Beautiful Mama

Let us make pregnancy an occasion when we appreciate our female bodies. - Merete Leonhardt-Lupa

I love doing maternity shoots just as much as I love weddings. There is

something unspoken, yet echoing about being in the presence of a woman who is carrying a child … there is something special, serene and powerful about being with a woman who embraces her body, who was selfless enough to explore the unknown – for it really can be unknown territory, even if it is your third or fifth.

More and more women are documenting their journey through diary cams, blogs and diaries, and of course photos. I can remember feeling my most beautiful when I was pregnant. Usually, I am very conscious about my body … but with my growing belly, I felt like a super model – fierce, fearless, ready to drop it all ... literally. Seriously! Anyone who wanted to see my belly, I’d literally flash them, bar none. My photo shoot was partially nude, and I felt fabulous! I enjoyed that experience, and it is a personal goal to make sure that my mommy-clients feel the same way.

In fact, I’ve had a few clients who literally went into labour after a shoot (this is why I no longer shoot in the ninth month!). One client basically left from our shoot and went straight to the hospital to have her baby. A girlfriend of mine was on bed rest but insisted she HAD to have her photos … let’s just say that the baby loved pics more than she did, and decided to make an early debut a few hours after I left. My girlfriend came home with a healthy baby the day she should have really gone to the hospital to deliver. Another friend who was in and out of the hospital and then spent the last couple of weeks there and demanded she have her shoot! Well, let’s just say we turned the hospital room into a studio and took the fastest maternity shoot EVER, as her hubby kept a watch out for hospital staff! Ahh yes… the adventures of maternity shoots!

But I absolutely LOVE it.

I love hearing of the rollercoaster ride of pregnancy which will then evolve into motherhood – the ride never ends.

I love seeing the way my mommy-clients speak to their unborn children, the tender touch of hands on their stomach; that gentle smile of feeling that baby move as the flash goes off; even that knitted brow and twisted smile of annoyance and discomfort as they will their little one to “sleep” through the shoot. I love the way the baby reacts to the voice and touch of their fathers (when present for the shoot). I love the way the moms will look at their partners with great tenderness or annoyance … either way, that unspoken bond is loud, alive and growing.

I love hearing about the stories – the sleepless nights, cramps, cravings, fatigue, hospital trips, unreasonable angry flare ups (especially at the unsuspecting dads), the easy nights, the joy, the fear, the excitement, the apprehension … yes there is definitely kaleidoscope of emotions and experiences that can accompany motherhood.

Today is mother’s day (10th May, 2015) and it is impossible not to reflect on my own mother –creative, genuine, loving, selfless, giving, inspiring – and the many mothers who were selfless enough to love children who they did not bare – now that is an amazing act of love.

To all the women who are mothers by nature and nurture … remember that you are amazing!!!!!