Mama Love 2019 - Who is your photographer, and why is she making you put on a dress?
/As someone who is not a mom, people have wondered why in all heck do I think that the most important sessions I do every year are my Mama Love sessions. Well I can say one thing that helps me to understand the importance of these photos is that I am a woman. And as a woman I completely understand why almost every woman I come in contact with, whether she is in her 20s, 50s or in between, is weary or downright shaking in her boots before stepping in front of the camera. We worry that the camera will see what we think is wrong with us, that the camera will put it into hyper focus and validate the reasons we hate or criticize ourselves.
And I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the time, that does not happen.
People look at my portfolio and gush about how beautiful my clients are. They ARE beautiful. Everyone is that beautiful! You just have never been photographed in the right way. So often my clients think, well you do lovely work, but my photos might not be as lovely, because of blah blah blah, and then when they see their photos they are blown away to see that they are just as lovely, and then these women are a heck of a lot more confident because of that.
For me, showing women their beauty is the bonus of doing these photos. The most important reason why I do these photos is for these kids. Gosh we all have so much to say about “kids these days”, growing up in the time of the Instagram selfie and Facebook stories. But how often do you actually print those photos you take of your adorable children, and how many of them are actually with you, their mama? Photos these days live in a virtual graveyard. And if anything were to happen to Instagram, Facebook, or your phone, where would your photos be? And most importantly, when you are not around, or your child has grown up and moved away, how will they have access to all of these photos? What I want for these kids is to have the beautiful proof of how loved and cherished they actually are. I want them to understand unconditional love and benefit from the self esteem and confidence that knowledge will give them. There is nothing more important to a child than to know that they are loved, unconditionally and fully and completely. Even when you are yelling at them for leaving their backpacks at the front door, or not cleaning their room before iPad time, or anything else they think of to push your buttons, you still and always will LOVE them. And the proof of that will be up on the walls of their home, or in album, and it will be a daily reminder that they matter.
People sometimes scoff at the idea of the power of a photograph. We are oversaturated with them, this is so true. But when you encounter one and you feel that clutch in your belly, or your heart completely swells, that is the true power of a photograph. When a person is no longer with you, and you cannot quite remember their face anymore, and looking at a photo of them makes you miss them just a little bit less, that is the true power of a photograph. When you look at a photograph up on your wall and it makes your smile shine through your heart, mouth and eyes, that is the true power of a photograph. And when that person is a child, so brand new and trying to navigate the crazy tumultuous world that is out there, and a photo being cradled in the arms of their mother gives them a sense of home, a sense of support and safety, that is the true power of a photograph.
And that is the powerful kind of photographs I can promise you with these Mama Love sessions. That power is why these are the most important sessions I do all year.
If you haven’t yet entered into the giveaway to win your spot in this years Mama Love Sessions click here to do so now (winners announced on March 31, 2019).
If you are planning on booking a session, don’t wait until winners are announced, book your spot now and if you win you will be reimbursed! Click here to purchase your spot. If you book before March 31, you will receive either a bonus digital image or an extra 8x10 print, your choice!