Motherhood in the Golden light of Spring

The forecast for the week had been a bit dodgy. We were looking at high winds and heavy rain, not quite what we had in mind! It was the morning of the session that we checked one last time and couldn’t believe our eyes, glorious sunshine all evening! Perfection!

Beth’s motherhood session was rooted in their love for the outdoors, nature and allowing their childresn curious minds to explore. When I asked how she would describe her family she said “I’ve never even thought about this before! I think we are a pretty laid back, outdoorsy family, who love learning new things (especially relating to science and nature). As a Mum I aim to be gentle and I’d describe myself as “somewhat crunchy” and aiming to give my children a magical and whimsical childhood and establish a foundation by which they nurture their curiosity and excitement about the world around them. The children are both amazing, so so different but they’re both so full of joy and love and interest.”

I knew from the moment I started talking to Beth about the vision of her session, what it meant to her and what we wanted to capture that it was going to be an incredibly special thing to be a part of, a snippet into the huge amounts of love and warmth that surround them.

As with 99% of women I speak with ahead of a session, there were thoughts around appearance and how confident she would feel in front of the camera but when reflecting on her session she said “When we started I didn’t give it a second thought, I just had a lovely time. I don’t think about my body normally when I’m spending time with my children and it was the same as that, just with you there capturing it”“The way Heather made me feel was amazing. I went into it quite nervous and went from that state to feeling at ease, to feeling incredibly empowered”

This is always my biggest hope from these sessions. That you see yourself in a different light. You see more of the the way your children look at you, the way you hold them, the love that oozes from every single one of you.

With a slight nip in the air, we knew layers would be a good idea for the session. We started with the children’s outfits, making sure it was comfortable and felt natural to them. We knew we wanted love to take centre stage, so we chose natural, soft tones that allowed us to focus on connection first and created a lovely blend of colours between them all. Beth chose a lovely soft, warm jumper that she loves with some comfy new jeans, which was the perfect combo to be moving around in and curling up together.

With all the running around, getting chilly as the sun lowered didn’t become a consideration as we were so immersed in the moment, it was more about making sure no one got a wet bum from sitting too long! We even doubled up the blankets with a waterproof picnic blanket and nice blanket on top and somehow it still managed to get through!

Did it feel different to other photography experiences you’ve had (if any)? In what way? Or if you haven't had one before, was it what you expected?

Yes! I felt like you struck such a perfect balance between directing ideas and just letting things organically flow. It felt so natural and not at all posed, but it was considered so that I never felt at all like I was having to think of what to do. You made us all feel so comfortable; it was a genuinely fun thing for us all to do, but then produced these absolutely beautiful photos that we’ll treasure forever

When you first saw your photographs, what did you feel?

Honestly, incredibly emotional. I actually burst into tears because I felt like this was the first time I’d seen photos of us that truly felt like us. I love my children so so much, and I feel like the bond we have is magic, and I’ve never really seen that portrayed in photos before. They’re usually posed in a way that loses that spark of joy. Objectivity too the way you’ve captured the light in them is absolutely beautiful and I’m obsessed.

Did you notice anything about your family, or yourself, that you hadn’t fully seen before?

I don’t think I’d noticed before how central I am to their world and how much love radiates from us all. I see their little looks but I’d never seen them through anyone else’s eyes before.

What do these photographs mean to you right now?

They are so precious. They capture this time, of joy and strength and exhaustion and growth so perfectly. I feel like they will be at my bedside as an old lady, as a reminder back to this time that I know will be the most treasured time of my life - this bit made me so emotional!! To think these photos will be carried for another lifetime, fondly looked over, spotting similarities and details that change over time. A child becoming an adult seeing their place in the world and how rooted they were in their family. A parent, watching their children grow so fast in front of their eyes, desperate to capture and document every tiny chapter. Ah it makes me emotional just writing this!

I loved spending every minute with them on this session. From the rough and tumble, to the picking of gorse flowers to nibble on, shouting stinking farts at the top of their voice, to soft, gentle cuddles embraced in sunshine and love. I didn’t want it to end!

(All images shared from this session are with children’s privacy in mind)