📷Get in the Frame, Mama

These days, life looks a bit different than it did 10 years ago.

I’m in the middle of potty training (attempt #3), running back and forth to the bathroom, and packing what feels like a full day’s worth of clothes and snacks for childcare on long workdays.

Long before I was a mom, I was a family photographer. My days looked different then, but I was always in the family portrait business. And I learned something quickly - moms treasured that family portrait, especially those sweet “mommy and me” moments, because they were rarely in the photos. They were always the ones behind the lens.

Now, as a mom, that truth feels even more real.

My phone is filled with photos of my son

from the silly moments he asks me to capture to the quiet ones where he’s snuggling up with our cat. We’re constantly documenting our children’s lives, often without being physically present in them ourselves.

Sometimes it’s simply because no one else is there to take the photo. But more often, I’ve found that moms - like many women - are quick to focus on their perceived flaws.

We tell ourselves our hair isn’t right or that our outfit doesn’t sit the way we’d like. As a woman, I’ve always been able to relate to that. And now, as a mom, I understand it on an even deeper level.

But when I look back at photos of my own childhood with my mom, I don’t see any of that.

I don’t notice whether she loved her hair that day or how her blouse fit. I just see her. I treasure those photos. I show them to my son and say, “Look - it’s Mama with Grandma.” And in those moments, I see myself in her.

Because one day, our children will look back at these photos, and they’re going to want to see you in them, Mama. Not just for themselves, but for their own children, your future grandbabies.

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It’s so easy, as women and as mothers, to focus on our imperfections.

But our children don’t see those things. They see love. They see connection. They see comfort.

Now, whenever I book a family photographer, I always make it a point to ask for a few meaningful photos of just me and my son. And as a photographer myself, I make sure to capture those moments for other moms, too.

Tesoro Photography Collage of 3 women with their children

Images by Tesoro Photography

With Mother’s Day approaching…

many dads reach out to purchase a gift certificate or book a session for their wives, and truly, it’s such a meaningful gift. Treat the mothers in your life to something they’ll treasure for years to come.

And mamas, don’t stress about what to wear. I offer complimentary wardrobe consultations before every session. We’ll go over styling together, and I can even help source the best outfits for you and your little ones so you feel confident and prepared.

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