“Honestly Jenn, the photos you've captured have moved me and remind me why I always wanted to be a Mum, thank you! It's my birthday tomorrow and having photos of me and my babies is the most special gift that I'll treasure forever!”
If you’re a mum chances are you’re the one behind the camera. You’re busy photographing your children’s first smiles, messy faces, birthday celebrations, cuddles, milestones and all those little everyday moments that you never want to forget, but when you look back through your family photos, how many of them actually have you in them?
Probably not enough.
That’s why I believe every mum deserves to have a motherhood photo shoot with her children. Not just for today, but for the years when your children will look back at these photographs and realise just how loved they were.
Mums are always behind the camera
As mums we naturally become the family photographer. We capture everyone else, but often avoid being photographed ourselves. Maybe you don't feel like you look your best, you haven't had time to do your hair, or you're waiting until you've lost a little weight.
Here's the thing...
Your children don't see any of that.
They just see their mum.
They see the person who cuddled them when they were sad, kissed their scraped knees, made them laugh and was there through all the ordinary and extraordinary moments of their childhood. Years from now, they won't notice whether you thought you looked perfect. They'll simply be grateful to have photographs of the two of you together.
Motherhood photography is about connection
For me, motherhood photography isn't about creating perfectly posed or staged photographs. It's about capturing the relationship between you and your children.
A little hand holding yours.
A cuddle.
A kiss on the forehead.
A child climbing into your lap.
The laughter that happens when you're simply playing together.
These are the moments that tell your story.
As a Melbourne motherhood photographer, my approach is natural, relaxed and centred around connection. I give gentle direction when needed, but I want you to interact with your children rather than worry about posing for the camera. Your children don't need to sit perfectly still or smile on command.
Just be together.
You don't need to wait for the "perfect" time
One of the biggest things I hear from mums is, "I'll have photos taken when I lose a little weight" or "I'll wait until the kids are a bit older." There is no perfect time. Your children are changing right now.
Those little hands won't always be so tiny. They won't always want to sit on your lap. The cuddles will change, their faces will change and their personalities will continue to grow. This particular version of motherhood is fleeting and that's why photographing it matters.
A photograph your children will treasure
Imagine your child looking through an album years from now and seeing photographs of themselves with you. Not just photographs you took of them, but photographs of you together. They'll see the way you held them, the way you laughed together, the way they fitted perfectly into your arms.
They'll see the woman who was there throughout their childhood. Perhaps most importantly, they'll see just how much they were loved.
That's what makes motherhood photography so meaningful.
You deserve to be in the family photos too
If you're always the one behind the camera, consider this your reminder to step in front of it.
You don't need to look perfect.
You don't need to know how to pose.
You don't even need your children to behave perfectly!
You simply need to show up and be Mum.
Whether photographed in my Highett home studio in Bayside Melbourne or outdoors, my goal is to create natural, heartfelt photographs that capture the connection between you and your children.
As a Bayside family and motherhood photographer, I want your photographs to feel like you, relaxed, genuine and full of those little moments that make motherhood so incredibly special. One day, your children will have photographs of almost everything, but they need photographs of you with them too.
Mum, you spend so much time making sure everyone else is in the photos. It's time you were in them too.
If you're looking for a Melbourne motherhood photographer or Bayside family photographer to capture this special stage of your life, I'd love to create something beautiful and meaningful with you.
My motherhood sessions are relaxed and natural, with the focus on connection rather than stiff posing. Whether your children are tiny babies, toddlers, school-aged or teenagers, there is no age that is too late to document your relationship. Your children won't always be this little.
Let's make sure you exist in their childhood memories, not just behind the camera, but right there beside them.
