First Birth

I still find it hard to believe that I had this amazing opportunity to shoot such an intimate and life changing experience. A big thanks goes out to Stacey and Cory who trusted me with these moments. I will remember it always.

I spent some time with the family the day before Piper joined this world while Stacey was in labour. The following morning I was asked to make my way to the hospital. I fought the early morning rush hour traffic to get back to the hospital, scrambled to find parking, ran through the hospital and when I approached her room, I was told by the nurses that she was delivering right now. I literally walked through the door and had time to grab my camera just as this tiny miracle was born. Not long after Piper was whisked away to be monitored and assessed as she needed some help breathing. That wait between the delivery and seeing Piper again is difficult to describe. As a mom, I can only imagine how that felt. When she finally made her appearance, so tiny, so vulnerable - I was so happy for Stacey to see her baby but also a little heart broken for her that she couldn't just hold her in her arms right away.

The one word that comes to mind when I think about Stacey is strength - from beginning to end. I think baby Piper was lucky enough to inherit this trait.

Mother's Day

99% of those who contact me are women and the majority are moms or moms to be. I knew this fact but hadn't fully realized until I started to think about Mother's Day which is fast approaching. In honour of this special day, there was one session that I knew I wanted to write about. All of my sessions mean so much to me but this one was different because it was my first time photographing new parents. By new parents I mean parents welcoming their first child just days before I showed up to photograph them. My sessions before this included an older sibling. So....in this case, they were brand new parents. Parents navigating those early days that are chaotic, exhausting, messy, beautiful, full of new experiences and emotions - remember that feeling of not being able to take your eyes of this little person and maybe that feeling of how does this little person generate so much laundry?

As we think about Mother's Day, how do you capture all that it means? From those who are waiting to meet their babies to new moms just discovering life as a parent and perhaps a new appreciation for moms in their lives, to the moms who have been part of our life growing up that cared for us or that now watch over us. How do you capture the sacrifices made, the love, the commitment, the laughter, the nurturing, the encouragement that mothers bring? The scraped knees that are made better, the hugs after a long day, the talks and advice?

For me, showing the beauty of those early days is what I kept coming back to - the beginning. I was quite nervous before this session - without the distraction of other little ones running around, it's a different mood all together. Knowing full well how difficult those early days can be on everyone, I wanted to ensure that I gave them the space they needed to feel comfortable and at the same time to document the details of their life and routine that maybe sometimes we forget to capture. I felt so honoured to be invited into their home during such an intimate time when everyone is just trying to figure things out.

This little girl's story may branch off from her mom's but it will always be rooted there. Merci beaucoup aux parents de m'avoir faite confiance de capter ces moments. Joyeuse fête des mères.