As a mom of two babies who didn’t exactly recover her body in between pregancies, you could say I’m feeling a little vulnerable when it comes to my body. You could also say that I pretty much hide from the camera a lot of the time (one of the benefits of being a photographer is that you are expected to take more pictures than you are expected to pose for).

Still, I saw my children’s lives rolling along a breakneck speed and I wasn’t in any of the photos. Here I was preaching to all the moms I met how important it was for them to get in the photo, and I wasn’t doing it myself.

I do try not to dwell on my body and it’s current state too much. I try not to say anything negative about my body in front of my children, and I try to honour the place that grew my two littles. It’s not always easy. Some days I just look in the mirror and sigh. I know that they won’t be little forever and the day where I can make myself a priority again (at least for a few hours a week) will come.

But in the meantime, I can’t let their childhood be documented in my absence. And truth be told with proper posing even someone who isn’t thrilled with how they look in the mirror, can be quite pleased with how the camera treats them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with how you look, and realistically there isn’t really anything wrong with how I look either, I just don’t like it. And pretending that I should just get over it won’t change that fact. Maybe, like me, you’re working on loving yourself a little more, and that’s awesome. But as we do that, can we just take some pictures of us that don’t make us cringe?

xoxo

Carrie

He was 3 weeks old, a little older than the average newborn I photograph.
Still, we got some great photos and had some good laughs.
Including a few out-takes like this one:

I was so pleased to come back and see this little guy for his 6-month session.

When I first showed up he was all smiles, although you might not be able to tell by the photos. What can I say, he’s a ladies man, all smiles when he could see my eyes, but stone-cold serious once I got the camera in front of my face.

Six months is such a great time for little ones to show off their mad tummy time skills, sitting skills and to really capture their interaction with mom and dad.

Enjoy the next few months! I can’t wait to see the little guy when he’s taking his first steps!

This kid has imagination to spare!

Nearing the end of the session, the words “Mars bar” came up, as Miss C had been promised some candy for cooperating. She made sure her parents didn’t forget the deal. She smiled, but this whole deal was wearing thin. Make with the chocolate!

Even when I returned to do their viewing session a week later, she made sure to point out in a particular photo when she was looking quite serious that “that was when I wanted my Mars bar”.

Well the results speak for themselves. I think I might start carrying a stash in my camera bag.

My sister at 16. I was all of 18 when I took this photo.

And it’s not just that I liked it. People loved what I did. They framed the photos and put them up on their wall. And I loved it too. I could disappear into the darkroom for hours, losing hours of daylight and tainting the tips of my fingers in the chemical baths. My trusty Nikon FE2 had become my most prized possession. And my photographs had become an extension of me.

Those around me trusted me to capture the most precious moments in their lives and they relive those moments by looking at those photos every day. Sometimes, I see those photos on their walls. Othertimes when distance separates us, I see the photos on their walls through photos they post on facebook, and it makes me feel closer to them even though they are really far away.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband went to visit my cousin and his family. My cousin’s son was turning 16, and we had been invited to his birthday party. I was working, but sent along my best wishes and my two kids!

When he got back, my husband told me a story about an interaction he had with my uncle while visiting. You see, when this same 16 year old boy was a baby, I snapped a photo of him and his grandfather. So as my uncle was showing my husband this photo of the sweet boy who was just a baby then, and is now almost a man, my uncle asked: “Guess who took this photo?”

I smiled as he told me the story because I knew the photo.  I knew it well. That photo is on display in my cousin’s home. It has moved with them several times over the years, but in each new home it has found a place of honour.

That photo is cherished by my uncle, by my cousin, and surely by my cousin’s son now.

I wish I would have been there to take a photo this beloved treasure, but I wasn’t.

Maybe some other time.

So instead I’ll share a photo of my own babe, because it makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile too.

Yep, I put a pink wig on my baby. What of it?

Spend some money a timeless memory! Capture your little one in all their cupid-y cuteness, so that your significant other can be reminded of just how awesome you are for giving them such an amazing gift to begin with!

Valentine’s Mini Sessions are the perfect intro to our services. You get five images you can print up to 5×7 for $60 +HST. Easy on the wallet, devastating on the heart! I still have a few openings this Sunday (Feb. 3), and might be persuaded to do the following Sunday (Feb. 10) as well if I have enough interest!

Email me at fourbeesphoto@gmail.com for your spot!