Motherhood Archives | Christina Freeman Photography

Happy Mother’s Day

christina — Sun, 09 May 2021 17:40:40 +0000

Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other north DFW communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

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Tamara | Family Photographer in Anna Texas

christina — Tue, 21 May 2019 05:32:47 +0000

So…the temperatures are starting to climb, there are just three days left of school until summer, that must mean one thing….I’m only five months behind publishing my blogs, haha! I’ve actually been looking forward to sharing this beautiful family’s session for so long now. Tamara contacted me way back in January to see if I could photograph her family right there on their gorgeous land. As a family photographer in Anna, Texas, there are so many beautiful spots to choose from nearby, but my favorite thing is when clients ask to incorporate locations that are meaningful to them. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to tell their story in the comfort of their own home.

I asked Tamara to answer a few questions for me and she graciously agreed. Keep reading to see a few of her insights into motherhood!

I’m a stay at home mom of two little ones and my husband is an engineer. We enjoying going to the lake as a family during the summer. We all enjoy reading and probably own too many books. I enjoy working out and consider that my “me time”. I also love baking, and love trying new recipes. I also enjoy figuring out ways to bake things for my egg allergic kids.

How has becoming a mother changed you?

Motherhood has changed me in so many ways. I realize life is so much bigger than I thought it was. It is possible to love more than one child with all your heart. I learn about things just because it is something they are interested in. I know more about transformers than I ever thought I would or would even care to know. I see myself turning more into my mom, and that’s not a bad thing.

What are are a few funny or memorable things your kiddos do at these ages?

Funny things my 6 year old does:
–Says oh my mammals (instead of oh my goodness)
–Loves to dance to Thunderstruck by ac/DC and knows all the words.
Sweet things:
–Tells me all the time how much he loves me
–Tells me I’m the best baker in the world
And a few of his favorite things:
–Technology
–Legos
–Transformers

Funny things my 1 year old does:
–Always wants to ‘boop’ your nose
–Dances to any song
–Tries so hard to keep up with her brother
Sweet things that she does:
–Loves to cuddle
–Tries to say I love you
And a few of her favorite things:
–Books
–Dancing
–The cat

Do you have any favorite images from your own childhood or of your parents and grandparents? What was it about those images that touched you?

There aren’t too many photos of me growing up, but the photos that are there are very important. One of my favorites is photo of me sitting on my grandpa’s lap. He has the biggest smile on his face. There’s another of my grandpa and I, not long before he passed away, we’re both looking at each other laughing. We were talking about our feet and someone snapped a photo. Another image is from when I was 6 and we went to California. I was nervous about going in the ocean. My mom went in with me and there’s a photo of us standing together with big smiles on our faces. Any family photo holds a special place in my heart.

What are your favorite images of your children? What makes you love those images?

My favorite photos of Samuel and Gwen are the moments I happen to catch. They have a special bond and sometimes I’m able to capture a brief moment of calm. Those are the images I’ll think about when they are all grown up.

What are a few of your favorite ways to display photos in your home?

We have our photos on our TV as a screensaver. It’s a great way to enjoy all the photos we’ve taken. I have great ideas of putting photos in frames and hanging them, but it never seems to happen.

What importance do family heirlooms hold for you?

At some point we will only have the photos of our families. I try to get as many photos as possible of grandparents with my kids. Also pictures of the kids with Mom and Dad. I want them to be able to look back on these photos later in life and hopefully remember the fun we were having when the photo was taken.

Thank you so much for sharing these insights into life and motherhood, Tamara! I loved working with your sweet family so much!

—

Christina Freeman is a family photographer in Anna Texas, specializing in families, newborns and children in Collin County including Anna, Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs. Contact her to start planning your session today!

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A Tribute to Motherhood | McKinney Family Photos

christina — Fri, 10 May 2019 18:59:33 +0000

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and it seems appropriate to pay tribute to all of you gorgeous mommas who entrusted me to capture this beautiful time in your lives. So much has been said on the subject of motherhood–I wish I had something profound to add to it, but I’m afraid I will fall painfully short. All I can say is that each and every one of you have inspired me. I know from experience that when getting your McKinney family photos done it’s not easy to step in front of the camera.

Motherhood changes us all, and it’s easy to sometimes hide some of our own insecurities behind the shield of our children. We want so badly to capture this time in their lives. We know it is fleeting, here today and gone tomorrow. It’s so easy to document this time in their lives, but fail to document this time in our own. We so often forget that our own lives are changing every bit as rapidly as our children’s, and some day we may look back and wonder just what motherhood looked like at this time in our own lives.

So let me say it now, since I know we all feel the pressure to achieve more than we often can give. Perfection is not in how we look–it’s not the way we we have styled our hair, the clothes we wear or the inches off our waist we still have failed to lose. Perfection is already here–it’s in those every day moments that we experience with our children and our family, the little moments that we breathe in and out and will miss so much one day that it hurts. I see perfection every time you step in front of the camera and let down your barriers–the love that I see within the frame takes my breath away.

So thank you to all of you beautiful mothers that I have had the privilege to photograph in the past year. Never be afraid to get in front of the camera. Each and every single one of you is more stunning and inspiring than you will ever know. Much love to you all this Mother’s Day.

XOXO

Christina Freeman specializes in McKinney family photos, photographing families, newborns and children in Collin County including Anna, Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs. Contact her to start planning your session today!

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A Last Minute Mothers Day Gift Idea | McKinney TX Family Photographers | Anna TX

christina — Thu, 10 May 2018 16:26:27 +0000

Have you ever read the book, ‘The 5 Love Languages?’ In case you haven’t, the basic premise is that each of us has a love language that we speak. It’s something that we love doing for other people, and it means the world when another person does it for us. The author makes the case that so many of our own personal conflicts with others stems from not learning to speak the other person’s language.

If you haven’t read the book, I definitely recommend it, but here is my general point. One of the languages he talks about is that of gift-giving. If this is your love language, you feel loved when someone takes the time to give you a gift. You are also probably very thoughtful in showering others with gifts as well. I have a confession to make…this is not my love language. Don’t get me wrong–it makes me feel wonderful when someone surprises me with a gift. Just as often, though, I feel guilty for not having thought of giving them a gift first. I am amazed by all of the truly thoughtful people who put so much time and thought into giving others little bits of joy. It’s something I would love to do better.

If gift-giving is your love language, this post probably won’t mean much to you. You have probably been prepared weeks in advance for any upcoming gift-giving holiday. Again…I wish I were more like you. However, if you are like me, you may be wondering if it is too late to get something if you order today with Amazon Prime. And I am here to offer one small last minute Mothers Day gift idea that may also be appreciated by any mother, perhaps especially those with small children. My suggestion? Time.

Before I was a mother, I’m not sure I appreciated fully how much time could mean to me. Like anyone else, I was always rushing around trying to balance home life and work, but something else changed after I began having kids. I started to become fully wrapped up in the lives of my children. My life no longer was my own. Around the clock, I was at the mercy of my kids…these little humans who needed me at all hours of the day and night. It is the hardest job I have ever had, but also the most rewarding.

But here’s the thing…we can become wrapped up in the lives of our children that we start to lose ourselves a bit as well. I may be a mother now, but I am also still the person that I was before I had children. I am that girl who loves to sit at a coffeeshop, watching the people go by and daydreaming. Wandering the aisles of a library is a tiny slice of heaven for me. I love to go for walks by myself, find a little secluded bench somewhere and journal. I feel so alive when I do these things…it’s as though my batteries get a little recharged. When I return home, I feel more connected to my family, and a little more like myself again. I am lucky to have a husband who recognizes this about me, and encourages me to find a little time for myself. He may also see that I am a better mother and wife when I have time to rediscover me on a regular basis.

Perhaps this Mother’s Day, you find yourself needing a last minute Mothers Day gift idea. Coming from a fellow mom, consider giving her the gift of time. Offering to watch the kids for the day or even just for a couple of hours might mean the world to her….or you could also just hire a cleaning service, haha! That would also work ;-)

Christina Freeman is a wife and mother to 3 little ones who enjoys capturing details of ordinary life from behind the lens. She currently resides in Anna, TX and loves photographing other families, babies and children in Collin County including Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Lucas, Allen, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs.

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The Stephan Family | Plano Family Photographer

christina — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 18:19:58 +0000

I had the pleasure of photographing this wonderful family shortly before they moved to the west coast. They are vibrant and fun, well-traveled, and always on the move having new adventures :) Sue was gracious enough to answer a few of my questions regarding motherhood, memories and legacies. Keep reading to see a few of her insights!

How has becoming a mother changed you?

I’ve always known that I wanted a family, but I spent a lot of years as an adult not being “ready” for children. I went to college, then graduate school. My husband and I were married for 8 years before Marcus was born. In that time I had a challenging career as a librarian and traveled most of the West Coast of the US as well as several countries in Europe. Back then I never saw myself as a stay at home mom, but as I prepared for the arrival of my son, I slowly came to realize that’s what I wanted. Also, before my kids were born, I always thought I’d adopt a more authoritarian discipline style, but after getting to know them and trying to understand what makes them tick I’ve found that a more gentle approach works better for us. I didn’t realize how much their individual personalities would affect my decisions. Parenting is a lot more hard work than I have ever done, a level of sleep deprivation that I never thought possible, and (as sappy as this sounds, but it’s so true) more love than I thought could fit into one heart.

My children’s favorite things/memorable things that they do

Marcus’ favorite animal is the cheetah because it is fast. He is obsessed with anything speedy- cars, planes, boats, you name it. Nobody is faster than he is when he’s wearing his “fast shoes”, just ask him. He is a great singer, but you have to catch him singing spontaneously because he won’t do it if you ask. His made up songs are my favorite! Sonya gets excited about anything that she has words for which at this time includes dogs (woof!), cats, balls, water, and shoes. She is a smiley, affectionate close-talker who seems to be aware that most people think she’s adorable. Once she has discovered something that makes you laugh, she does it over and over again.

My favorite images of Marcus and Sonya

My favorite photos of Marcus and Sonya are those that my husband and I have captured by accident. The ones where they aren’t perfectly posed and smiling. I feel that’s when their personalities shine through the most and I love being reminded of their little individual quirks. I’m thinking of one in particular when we were at the Chicago Botanic Garden and we stopped playing to take a photo. They weren’t upset, but you could tell having a picture taken was not high on the list of priorities that day. I laugh every time I see it because the displeasure on their faces comes through so clearly.

My favorite images of my grandparents

I love looking through my grandma’s scrapbook from when she was a senior in high school in 1936. My grandma was one of my favorite people in the whole world when I was growing up and of course I only knew her as an “old person”, so it was such a gift for me to have a glimpse of what she was like as a young woman. The objects inside are so incredibly everyday and mundane it’s almost funny. Some things about the items and photos of my grandma and her friends, like a restaurant menu offering a toasted cheese sandwich for ten cents and clothes they wore reflect how times have changed. Some of them, like a piece of crepe paper from a football game she attended or some of her and my great aunt’s poses and facial expressions, always trying to seem a little cooler and more mature than they actually were, remind me of my own high school memories. I’d like to think if we had been the same age in the same place at the same time, we might have been friends. There is also a ticket to a local amusement park that still exists in my hometown. My grandparents, parents, husband and I have all been there as children and I’ve even been able to take Marcus there a few times to ride the rides with his cousins. It makes me wonder what small, everyday objects my own children will someday deem important enough to save for posterity.

What I hope to remember and pass down

I hope that when my children have children, I will remember how challenging this time in my life was and how other people’s advice can sometimes be unhelpful. So many people have told me, “Enjoy them while they’re little because it goes by so fast.” and while I know that is true, it’s incredibly irritating to hear when you’ve scoured the entire playground for a tiny Lego piece twice, gotten poop on your favorite outfit, and had to clean up the umpteenth food mess of the day. I love spending time with my kids and I realize how lucky I am to be able to stay home, but I have some very tiring days that feel like they’re never going to end. I don’t want to invalidate those feelings for them when they go through the same thing.

As for their future, I hope I can help my children to have enough confidence in themselves to follow their own paths, to be free spirited, to not be afraid to question, and to decide on their own what is best for themselves. I’m slowly discovering that as a mom, it’s difficult to find a balance between setting firm boundaries and allowing enough leeway to make independent choices. I don’t have that quite figured out yet, but I’m learning every day.

Thank you so much for your beautiful words, Sue!

Christina Freeman specializes in family, newborn, children and maternity portraits in the Dallas, TX and surrounding areas including Lewisville, The Colony, Richardson, Addison, Plano, Prosper, Frisco, Allen, Wylie, McKinney, Princeton and other Dallas suburbs.

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Sarah | Glenview and Northbrook Family Photographer

christina — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 06:02:51 +0000

Sarah is a sweet and wonderful lady that I used to work with when I lived on the east coast. My family moved away and we kept in touch over the course of the years. (As a side note, her sweet baby boy, Ace, was born just four days before my little girl :) I was thrilled when Sarah contacted me a few months ago to let me know that her family would be traveling through the area. It was wonderful getting to see them again and to meet their addition to their family. Ace is such a smart little boy! The entire photo shoot, he was completely engaged in his surroundings and was more than happy to show off how well he could get around. Sarah was also gracious enough to share some of her own story and insights on the topic of motherhood. Please continue reading to hear her thoughts!

“I am an older first-time mom. My husband and I have been married for nearly a decade, and we always wanted to have a lot of kids. In fact, we started trying to grow our family pretty soon after we were married. It turns out that we are a perfect storm of not being able to have children. We tried everything from medical approaches to adoption to foster care adoption. Year after year, we were only met with heartache. Finally, during our 8th year of marriage, we successfully conceived through ivf; it’s a long, crazy, miraculous story, so suffice it to say, we shouldn’t have a child, and yet we do. He is so treasured and loved, and we truly believe that he is an answer to many, many years of prayer.

During those years of longing to become a mother, I’d often wonder what it would feel like, would my identity change, would I have the capacity to love differently? I had so many unanswered questions and so many fears. I even wrote a song about it. In it, I said, “I’m supposed to be a woman, but everything keeps turning out broken.” Eventually, I came to a place of peace, even if I could never have a child. I am a Christian, but instead of loving God, I was loving an idea of what I thought my life should look like. The peace only came when I realized that I would choose to love God no matter the outcome. It’s strange to think about it now because the heartache and longing has been replaced with joy, thankfulness, awe, and a whole lot of sleepless nights. Those sad years have melted away, and the memory of them gets foggier every new day with my boy.

My son, Ace, was born a couple weeks early and I couldn’t hold him right away because of some complications. I remember the sweetest moment was when they finally placed him on my chest. I just kept caressing his pile of brown, curly hair and saying “I’m your mommy!” And I am his mommy, and it’s awesome and it’s hard. Nursing was challenging for me in the beginning, but we finally figured it out and it’s one of my favorite times of the day. I love when he gazes in my eyes or smiles with milk running out of his mouth. One of my favorite pictures is a selfie of me breastfeeding him in my Navy uniform (I’m no longer serving). It reminds me of how hard I worked to be able to breastfeed Ace, and I am so thankful that it worked out for us because I almost gave up.

I wanted to have something each month that would show me his growth month by month and also be a little unique to our family. My husband and I are both musicians and we are surrounded by musical friends! We’ve been having Ace pose with a variety of instruments. Every month is a different one. He’s nearing 10 months now, and we’ll have to figure out which to pose him with next. I love taking these photos of him because he is so inquisitive about the instruments. When I look at the photos, I don’t just see Ace next to a saxophone or a set of bagpipes. I recall the memories of trying to keep the instruments out of his mouth or using them to try to stand up. I remember how we couldn’t get him to look at the camera because all he wanted to do was push on buttons. It’s so important to have memories attached to the photos, otherwise, they just kind of get lost in a sea of pictures that scroll along a screen saver and are background noise. I want our photos to be like memorable music, not just the radio playing when cleaning the house or going for a jog.

I kept putting off taking family photos because I was sad that I hadn’t lost much of the baby weight I put on. In the end though, this is me in the here and now, and my body changed because it built and feeds a small human and needs a bit more time to go back to the way it was. I don’t want my son to see that his mom is ashamed of that and that I hide from having my picture taken. And don’t get me wrong…it’s a daily struggle sometimes to not judge my appearance harshly. Thankfully, becoming a mother has helped me a become a lot less consumed with myself and a whole lot more focused on being a parent. I want Ace to see what his mommy looked like and not have to ask me why I’m not in the pictures. I also want to be participating in his life rather than only observing it. I’ve had to consciously pass the camera phone to someone else or even not care that every sweet moment is documented. I want to be in those sweet moments!

I hope we continue to take family photos over the years. I’m looking forward to showing Ace’s friends his baby pictures. Who knows… Maybe we’ll be blessed with more children and they can compare themselves through the pictures. I’ve got two sisters and a brother and we were constantly pulling out old baby photos and seeing what things we did that were the same or how our eyes are all the same shape. We still pull out the old albums and laugh at bad perms and horrible glasses and clothing choices. Photos do that. They capture one moment stilled in time, but that moment will last for years to come and provide a way for our family to reminisce over all the other wonderful moments we share.”

Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful thoughts, Sarah! I enjoyed every minute of getting to work with you again!

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Sweet Mommy and Me Session | Northbrook Family and Child Photographer

christina — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 18:45:59 +0000

Did you ever have a person in your life that you looked up to and wanted to be like when you were younger? When I was in middle school, a girl named Ashley moved to my home town and started going to our church. She was in the same grade as my older sister, and I admired her so much. Even today, I can still remember how her sweet spirit inspired me and helped me learn to treat other people with care and consideration. I was absolutely thrilled when Ashley contacted me recently to take some pictures of her and her sweet son Grayson. And she is every bit as sweet as I remember :-) Her son Grayson was a lot of fun to photograph–full of life and energy! I asked Ashley to give me a little bit of insight into what motherhood has been like for her, and she was gracious enough to oblige. Read more of her answers below!

I have been married to my loving and adventurous husband KC for almost 8 years. We live with our wonderful son Grayson who is 2 years old, and with our two dogs and one crazy old cat. I am a registered nurse, but currently a full time stay at home mom. Just over a year ago we moved to a new community, and we are getting to know people and making new friends.

On how becoming a mother has changed me:

Motherhood is so amazing because it has been an indescribably good gift as well as the hardest thing I have ever done. I think the biggest way that motherhood has changed me is by revealing many of my personal weaknesses. As a result of recognizing these things about myself I have a new compassion for other people who struggle with things that I don’t understand. Every day God loves me and gives me grace and help to improve in the areas where I struggle. I am grateful to feel a new sense of exciting purpose and a love for my life now that has come from the honor and blessing of being a mother.

A few memorable things that Grayson does at this time in life:

Grayson is a very talkative and affectionate boy. He tells me many times a day that he wants to “give mommy a kiss on the cheek” and “hug mommy”. He LOVES trucks! He identifies each truck and piece of construction equipment he sees, whether on the road, while driving, in books or on TV. He absolutely loves to read and randomly quotes large sections of his favorite books. His favorite place to be is outside swinging, swimming or riding his tricycle.

Do you have any favorite images from your own childhood? What was it about those images that touched you?

I have many cherished pictures from my childhood. I love to look through our family photo albums. Pictures are just like songs, they bring back feelings and memories and smells and details from that time in life. From our photo collections, I think my favorite pictures are actually the candid polaroid and kodak film prints of family gatherings, birthday parties and Christmas mornings. One that stands out to me is a picture of my mother in her 20’s with my grandfather. There really isn’t anything very remarkable about the background or what they might have been doing at the time it was taken, it just perfectly shows the warmth of their personalities and their love for each other. Another that I love is a picture of me sitting on my father’s shoulders in the swimming pool when I was about 7 years old, big smiles on our faces. Another favorite is one of me when I was about 2 years old. I am in my Easter dress bending over to pick up an egg with my sweet fluffy dress and bloomers sticking up in the air. The colors are soft and it feels like the innocence of childhood…

On the importance of providing family photo heirlooms:

I recently started a photo project for my living room. I’m working on framing images of grandparents and great grandparents to display with our other family pictures. I want Grayson to grow up seeing them every day and learning about who they were and what they did. My mother-in-law has a wall in her sewing room that she created to display pictures of influential women in her life – she has old, originally framed pictures of her grandparents, her mother and mother-in-law, her daughter and granddaughters… It is very special. I’m very thankful that our family has done a good job of taking and preserving pictures so we can enjoy them!

Thank you so much for asking me to take your pictures, Ashley! I had such a wonderful time!

Christina Freeman Photography specializes in capturing the little moments for families in Anna, TX and surrounding areas including Melissa, Van Alstyne, Celina, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, Frisco, Lucas, Allen and other Dallas suburbs..

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North Chicago Maternity Photographer | Sue

christina — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 20:06:39 +0000

This wonderful mother and her family have been on my mind recently as they await the arrival of their little girl any day now! As everyone else is gearing up to enjoy a nice long 4th of July weekend, I know this family is preparing to wait. So please take a moment to enjoy these pictures from this maternity session, and as you are enjoying your fireworks, parades and apple pie, send a warm wish up to this sweet momma for a healthy and happy delivery. All the best, Sue!

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Glenview Child Photographer | Capturing Childhood

christina — Fri, 22 May 2015 21:40:30 +0000

Do you ever catch yourself looking at your children in utter disbelief that they are children and not still the little babies you were just holding in the hospital? When did that happen?

You cannot possibly be climbing that fence…I was holding you in the hospital just yesterday.

How have you outgrown that outfit already? It fit you last week!

Is this my baby looking at me with these grownup eyes?

I was just trying to help you sit up, and now I cannot stop you from running away from me.

Stop growing up!

I know I am not alone in this feeling, but I just find myself moved on a daily basis as I look at my little ones. Everyday brings new challenges, new feats conquered, new moments that I am proud of and challenged by. As these days fly by, I find comfort in capturing the little moments, the tiny details I never want to forget.

To see more, and to see these little moments in progress, occasionally stop by here:

I would love to hear from you! Call me at 940.453.4962 and let’s start capturing your family’s details today!

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Capturing Motherhood: Jenni Roberts Photography

christina — Mon, 18 May 2015 21:13:20 +0000

I am so honored to feature photographer Jenni Roberts from Austin, TX today! Not only is she a fantastic photographer and mother to the cutest little boy Sam, but she has also been an amazing personal friend over the years. We had the honor of having her take our engagement and bridal photos when she was first starting her business; she also happened to make my beautiful wedding bouquet :-) Please check out more of her work by visiting her sites!

Check out Jenni’s: website | facebook

“I’m writing this guest post from a quiet Starbucks in Austin, fueled by a latte and, God bless ‘em, a s’mores tart complete with a toasted marshmallow on top! I’ve been here 30 minutes just trying to get my brain to sit still and find answers to these fantastic questions that Christina has posed. ‘How has motherhood changed you?’ she wants to know. ‘And with those changes in mind, how is your photography different?’ Oh my goodness! Do you have an hour or two?!

My name is Jenni. I have a husband named Michael, and a little redheaded man named Sam made us parents about two years ago. He made me ‘Momma.’ I stay at home with Sam the Man, and I take photos professionally. I mostly shoot family portraits these days, but I mix in a fair amount of weddings and, because I live in Austin, the live music capital of the world, a little live music.

I tend to feel like whatever I’m shooting at the moment is my favorite thing to shoot. Like there’s nothing in the world I’d rather be doing. (And I get to call it work! People pay me for this! Suckers! Just kidding, I love my clients and y’all are smart.) But if it came right down to it, I think families are becoming my favorite thing to photograph. Here’s why.

Before I held my Sam the first time, I used to troll Pinterest before a session looking for inspiration for poses and backdrops and props. Then the doctor handed me Sam and I said, “Oh there you are!” And my view on what makes a pretty picture changed right there. Ya know how I know? Cause I looooove this photo:

Like, I love it. And y’all. I do not look pretty in that picture. (OK, I didn’t have the guts to include the even worse one that’s not blurry and shows my full head of “I just delivered a baby” hair. But still.) I dropped the ball on scheduling someone to come and blow out my hair that day. And I’m gonna be honest: I puked about ten minutes before that picture was taken. Take Sam’s sweet little head out of that picture, and I would’ve shot the camera out of Michael’s hand before I let him take a photo of me like that! But it’s the first time I held Sam. It’s the first time we snuggled. So it’s one of my favorites.

Before Sam, it was hats and buckets and trying so hard to figure out how to make a baby’s head balance on his little hands. (It’s Photoshop, y’all. They don’t really do that. Don’t feel bad.) Now it’s snuggles and kisses and leg rolls. You know. The important stuff.

It’s sisters cutting up while their parents pose oh so sweetly!

And little boys who can run real fast and jump off tall walls but still hold daddy’s hand.

Those photos make me smile. And I hope they make those mommas and daddies smile whenever they look at them for the rest of their lives.

Speaking of looking at them for the rest of their lives … I’m (ironically) not great at actually hanging up my pictures in my house! I have not yet mastered the art of the perfect gallery wall! But I think that’s OK. It’s the photo itself that you love, right? If the sweet memories are what makes a beautiful photo, then isn’t actually calling those moments to mind the most important part of displaying them?!

I have these three big, beautiful prints of Sam framed on the wall next to my bed where I see them at least twice a day.

And I loooove looking at them!

But I also have a bunch of 4×6 prints in plastic magnetic frames on the fridge. And more hanging in the hallway that I put there almost a year ago for Sam’s first birthday party! They’re just hanging on a little string with mini clothes pins! But Sam likes them and so do Michael and I. Sam has learned to say some of his friends’ names by looking at those photos. He doesn’t care that they’re not matching frames, artfully arranged in a complimentary pallet to make a bold a statement about … I don’t know … how we feel about gallery walls, I guess? They’re just sweet pictures of sweet people.

Don’t get me wrong – I love and am envious of a good gallery wall! And someday I hope to have one. But today (between Sam’s 10 a.m. playdate and my 1 p.m. portrait session) is just not that day.

On the other hand, one investment worth making now toward that future gallery wall is finding a good photo lab! Whether you’re picking a wedding portrait to hang above your mantle or planning to pass a handful of 4x6s between doting grandmas, the quality of the print makes all the difference. Here, this is a good one: http://www.precision-camera.com/prints. They’re in Austin, but they’ll ship to you, and their prices are great. I also love the specialty products from https://www.artifactuprising.com/. They’re not too pricey and they’re sooo pretty! Their signature prints are on an especially thick stock and don’t even really need a frame. I have some propped up on my desk and they’re lovely all by themselves!

Besides, let’s be honest – choosing one photo to highlight is too hard! I mean, obviously the nice ones with their hair all combed and their adorable, unsullied Easter outfit is a classic … But you can’t say no to that slice-of-life photo that shows their true personality in all its sloppy glory, can you? So don’t! Have your cake and the photo of your precious baby wearing said cake on her first birthday! Trust me — no one will complain.”

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