I just want to start off by simply saying: "If only we could see ourselves the way our children see us. How beautiful and unconditionally loved we would feel."
I hear so many moms saying they don't like how they look whether it be their hair, skin, weight, etc. This tends to be the biggest reason they don't like their photos taken. But photos with your kids? That is something that should NEVER be sacrificed! Your babies (young or old) love you so, so much. They don't see what you see. All they see is their mommy...a booboo healer, toy fixer, mac-n-cheese makin, bedtime story tellin, hugs-n-kisses givin, one-of-a-kind superhero! Everything about you to them is wonderful and beautiful. The special bond between a mother and child is beyond words. It's something that should be cherished and relished....no matter how old your "babies" are!
Don't you want to be able to look back in a few years and look through photos of you and your children and remember those sweet, fleeting moments? Photos of you hugging, snuggling, playing, laughing. Don't you want to be able to share these photos with your children when they're older? To look back together and laugh, cry, reminisce in the good ol' days? Don't you want to leave them a legacy? Memories they too can later cherish? Memories of their beautiful mom and the special little moments they got to share with you? These photos remind them of their childhood...of how much you love them and how much they love you. They don't care how your hair looks, what you're wearing or how much you weigh. Seriously, they don't.
You'll never look at a photo of you with your mother (dead or alive) and say: "Gee I wish she would've lost weight before having her picture taken with me." Sure, you might poke fun at the fashion style "back in the day", but never will you say that you wish she had worn something "better" in order to be photographed with you. You will never regret that she wore her hair up instead of down that day. You won't care about any of that. You will only see your mothers arms around you with her lips pressed to your forehead and her eyes closed as she breathed in your sweet baby scent. Now do you see what I'm trying to say? I hope you do.
You know another big reason I hear for not having professional portraits taken with your children? "I don't have the money." And honestly, I can relate to that. Even as a photographer, I don't have many photos with my son. Apparently no one knows how to pick up a camera and snap precious moments of me with my son. And don't get me started about finding a local photographer who I not only admire their work, but can afford their price tag. It's sad to say, but it's true. I want professional photos just like you. So I sat down and thought long and hard about how I can make this happen and I started to cry. I simply never thought of putting it in my "budget" or making it a rewarding goal. And why not? We budget for bills...we set weight goals. Why not for professional portraits?
Compare it to getting your hair done. I just (regretfully) paid $170 at a day spa for my hair and nothing to show for it...besides my roots that are starting to grow back already after only 2 weeks. The same amount of money could have gotten me memories to last a lifetime. So many things became stupid and questionable. Manicures, fancy hair, tanning, brand new vehicles, name brand clothes, etc. None of those things define me as a mother and none of these things matter to my son. These aren't things he can look back on and cherish. So I have started taking pointless things out of my budget to work in something I feel is way more important. I hope this motivates you to do the same if you are among the mom's who don't have the budget for luxuries like professional portraits.
And if this still doesn't help, I am going to give away a FREE Mommy & Me Mini Session to one very lucky lady! The chance to finally have professional portraits with your children. It doesn't matter if your children are 5 months old or 55 years old...it doesn't matter if you have 1 child or 10...this is your chance! Take the $85 this session would have cost and put it towards something else meaningful...like a day trip somewhere special with your children! Or use it to purchase BIG prints from your session to display proudly on your wall and brag about! Entering is easy and you have a whole week to do so! Below you will see a flyer for the Mommy & Me Mini Sessions and under that will be the contest! Good luck : )
Here is the contest entry form! The contest will run from now until April 10th at 12pm. Winner will get a FREE Mommy & Me Mini Session {an $85 value}. Digital images are included. Prints are separate and they are 20% off. Dates that are still available at the time of winning will be the spots you can choose from. Winner will be announced on April 11th via Facebook.
* Please note that the entry that asks you to comment on why professional portraits of you and your children is important to you is to be entered into the "Comments" section of my blog which is located directly under the contest box. The comment is to be written after you have gone through all steps of the contest.
* And don't for get to share this giveaway with your unique code it gives you at the end! Each time someone clicks on your unique code and enters the contest, you get 5 more entries into the contest! Double your chances to win!
* Please note that the entry that asks you to comment on why professional portraits of you and your children is important to you is to be entered into the "Comments" section of my blog which is located directly under the contest box. The comment is to be written after you have gone through all steps of the contest.
* And don't for get to share this giveaway with your unique code it gives you at the end! Each time someone clicks on your unique code and enters the contest, you get 5 more entries into the contest! Double your chances to win!