A deeper dive into my motherhood photography event in Boston this April.
As some of you reading this probably know, I’m hosting a brand new photography event in Boston this spring, one I hope to offer every year in the spring for many years to come. It’s a Motherhood Photography Event, set aside specifically for you, Boston moms, to honor you and your love for your babies. In this post, I’m providing a bit more information for you, including what motivated me to bring this event to life, why I think every mother or mom-to-be should book a motherhood photography session, and what to expect and how to prepare if you’ve already signed up or plan to do so! I truly cannot wait for this special event and to document you at this extraordinary time in your life.
Why I decided to host a spring motherhood photography event
Over the last few years, my primary focus has been family photography. I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with many wonderful families both in Boston and on Nantucket, where I work in the summer and early fall. Recently, I’ve been asked to do more and more newborn sessions. My newborn sessions are actually quite different from my family sessions. For one, they are almost always in my clients’ homes, while many of my family clients want outdoor photos. Another significant difference is that, while I always feature all members of the family in newborn sessions (pups included!), I do spend a lot more time during a newborn session focusing on the connection between mother and child. That connection is so palpable with a baby who has recently emerged from the womb, and is often still breast-feeding, still totally dependent on mama for sustenance.
With the increasing number of newborn sessions I’ve taken on, I’ve discovered that I absolutely love both of those key elements that make newborn sessions different from the family sessions I also love so dearly.
The beauty of indoor sessions
A session in my clients’ home is so incredibly intimate. I feel like your home absorbs your energy, so I can learn so much more about you simply by being in that special place where you spend most of your time. In addition, I’ve found that I love the structure that an indoor space contributes to a photograph. Naturally, a home includes many more lines and angles than the great outdoors, and working with that built-in structure can provide additional opportunities for interesting composition in my photos. It’s also nice that an indoor living space has furniture that makes it easy for my clients to sit, stand, and lay down – which allows you to be comfortable and get more variety from your photos.
The mother-child connection
But more importantly, my newborn sessions have helped me realize just how much I adore documenting the mother-child bond. I’m not even sure I have the words to articulate exactly how or why I’m so moved by it beyond the obvious, but my heart truly flutters watching my beautiful mama clients loving on their babies, and documenting the precious ways that babies admire their moms in return. I don’t have children of my own (although I do think Hudson and Brody would tell you I’m a pretty darn good dog mom), and perhaps that’s part of it — I’m not sure. All I really know is I love it and I feel so grateful every time I’m invited to document the earliest days of your little humans’ existence, and witness your special connection with them. Motherhood is amazing and gorgeous and emotional and complex, and the truth is, it deserves to be featured well beyond the newborn days.
Why you should book a motherhood photography session
Hey moms, I know you all are so busy and your babies and children are the focus of your life right now. I also know that getting everyone ready to have professional photos done involves a LOT of work, from deciding on outfits for everyone, to blocking off time from work if needed, to doing your own hair and makeup and more … it’s time-consuming and requires forethought and planning if you’re going to do it right. But I promise you, even taking all of that into account, it will be worth it. Here are just a few of the reasons why I think you’ll love this experience, and why I believe it’s so important to make time for motherhood photos every now and then.
1. You’re always the one taking the photos.
Right? For whatever reason, moms tend to be the one in the family who has their phone out to snap memories during family time. Which means you’re rarely IN the photos. You deserve to have pictures of you with your kids too (not just selfies!), and tangible memories of the special connection you have with your children.
2. Dads don’t always love photo shoots.
OK, I don’t like to over-generalize, and I know I’m doing that here. It’s certainly not true about ALL dads, but as a family photographer I have some inside intel on this. And in general, it’s true: Moms are almost always excited for their photos, even if they feel some stress leading up to the session. Dads – in general – don’t tend to bring that same enthusiasm with them to photo shoots. Most of the dads I’ve worked with have been absolutely amazing during their session, but sometimes — even with the dads who are great sports about it — I can tell they are only there because you want them to be and they know it’s important to you. Of course it’s important to have photos of the whole family, but what if dad got to sit one out? I think a lot of dads would be thrilled to help their wives prepare for a shoot that they didn’t actually have to be in. Sometimes fathers simply don’t enjoy having their photo taken and being asked to smile so much. With a motherhood session, we can give dad a break, and give you the opportunity to get creative, the freedom to make it your own. As far as I’m concerned, there is no limit to what we can create, and I’m open to all of your ideas to make these photographs feel like they authentically represent you. (Side perk: if dad’s not there for the shoot, you can gift him prints from the session with gorgeous photos of you and your kids that will truly be a surprise to him. Father’s Day is only two months after the event!)
3. Your kids are growing so fast.
I’m always shocked at how much my clients’ children have grown in between sessions, even with the families I work with multiple times every year. It’s incredible the way the kids grow …. and bittersweet as well. You can never have enough professional photos to document their changing personalities while they forge ahead on the fast-track to adulthood. For my clients who usually plan for just one photo shoot per year, we often hold that session in the fall, to capture the gorgeous changing colors of New England, just in time for holiday card season. The timing of my motherhood photography event, in the spring, is a great half-way point for those of you who typically lean toward once a year. It allows us to document your kids’ personalities at this specific moment, after they’ve made it through most of the current school year, but before the next one begins. Every grade brings new experiences, new insights, new skills, new interests, and spring photos are a special opportunity to freeze time in this liminal moment.
4. Your kids will want these photos when they’re older.
Imagine if you had professional photos of your own mother as a young mom, and intimate photos of the two of you together, having some special alone time at a very early stage in your relationship. The kids aren’t the only ones who are growing up. Believe it or not, you are too, and 20 or 30 years from now, and well beyond then, your kids will be so grateful to have beautiful photos that capture a little glimpse of the loving mother you were when they were young. This is not only a gift for you, but a gift for your children, and their children.
5. She wants one.
If you’re a dad reading this, or a loving partner to an amazing mom, well, you should book a motherhood photography session as a gift for your wife or partner simply because (I promise) she wants one. For all of the reasons above and more, she will be so grateful to you for encouraging her to do this. She might not feel right buying this for herself and might dismiss it as over-indulgent or selfish. But you and I know it’s not selfish, and that she more than deserves the gift of art to celebrate all she does for your family. A motherhood photography session makes a wonderful special occasion gift, whether it’s her birthday, your anniversary, or, heck, even just because. AND, you’ll have a built-in mother’s day gift option when she receives her gallery and is obsessed with her photos: you can surprise her with a gorgeous framed print of her favorite image from the session, or a fine art album with all of the images for her to treasure forever, and pass down to your children.
There, I’ve made my case. Now it’s up to you, if you haven’t signed up yet. 🙂
Here are the details you need to know:
- Who: Boston moms, moms-to-be, and their babies/children/bumps
- What: 30-minute petite motherhood sessions, resulting in an online viewing gallery with 30 fully-edited images (Galleries will delivered before Mother’s Day)
- When: Friday, April 14th, 10am-4pm
- Where: The chic and stunning light-drenched South Boston photography studio pictured below
- Cost: $475 session fee; Digital images: $30 each; Prints and albums: price varies
- Extras:
- Option to add makeup (on-site) for $125; add some curls for an extra $25
- Prosecco bar and snacks for moms and kids (included with session fee!)
- Goodie bags with gifts for the kids and treats for mama too (also included)
If you’re ready to book, you can reserve your spot for Friday, April 14th here.
If you’d like to sign up but Friday the 14th doesn’t work for you, you can be added to my waitlist and request another date here. (I’ve had a few requests already to extend the event to Saturday, April 15th — and I will if there’s enough interest!)
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