“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
Proverbs 31:29
I know everyone has heard of the pregnancy glow, and maybe you were even one of those fortunate unicorns who actually experienced it. I was one of the un-lucky gals that the phenomenon skipped right over. But have you ever witnessed someone who glows throughout motherhood? From the second that I saw Ashley with Audrey back when she was a teensie-tiny newborn, I knew that it was in fact possible to glow from motherhood. This girl was in the thick of the newborn trenches, and if she wasn’t getting any sleep, you never would have known it. She looked radiant and had this perma-grin on her face the whole time. Back then, I was waddling around about 8 months pregnant thinking she was some mythical creature. Ok…new mom glow.... So in love with that brand new human who has come in to this world with the sole purpose to make you a mother. Makes sense…but… surely the daily grind of it all starts to wear on us, right? ESPECIALLY when said miracle becomes mobile and you never sit down again. Welp…not Ashley. Sixteen months into motherhood, and she’s still glowing. I have NEVER in my life met someone who motherhood looks better on.
I had these crazy boho dreams to incorporate a super girlie, lacy teepee into a shoot with a little beauty. When Ashley didn’t run from the idea, I literally squealed with excitement. I couldn’t have thought of a better mommy and daughter to bring my vision to reality.
I’ve been very vocal about my love for black and white images, but not showing off the brilliance of these blue eyes would just be an injustice.
So I have three elements that I try to capture during my shoots: emotion, connection, and personality. Sometimes I can only get one or two of these in a shot, especially when my subject is riding solo. Sometimes I see these features in what aren’t technically ideal images. Maybe it’s not tack sharp, or the lighting just isn’t ideal. But there are images in every shoot that I’m just unexplainably drawn to. This next image has a crazy kind of hold on me.
Maybe, to some, it would be “better” if Audrey was looking at the camera. But this picture of Ashley is so incredibly beautiful to me. It wasn’t posed, it wasn’t planned. It was an in-between shot that most people would have culled from the gallery. If I had an image like this of my maw-maw, I would have it plastered in every room of my house. This to me exudes her pure joy of being a mommy to this little girl. It’s hard to explain…I just love it so much. My hope is that one day Audrey will see this picture and feel how much her mommy loves her.
To have this shoot the week before Mother’s Day was an absolute joy for me. I LOVE when mommies want to get in front of the camera with their babies, and I couldn’t have asked for a better duo to hang out with on a Saturday morning. Happy Mother’s Day, Ashley! I hope you really do have lots and lots more kiddos because being a mommy looks fantastic on you!
