Jul
18
2013Sometimes stories are hard to tell. I’ve procrastinated on this one for a long time because I’m not sure I can bear to tell it. But I am not the Author of this story and I do not know what glory awaits at the final ending.
Stephanie is a single mom. I don’t know all the particulars and they’re not mine to tell, but shortly after the child in her womb began to move, her husband left.
Stephanie worked and mourned and waited. She worked a local ice cream joint that gives free cones to children under a certain height. I remember seeing her long before our session. She smiled as she passed my children a cone. A smile that whispered hope: children are a gift. Hope that I needed on that warm late fall day when my son had likely woken me long before day’s first light.
The Stephanie I met in the studio: she was the same. Quiet patient hope. Smiling gently to her newborn Ethan and thanking Jesus for him as she rocked him to gentle slumber.
I’m showing you this whole session in black and white because it evokes all the emotion I feel thinking back to this day.
May
23
2013My session with this dear family started like most with a simple inquiry in my Facebook messages.
But this wasn’t the normal sort of photography inquiry. In fact, it had nothing to do with photography at all. Diane and Titus had just been selected by a birth mom pregnant with twins and wanted to pick the brain of the only woman they knew with young twins: me.
One thing led to another after I dumped my unused double stroller, registry advice, and lots of crazy pep talks on Diane, I begged to photograph the babies. I’m pretty shameless. 🙂 Adoption is expensive and I like to love on adoptive families however I can. So a session with the most gorgeous twins I’ve ever laid eyes on (besides my own), was sooo exciting that it was a gift.
However, as a twin mom, it wasn’t the best gift I could give. The best gift were words of comfort when I heard Diane had hit the 2-4 month absolutely exhausted slump. I wrote down how difficult it is to like two beings who rarely let you sleep more than 2 hours straight and yet whom you love dearly. The first 5 or so months of twin motherhood is pure survival mode. It’s hard. I’m not saying it’s not worth it, because I love being a twin mom. But there are moments in those first months where I would have handed over my babies to that kind old stranger lady in the grocery store who uttered the words “I always wanted twins” just to go home and nap. There are moments where somehow the grace of God eased me through, but I still have no idea how I and the babies survived. And I want new twin mothers to hear that it’s okay to have those feelings and those moments.
I come to love each session more than the last… but I have to say this is one of my very favorite sessions ever. Diane and Titus, thank you for letting me talk you into coming for a session! It was a true gift for me to snuggle your new ones.
I had some help from the lovely Mayfield Photography for this session. She shot some spectacular detail images and was also the hands behind my composite shots!
Apr
05
2013Sometimes I feel so unable and unworthy to tell His story. I find it more natural (but still scary) to share how my raw story intertwines with His because I am constantly processing His work with a pen.
Yet telling client stories is so much harder. I fear that I will tell the story wrong or that I will share too much or too little. I worry, perhaps very foolishly, that my words will not bring Him glory.
However, Jesus is sovereign over even my pen. And my clients read these humble words of mine before I ever press publish… so why should I fear?
Mariam’s Story
I’m four stories behind. So let me start with Mariam.
Mariam, too, processes her world by placing ink on paper. With the onset of each season of morning sickness, Mariam selects a jouranl and scratches down words to encourage the new life within.
Her two beautiful girls, Isabella and Alista, have journals brimming with memories, laughter, and recorded words of prayer. Newborn Lazaro’s journal is already filled with nearly a year of the same writing gifts though he is only 2 months old at the time of this writing. But there is a fourth journal whose writing now is sparse: that dear child has departed to sit at the feet of Jesus.
The five in this family have walked a healing journey through Lazaro’s pregnancy and birth. A healing both painful and profoundly filled with the peaceful presence of Christ.
Relationship Focused Newborn Photography
When Mariam and I were planning this session, she specifically asked for relationship focused newborn photography. She wanted us to capture the journey of healing as a family and how precious their relationships have become through this season of intermingled grief and joy. My heart sang at this request because telling stories like these are why I clumsily pick up both a pen and a camera.
Mariam’s session has so many beautiful images that I have had a very difficult time narrowing down what I want to show you.
Lazaro’s many smiles, the shy smiles and then laughter of Isabella and Alista as I sang Pete the Cat, the way Haro has the power to have a whole room fall over in laughing tears, Mariam’s joy in knowing that His will is always the best…
I hope you’ll see glimpses of all these things in the following images.
Jan
24
2013
Starting around the time that I was in the process of writing my Life Statement, I’ve had a string of sessions that are right in the middle of living their beautiful-mess with grace. First, there was Karen with her heartbreaking story of trusting wholly in the grace of God. And then there was this session with fellow photographer Amanda of MyOhmanda Artistry and Photography. But then again, maybe God has just opened my eyes to the messy beautiful more because of that Life Statement. In any case, let me share a little of Amanda’s life with you.
Amanda’s had a rough year. Her mother, who diligently prayed Amanda through some rough situations in her life, went home to be with the Savior this year. Her hopes for a VBAC were crushed. And she has two boys 4 and under and was expecting a third. Children that young just make life joyfully ridiculously full of unexpected mess.
Micah came on the very special date of 12/12/12 as a little reminder of how many unexpected ways God blesses us through pain and through joy. I don’t know the end of this story, but I do know that like all parts of His story it’s going to point to the gospel: the story that our perfect doesn’t have to be perfect because He loves us enough to die for us despite our failings. I’m excited to have been introduced to the joy of walking with her through this season.
My personal favorite part of Micah’s Session is the Greenville, SC mother and baby newborn photography images we took. Amanda was so willing to get in the picture with her family. It’s not easy as woman to see yourself in images and try not to listen to that evil voice that says we should look a certain way. It’s even harder to get in the photograph right after you’ve had a c-section and it’s physically painful to do so. But Amanda wanted to be in the picture. Having just lost her mom, she knows how valuable ever single image of her mother is. Her boys will always treasure these images.
Even this family image is precious. It’s real life lived gracefully with a 4 and 1 year old plus a newborn. The joy, the laughter, the tantrums, the tears, and the sheer absurdity of each day all rolled up in one image. (Does Newborn Micah really have his eyebrow raised as if to say, “Who are these people?!”)
Don’t worry, we did get one great image of all three boys together. A miracle image if I do say so myself!
Here’s just a sneak peak of all of the rest of the adorableness in this session.
Amanda, it was a real honor to be invited into your life during this hard season. Thank you for choosing me to capture your Greenville, SC Mother and Baby Newborn Photography.
Dec
11
2012In addition to a Lifestyle Family Session, the Connelly’s also chose to do a traditional posed newborn session with Ivey. I’m honored when families choose me as their Greenville, SC Newborn Photographer.
Ivey is a very special client because her parents are my first repeat client. Ivey is the sister of my very first newborn ever, sweet Lydia!
Just look at how much I have grown as a newborn photographer in 2 short years:
Lydia in 2010
Ivey (October 2012)
Speaking of Lydia, look at how much this quirky little girl has grown in the past two years! I think she easily could have stole the show 🙂
Unlike Lydia, Ivey did not love my bean bag. We managed a few bean bag images both asleep and awake before she demanded to be fed. I love that she gave me eye contact in the following shot! So rarely will newborns look directly at a camera.
After she nursed, Ivey finally clonked out right in Tamara’s arms. So sweet! I’m such a sucker for mother/child images because mom is so often the one behind the camera that she’s rarely in the shot.
Ivey really liked this basket. It must have been this snuggly purple blanket! She slept so peacefully .
But my favorite image from this whole session is of Tamara with Lydia and Ivey. I love Lydia’s sneaky kiss, Ivey’s sleepy body, and Tamara’s pure enjoyment of having two little girls to love.
Tamara, thank you so much for choosing me to capture your family each year. I love sharing life with you and capturing your joy!
