I know mama, I have been in your shoes. Heck, I'm in your shoes now. I'm in the midst of this wonderful journey of motherhood too. I have never ending chores, mouths to wipe, mountains of laundry, floors to sweep, boo boos to kiss, dinner to make, homework to help with, and stories to read. I'm also the official legacy keeper and documenter of our days. I'm trying to preserve the memories that we are making together so that they have a visual representation of our love for them. When they look back on their childhood, I want them to see how they were loved more than the air we breathe. I want them to see how their mama and daddy loved each other so. I want them to see me in my element- the most important and beloved role I've ever had- and that's being their mother.  

But that can be really hard to do, right? Taking the pictures and also being a subject in them as well? It is. I've had to get creative. When they look back, where will I be in their pictures and in their memories? Holding an actual, physical photo in your hand is a very visceral and emotive experience. I want them to feel something when they hold a photo of me. I want them to remember what my arms felt like around them and to see on my face what they mean to me... and the photo above of our shadows doesn't quite cut it. There's not a lot of emotion there. It's quite literally just documenting my existence and the fact that I was there. 

This self portrait is a lot better- me and my littlest, hanging out on the bed together. It shows connection, emotion, and I love the way I am looking at him. But, self portraits are few and far in between for me. 
I feel this so deeply in my soul. 
I want to be able to give you this. I want you to see yourself the way your family sees you. I know what it's like to not want to be in front of the camera. I see all of my imperfections, but yet, my body has been so, so good to me. And you know who else doesn't care about your imperfections? Your family. Your husband. Your kids. They only see you, the woman they love mightily. I want you to see yourself in your most brilliant role of your life. I want you to see yourself the way they see you. Your imperfections are perfect and you are perfect for your family. You are right where you need to be. 
And that, my friend, deserves more than a blurry cell phone selfie. You deserve more than that.

Instead of just documenting your mere existence, let's do something amazing. Let's tell a story without words. A story of love, struggle, courage, and warmth. Let's tell one about the adventures in motherhood and the days that last 874 hours, but the years that go by in a split second. Let's tell the story of the days when the toys were strewn around the house and how laundry was never quite done. Let's tell the story of motherhood. Let's make a visual diary that documents your love, not just your existence.
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If you're ready to document more than your mere existence, let's talk a bit about that. Let's create some beautiful artwork that represents this season in your life. You are worth it. Your memories matter. 
Click here or on the contact tab above and we will get in touch. 

I've always been the sentimental type. I'm the kind of person that holds on to memories and mementos. I'm the kind of person that thinks the most ordinary of things can be beautiful. ​
I remember when I first started to seriously pursue photography, I focused on learning traditional portraiture. A huge flash and umbrella, props, posing, backdrops...not lifestyle and carefully curated "candids"- real traditional portraits. But in my personal shooting, I captured my kids playing in toilet paper. The cows in our side yard. Weekly trips to the zoo. I honestly captured my friends in their role as mothers. These things made me smile. They made me happy. 
But in the back of my head, I kept thinking, "But this isn't real photography..."
"Nobody wants this everyday stuff."
"Nobody wants to pay people to take pictures of them in jeans and a t shirt."
"This isn't good enough."
So, I continued learning and studying light, learning about composition, and advanced technique. All the while, happily shooting my own kids in the most authentic of ways. My style eventually moved to lifestyle and natural light, with more relaxed posing. And I grew to be a very, very confident shooter. 
About that time, my daughter decided that for the whole year, she only wanted to wear costumes. It made me so happy to see her living out her most whimsical dreams! I shot her every day like that. Learning and growing with her in our own respective ways. 

I realized that shooting in that way wasn't honoring what I was feeling inside. And I had (still have) this deeply held belief that motherhood is a hard, beautiful journey. It's filled with ups and downs- days when you feel like you've got it under control and days when you feel like you're a failure. You look around at the mess in your house and think it's a reflection of your life and how you're raising your family. And it's simply not true. Yes, it's true that life gets messy. Yes, it's true that life gets hard. Yes, it's true that you may lose your temper. But that doesn't make you a failure, it makes you human. 
In 2016 I decided that I was going to follow my gut. I am going to shoot honestly and authentically- and I'm not just going to do it for myself.  I'm going to tell the stories of our days and shoot in a way that shows us that life is about more than "pretty". Life is about loving and feeling things deeply. It's about human connection. Motherhood is a journey of self love, forgiveness, and grace. I'm going to shoot these memories for mothers and provide them with photos that document more than their mere existence.  
And so my friends, that's what I have done. This is my why. This is my reason for doing it. I want you to have more than blurry cell phone pictures of yourself and your kids. I want you to be able to look back on these memories that you treasure in your heart and have a visual representation of how that looked and how it felt. A picture is more than just the actual picture, it represents a season that you experienced as a family.  A season you can't get back, a season of people who may no longer be with us. Something deeply more personal and meaningful to you.
It is real.
It is good enough.
It is valuable to the legacy of our family. 
And that is why I do it. 

If you'd like to book a storytelling session with me, click here or on the contact tab above. I'm happy to help answer any questions and help you plan your perfectly imperfect 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.