In the trenches
I was in the trenches of motherhood with an 18 month old and a newborn along with postpartum depression and anxiety (I'll share more about that in another blog). I had already felt like I lost "myself" after we had our daughter so when our son arrived I had no idea who I was anymore. I stumbled through each day just trying to survive. It was like the movie Groundhog's Day. I was a burnt out mom of two tiny humans who needed much more than I thought I could give them.
I was desperate for an outlet, a hobby just for myself where I could be creative and break up the monotony of the stage of motherhood I was in. Now if you know me at all, you've probably gathered that I cannot draw, paint, or do any of those cute Pinterest DIY projects to save my life, it's just never been my thing. However, I'd had a camera packed away for years that I decided to dig out. I couldn't remember how to use it and didn't know any of the fancy technical camera terms everyone in the photography world likes to throw around. But in desperation I decided to dive in head first.
Just a mom with a camera (and that's more than okay)
It wasn't long before I was obsessed. I had two very unwilling subjects that had no choice in being my models. I wanted to capture every detail and milestone of my children's lives so that I wouldn't forget the fleeting moments of their early days and years. My little hobby quickly sparked into a passion of mine. I watched classes, figured out all those "fancy technical things," and practiced as much as I could.
I always photographed my children in a way that would capture connection and evoke emotion or bring back a memory. I wanted to photograph the little details that reminded me of how it felt when I kissed my son's chubby cheeks, or watching my daughter's face light up as her daddy spun her in her "twirly" dress. The more I did this for myself, the more I yearned to photograph other families and do the same for them.
I now want to show each family their unique beauty and capture the connection between them. I love having the privilege of witnessing the protective embrace of a dad with his little girl, a new mama soaking in those sweet newborn snuggles, and that same mama savoring the final moments of her last baby before they turn into a toddler.
I write all this to conclude, "my reason why" simply comes down to capturing connection and telling families' beautiful stories through photography.
