Lauren is the patient, wise, gentle mom we all aspire to be when we have our first little.

A new little fresh baby around the holidays the ultimate Christmas gift. Coming from a religious background, newborn babies around that time of year pull at my heartstrings in a special kind of way. This little one was born a few days ahead of schedule (Christmas Day), and actually interrupted the decorating of their Christmas tree! When I got to their home, the top half of the tree had lights, and the bottom half was bare. It was a happy reminder of reality, the chaos, and the re-prioritized joy that a new life brings.

I wanted to bring out that aspect of her personality, but still show her tough side – the side that every mother or mother-to-be finds that she has: the inner goddess in all of us mothers that sheds our naive skin and comes forth post partum – braver, stronger, finally matured.

You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,
And days will run into days that are exactly the same,
Full of feeding and burping,
Whining and fighting,
Naps, or lack of naps. It might seem like a never-ending cycle.

BONUS TIP:
Erin was about 3 months pregnant in these photos, which was not the original “plan”, and let me know ahead of time that she was expecting. These photos are a great example of how, through simple posing and styling, you can either maximize or hide any curves or pregnancy.

When this brand new mother came to the studio with her husband and told me about her style and the little babe she’s carried, I was determined: we had to create something absolutely special for her and her husband and baby!

Her home is decorated in a contemporary and modern style, but is also full of antiques. She needed to be represented as strong and ethereal at the same time. We created some…

I realized two things: I needed to show off motherhood to the world as the beautiful, powerful role that it is, and I needed to give families the incredible, gorgeous studio portraits they deserved. Why can’t your family photo look like the Kardashians? Why can’t you look like that, too? What makes them so special, while you have to be stressed and go to a field outside at sunset in the cold? Did someone tell you that? Did someone say, “Well, you’ll never be a model“? Did someone say, “Just go with the so-and-so photographer, they’re more your style“? Did someone say, “That doesn’t look good on your body type, you should get this instead“? Did someone say, “Don’t be extra“? Did someone say, “Stop showing off“? 

“There’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begin.”

What on earth is better than 4 generations of women getting together to celebrate the life and legacy of their matriarch? 

Absolutely nothing. Nothing could be better.