“In another world, my mother does not become a mother. She doesn't meet my dad or at the very least, she never falls in love with him. Instead, she goes to a college out of state and pursues her dream of becoming a nurse and she travels the world in her free time, taking photos in france and trying new foods in tokyo and maybe she adopts a dog, a four year old golden retriever named Sparky who sees the world with her and she never has to wonder about what if's in life because she is too busy living it. In another world, I do not exist, but my mother gets to live, not just survive.” — Mae Setrova
Being a mother is the most fulfilling and heart-breaking experience one can have.
We are often the last thought about and the isolation, especially in those first few months with our new baby, is unbearable at times.
Many times mothers come to me and they are barely in their family’s photographs. They are the ones behind the camera (phone), documenting all of the memories. So, what happens when the kids are grown and mom goes to look back and she’s not there? Where is her legacy? The grown kids will have been too young to remember a lot of the love their mother poured into them during that time, and there will be no account of it anywhere.
This is why mom is ALWAYS my focus. I know that she’s coming to me because her children are her most treasured part of her life, and she wants beautiful photographs of them, but that’s not enough for me. I want her to be doted upon. She deserves to have someone listen as she talks about her celebrations and her hardships. She deserves a safe-space where she can tell me how unbearably hard it is at times, without having to dress it up in, “But, I love them!” I know you love them. You wouldn’t be coming to me if you didn’t. You wouldn’t want their tenderness photographed if you didn’t care or love them. Sometimes women just need a place to scream without also smiling to put it in a prettier package.
Motherhood is HARD and I see you.
Some questions I ask mothers (this is before they even decide to work with me):
Why are you choosing NOW to do your session?
Why is it important that we work together?
In three words, describe what you want your images to communicate
Have you worked with a photographer who created custom art for your home or did they just give you an overwhelming amount of digitals? What did you end up doing with those photographs?
What qualities do you most want your photographer to possess and why is that important?
When was the last time you were photographed?
How do you feel about yourself in photos?
Who would you like to share this session experience with? Tell me about them.
(This is a great way for me to get to know each of your family members. What are their names? How old are they? What do they love doing the most? What inspires them? Family is so important and so is capturing their true identities.)
When was the last time you were photographed together? What was it like?
Do you all enjoy being photographed? Are there members in your family that might need a little help getting comfortable in front of the camera? I encourage your family members to be present when we do our consultation (after booking). This is a great way for me to get to know everyone and make sure you are all comfortable.
Are there any accommodations I can make to best serve your family?
I want to meet you where you are, but I also want to push you to do something for yourself. This isn’t about choosing what your family will wear and then worrying about yourself last. This is about centering you in the documentation of your family because guess what, you ARE the center of your family. I won’t let you hide behind your children in the photographs. I won’t let you become a shadow in your family’s drawing. You will be the main character in your own story.
Mothers, you are the most important person in the photograph.
