We had a chat with the photographer for our Sunday AW22 Collection, Jasmyne Summerfield about how she started as a content creator and balancing life with her five little ones.  

 Sea Birds Raincoat, Sea Birds Rainsuit, Sammy Corduroy Overalls - Cream, Bondi Check Shirt - Blue/Yellow, Vintage Stevie Parka - Aqua, Sea Flowers Gathered Pocket Dress, Kobe Shearling Jacket - Pink, Winnie Waffle Leggings - Sage, Tony Terry Romper - Peach Stripe 

Hey Jas! tell us a bit about yourself.

Hey! So I’m Jas, I’m 31 and I’ve recently moved back home to live in the Deep South of Western Australia with my hubby and now five kids. We’ve settled in to living the slow life on the coast and have taken a break from renovating our home to soak up time together as a new family of seven. We always love a stroll along the beach, taking our caravan up the coast and exploring all that life has to offer us.

We love your IG feed! Can you tell us about how you first got interested in photography and content creation?

Thank you! I’ve always enjoyed capturing moments in time and being able to keep a piece of them safe forever. I’m always chasing that feeling of nostalgia within a photograph, and documenting the things I love the most comes second nature to me as growing up, I was always the one with the camera taking photos of it all. Content creation was unexpected, and has become a natural progression from me just sharing snippets of our lives on Instagram for the past six years. I’ve fallen into it as if it were meant to be and I still pinch myself that I get to do this as a job. 

Being a mum of 5, you'd be so busy! How do you go about balancing content creation and looking after your little ones?

The photos and footage I take don’t require much effort as I’m generally capturing moments in time of myself and my family, our every day lives. We keep things very casual, natural and unstructured here so we go with the flow and fit in what we can, where we can and I always have my camera on hand to capture the magic as we go. The biggest factor to consider is usually the weather. 

I usually spend my ‘me’ time at night editing photo or creating videos all the while binging a series on Netflix. 

Kobe Shearling Jacket - Pink, Winnie Waffle Leggings - Sage, Kobe Shearling Jacket - Blue, Mini Vintage Jean

Describe your kid's personal style;
 

They’ve gravitated towards their own style since their earlier years and their favourite pieces tend to be a relaxed fit, natural fibres and muted, neutral colours. The girls have always preferred dresses while Theo is partial to a good pair of overalls. I’d say that we like an eclectic mix of vintage, casual beachy comfort and a hint of fun retro. 

You recently photographed our Sunday Collection - What's your go-to tip to get the perfect shot of all the kids working together and looking so good!?

Having well rested bodies and full tummies is essential. Being mindful of the time of day is important and being on location somewhere familiar to them is very helpful so that they know their surroundings and feel comfortable. Most of all, taking our time, making it fun, and treating it like we’re going on an adventure always works well for us. 

 Lenni Long Sleeve Top - Green/Cream, Austin Vintage Washed Overalls - Light Denim, Loui Brushed Jacket - Green/Cream, Sammy Corduroy Overalls - Cream, Bondi Check Shirt - Blue/Yellow,

What was your favourite outfit from the shoot? 

I adore the Tony Terry Baby Romper. The fit is casual and relaxed and the muted olive colour is a favourite of mine. Quinn and Neve had the most fun in their Kobe Shearling Jackets, especially the smiley face details. Theo loved the Bondi Check Shirt and hasn’t stopped wearing it, and Caris is still twirling in the Winnie Waffle Dress. 

Did you have a favourite item/outfit when you were a toddler?

I’ve been told that I loved clothes and would change my outfits a lot throughout the day! It was also noted that I rarely took on any suggestions or direction ha! I was a sucker for a pretty dress and matching sun hat.

Your go-to fashion styles for your kids this winter?

Anything comfortable and warm. We get very cold, wet and windy winters here so we’re all about the cozy layers. A reliable pair of boots or gumboots, a rainproof or windproof jacket over a waffle layer, all topped off with a beanie are always our winter essentials.

James Check Overalls, Goldie T-shirt - Ivory  

Is there anything you do at home to be more eco-conscious?

Fashion wise, my top tips are to buy high quality pieces and to utilise hand me downs. We have a big family so most of our clothing has been stored and worn by each of our children. If not, we’ve always passed clothing on to friends or donated them. Otherwise, we repair to re-wear or use extremely well-loved clothes as play clothes to extend the life, function and love of the pieces. 

 Best advice/tip you have for new mums and/or kids starting school?

If it’s not working for you, re-direct and move on. School for our family wasn’t a great fit at the time and so we made the decision to start homeschooling. We’re open to what that may look like in the near future but I’m very glad we listened to our children’s wishes and pursued it even though it was daunting at the time. It’s been a learning curve but we haven’t regretted all of the extra time we’ve gained with them, and together as a family. 

Winnie Waffle Relaxed Sweater - Salmon, Winnie Waffle Leggings - Salmon

Check out Jasmynes Instagram here!

Sincerely,

The G+A Team