a month of mamas: day 4 {oak park, il photo sessions}

“I am a mother and mothers don’t have the luxury of falling apart in front of their children, even when they are afraid, even when their children are adults.” 
― Kristin Hannah

To all the mamas who get shit done & keep on doing it, over and over again…

Interested in booking a session for yourself or someone that you adore?

A limited number of Summer & Fall Mini Sessions are available…book now!

a month of mamas: day 3 {oak park, il photo sessions}

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” 
― Washington Irving

Here’s to one of my favorite mamas…

a month of mamas: day 2 (sort of)...{oak park, il portrait photographer}

“Children are knives, my mother once said. They don’t mean to, but they cut. And yet we cling to them, don’t we, we clasp them until the blood flows.” 
― Joanne Harris

Tough as a mother…

(Interested in booking a session? Find dates & times here: Booking Calendar)

a month of mamas {oak park, il portrait photographer}

“Sometimes when you pick up your child you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood - finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without.” 
― Jodi Picoult

For May, I’m going to TRY to post a blog every day. Except for yesterday…I already missed that one…

I’ll only be sharing photos of mamas this month.

31 days of mom. Or, 30…

Let’s celebrate mother’s, shall we?

Starting with the gorgeous Q family…can you handle all the beautiful in this family?

word to your mother! {oak park portrait photographer}

“Motherhood is a choice you make everyday, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.” 
― Donna Ball

Do me a favor and stop what you're doing (I know you just started reading this blog & now I'm asking you to stop reading...stick with me...or not?).

Take a look around your home and your Facebook/Instagram pages. 

When you look through the images that tell your story, how do they make you feel? 

Here's a better question: When your kids are older and they look back on these same photos (I hope you printed them...), how will it make them feel? Will the story make sense or will there be huge gaps? 

For somebody who takes up so much space in our hearts and lives, moms are suspiciously absent from our photos.

When you look through the photos in your home and on your social media accounts, how many include mom? My hope is that mom is in a lot of photos, but realistically, mom doesn't make too many appearances. I'm sure there are a million reasons why, including the fact that mom is usually the one behind the camera. 

"So when all is said and done, if I can’t do it for myself, I want to do it for my kids. I want to be in the picture, to give them that visual memory of me. I want them to see how much I am here, how my body looks wrapped around them in a hug, how loved they are."-Allison Tate

I think that quote pretty much sums up how I feel about mamas getting in the frame. Do yourself a favor and read the whole piece. It's a quick read, but maybe it will help give you the nudge you've been needing!

The Mom Stays in the Picture

I always try to make sure that my sessions include a few frames with just mom & kids, but I also offer a few mini sessions during the year that are only for mothers & kids. Any of the portrait sessions I offer can be Motherhood sessions, but since mom's tend to prioritize everyone but themselves, I like to give you the option to do something that is only for YOU. It's in the title, so it's just for MOM! Maybe you hadn't considered it before or maybe you just needed "permission"...

Whatever reason you've been using for not being in photos, can we agree that there is a huge reason why you need to put that aside & get in the frame? 

Our kids need to be able to see that we were there...we are/were part of the story. Part of their story.

So, whether you want to book a session that's especially for you or you want to book a regular session, just make sure that you grab a few frames with just you and the kids or just YOU. Why not?

Session date: April 27 & 28

Exact location to be determined as the date approaches.
If you'd like to book a Motherhood Mini, follow this booking link
(Motherhood session dates are not available on my regular booking calendar)
Motherhood sessions are for moms & kids only!