For the moms-to-be
I didn’t take a single maternity photo. In fact, I completely avoided the camera altogether. I couldn’t overcome my inner critic. I hope to hell you don’t make the same mistake I did.
Pregnancy is hard.
God, that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what I actually mean by saying that. Pregnancy is a smorgasbord of good, evil, beautiful, ugly, peace and suffering. It is all of the things, it is none of the things and every single person has their own struggles, insecurities, joys, and unique experiences so there is truly no blanket way to try and describe it. I think that might be part of the problem, we can’t always put in to words what is going on. We want to tread lightly, as the non-pregnant support person, to not offend, scare, or upset the person growing the human. As the pregnant person, we can’t always say how we’re feeling or what we are going through. It’s quite the dichotomy that can create this space of distance, grey, un-chartered territory where we struggle to find a middle ground. It can create feelings of isolation, amplify already sensitive emotions, and make us overall just feel lousy.
So many women struggle with body image long before they even are faced with the challenges growing a human can put you through. Sprinkle stretch marks and weight gain right on in there with our imperfect skin, wrinkles, and cellulite because we all could really use that kinda boost right? My point in bringing all of this up is to let you know it’s okay to feel human, It’s okay to not love everything about yourself. You don’t have to show up for your photos feeling like a magical glowing goddess with bad bitch energy. That might not be you (omg if it is, you are a rockstar do not ever change), but if it isn’t, just showing up for your photos is enough. You are enough!!
I think it’s important to touch on this because if I could go back in time I would take the photos. Even if I tucked them away and didn’t look at them until much, much later when I felt differently. I wish I had them. I wish I had opened up to a photographer and trusted them with my insecurities. I wish I gave them a chance to appreciate (what I felt was ugly) me as art. If wishes were fishes…
If you are the type who is on the fence, if you are the momma who thinks they don’t want the photos, I so urge you to communicate. I can assure you, as your photographer, I see you as a work of art. I also see you as a human who may have insecurities, and just because I LOVE when i get to take a photo of your stretch marks and cellulite, that doesn’t mean everyone sees that as beautiful like I do. I can understand wanting to change things. I can understand feeling like crap. And as your photographer, I can help you document this once-in-a-lifetime stage in a way where you look at your photos and be thankful you have them. There is one thing I cannot change, the only thing I hope you can agree to do for me, and that is to be kind to yourself. Talk nicely about yourself.. (Ya never know, your photos might just help you feel a little better too)
You deserve to have keepsakes of the time in your life when you and your baby were literally one entity.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO START TALKING ABOUT YOUR MATERNITY PHOTOS, YOU CAN REACH ME HERE
