Portraits of Motherhood

We’re lucky enough to live in a area with a wide variety of gorgeous outdoor settings and I love exploring them all. From beaches to farms to meadows to gritty little neighborhoods with vibrant graffiti murals, finding unique little nooks filled with beauty is one of the many really fun parts of my job.

But more and more recently, I have found myself drawn to the simplest imagery of mothers and their babies. Regardless of the setting, whether indoors or outdoors, there is a certain connection that comes across when a mother is holding her child in  a quiet and still moment. It doesn’t happen at every single session but whenever it does, it’s magic.

With that in mind, I decided to hold mini sessions in April that would strip away color rich and nature filled backgrounds and would focus entirely on the mother/child  relationship.  I knew that I wanted them to be indoors with nothing more than a seat, natural window light and a simple dark backdrop.

The sessions were short and to call them sweet would be an understatement.  The children varied in age from under two to up through eight.  One grandmother attended with her daughter and  granddaughter and those were among my favorite images.  What struck me about all of the sessions  was the ease and warmth  it is immediately evident when a child is in his or her mother’s arms.

Kids can sometimes be shy in front of the camera but perhaps the secret is just to always photograph them in their mother’s arms  because each of them was clearly at home there….safe, happy and so clearly aware of how much they are loved.  These were immensely satisfying to shoot and I hope that these images live on in these families for many years to come. Here are a few of my many favorites: