Motherhood. There are so many things to describe it: Wonderful. Hard. Tiring. Crazy. Beautiful.
Something I've found that I'm passionate about capturing is mamas with their babies. It's the season I'm in so I can relate to my mama clients a lot. They are my people!
About a month ago, I did a model call for a couple of mamas with their babes. My two friends, Cassidy & Chelsea, graciously volunteered. I've known them since elementary school, and I reconnected with both at our 10 year high school reunion a few years back (wow! I'm aging us). At that time, I was pregnant with our first baby & Chelsea was on baby #1 AND baby #2! TWINS! The cool thing was that she & her husband had specifically prayed for twins. God answered! A few years later, she would welcome #3 a precious baby girl!
Cassidy had her first boy almost exactly a year after I had my daughter. Then, in 2022, her & I found out we were both expecting baby #2 and we were due 10 days apart! Crazy, right?
Anyway, I was so happy that they decided to be my models for a Mommy + Me photoshoot. We met on a (uncharacteristically February in Indiana) beautiful, warm, and sunny day at Falls Park in Pendleton. I decided to keep everything neutral, simple, & clean. My style of photography is very minimalistic & I do that for the purpose of keeping the focus on my clients. My props consisted of a white blanket with a textured rug, and I also brought a small teepee. It was windy, but luckily it settled down a bit so I could use it for Chelsea's session. Most importantly though, the lighting was gorgeous!
Cassidy & her two boys were first. Her oldest was so full of energy & running all over, ready to play! Her youngest, who had just gotten tubes put in his ears the day before, was the happiest & sweetest baby! It took some convincing (and maybe a sucker & Ring Pop bribe) to get started, but it was so worth it!
Next up, Chelsea & her daughter. She had decided early on that she wanted to do a special photoshoot with just her baby girl. I was totally on board! Her daughter was a little hesitant at first but warmed up after playing with some blocks & a stick! Don't you love that kids get so much joy out of the simplest things?! After opening up a bit, you could see the beautiful mother/daughter relationship they share. And yes, she also got a sucker for doing so well :)
Listen, I am not ashamed to be the photographer who bribes kids! In all honesty though, these pictures would have been beautiful with the kids’ cooperation or not. I want to encourage my clients, who are parents, to let those babies be wild, free, & yes, even upset. I don’t expect them to sit still or be 100% happy the whole time. Movement allows for some candid shots, and so does some attitude! For these two sessions, I posed them, but I also tried to get those moments in between. Those are the ones I really want you to remember! So, leave your stress about getting photos done with your kids at the door, in the car, or wherever you may be coming from. I got you!
It's been such a blessing to have friends in the same season of life, going through pregnancies, birth, postpartum, and then raising kids. As odd as it may sound, motherhood can feel lonely. Having a support system is essential! I'm in absolute awe of these two mamas who I call friends.
