day Dad has to be the best childcare ever!
To find out more about Julie Adams and see her work click here
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