3 Things I Wish Every Mom Knew Before Her Session

I am many things. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a photographer. I know what it's like to be down in the trenches of motherhood. I know the whole range of emotions that come with that because I am right. there. with. you. Mom's I'm talking to you this blog- I'm writing this straight to you. If you've ever considered a scheduling a shoot with me, but have been held back, I just want you to know these 3 things before you book with me. 

1. I am totally and completely non-judgmental when it comes to your house or how clean it is. Look, I know that in the age of social media, we can curate our feeds to show a completely idealistic and pinterest worthy life. And if you have that, that's awesome! If you are a complete Type A and everything sparkles and is perfectly organized and cleaning makes you feel happy? More power to you. That's truly awesome and I wish I had that skill set, Lord knows I need it. And I also know that some people can feel shame and feel like they don't want to be that Type A person. They don't want that label or the expectations that come along with it (it seems like a heavy load to bear emotionally). Let me tell you, I am not going to think one way or the other whether your house is spotless or whether you are like me and there is 4 loads of laundry on the "laundry chair". Okay, I lied. It's more like 6 loads. I promise you, it doesn't make a hill of beans to me. And no, I'm not going to come in and photograph your mess. I'm not there for that. I'm there to photograph the relationship and connection I see in front of me. How is that possible, you say? Because when I'm behind the camera, all I'm thinking about is the light and my shots. I'm literally not worried about anything else. I have zero room or capacity left in my brain because my whole soul is focus on your session and what I am shooting. Not the pile of clutter. Not the laundry. The only time I will shoot something like that is if it adds value to the story- say your kid left a half eaten muffin on a stack of magazines. I'd totally shoot (in an artistically composed way) that because that is toddler life at it's core! And, also, you don't have to show that to anyone if you don't want to- but on down the line when you're telling stories and reminiscing, you can pull out that picture and hopefully laugh at it! 
2. You. Are. Beautiful. PERIOD.  And you know what else? You are ENOUGH. Your family and your kids think you are amazing and they love you so much. You are their rock. You are a pillar of their world. They don't care if you think you have a few extra pounds to lose. They don't care what you look like in your bathing suit or if you have a few extra grey hairs on your head or stretch marks on your belly. I have heard from so many mama's that say they will schedule a shoot when they reach their goal weight- as if it's some sort of prize to be thin or as if you don't deserve the pictures because you feel like you don't look good enough? I'm here to tell you, I understand first hand being self conscious. I think we all do. Everyone has something about themselves that they don't like. I'm 100% body positive and I fiercely believe that you deserve happiness and that your kids deserve to have their mama in the pictures looking and feeling HAPPY. You know what I wish you knew before you scheduled a shoot with me? My sincere wish is that you see yourself the way your kids see you. Strong. Brave. Beautiful. Kind. Loving. Safe. Your perceived imperfections are perfect. 
3.  Your kids are just fine. Seriously. I've got 3 kids. I am no stranger to the chaos that can ensue when you're actually trying to do something. Your crazy is nothing I haven't seen in my own home. But that's one of the many beauties of documentary photography. We embrace the crazy! And also, I'm not asking them to sit still and I'm not asking them to say cheese for me. I'm following them around and hoping they take me for an adventure. I'm talking to them and I'm actually interested in what they have to say.  When you remove those expectations for those perfectly posed and curated images, you'll be so surprised and so in love with what you end up with- something so unique to your family, something that encompasses who you are as a family! It's fun, it's laid back, there's no super high expectations to be perfect, act perfect, or look perfect. For those reasons, Dad's really get on board too! No one needs to coordinate outfits and no one needs to comb their hair just perfect- honestly the only thing I ever really even tell my clients is to lay off the colored drinks or candy unless they want a colored mouth in every single picture- once that stuff is on your face, it doesn't come off! 

These are the things I want you to know before your session. Your house is fine. You are fine. Your kids are fine. Book the session, laugh a lot, hug your kids, kiss your husband, play fetch with the dog. You deserve to be in pictures with your kids. Take these 3 things into consideration and I promise you will get the most out of your session with me!  And yes, that bottom picture is me without a single drop of makeup and my hair in a ponytail and my kids are in their play clothes. It's my favorite picture of us.