Mother's Day is Hard | Yuma Family Photographer

Mamas,

Mother’s Day is a holiday that’s wrapped up in so many complicated feelings. We love our babies (of course) and genuinely enjoy celebrating an incredibly meaningful role: Motherhood.

And yet.

Some of us are grieving the loss of our own mothers.

Some of us are mourning the loss of babies.

Some of us are sad that we have complicated relationships with our mothers, or none at all.

Some of us never had a mother at all.

Some of us are meant to be mothers and are unable to.

Some of us are overwhelmed by complicated family dynamics.

I’m writing this to you, mama, to tell you that you are not alone. We’re all feeling this way and struggling. It’s ok and we’re all normal! Feeling a mix of emotions on Mother’s day or even disliking the holiday doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.

In my photography I get to photograph many mothers and I’m always blown away by their strength and love. We’re all doing the best we can.

I see you, mama. Take care of yourself the way you do your babies. Your heart deserves love and tenderness just as much as they do. You matter.

Love,

Vanessa

The Importance of Family and Newborn Photos | Yuma, AZ Photographer

This is what I know for sure, all of us need the love of another human. Our bones crave to be held, our skin to be touched, our heart to be squeezed with love. The kind of love we seek is unconditional. It’s the kind of love that hurts and breaks and heals to become even stronger. It’s the kind of love that a parent has for their child.

This is why I photograph families. To me, there’s nothing more important on this earth to document. 

If we were lucky, we felt the warmth on unconditional love as children. This parent/child love is fascinating to me because I believe it’s possibly the strongest form of love. This time is fleeting and we expect and encourage our babies to grow up and away to create their own families. While our children will always be the most important thing, our job as parents is to fall into the background as supporters of our kids’ own journeys. They will always love us, but not as much as we love them. 

I’m experiencing this with my own children as teenagers. Those years where I held their tiny bodies close are behind me and I can hardly believe it. I hold them now but it’s not the same! Have you ever held a teenager? They squeeze me tight and then rush away to do important teenager things. I’m so glad I took thousands of photos when they were little because the memories can fade no matter how precious. One look at a photo of my baby nuzzled against my chest can reduce me to tears. 

This feeling is what I channel with my families. I want to show them the love that I see in them. They are feeling the same things that I did for my little ones. I know they want to hold them close and never let go. I know the smell of their newborn’s head is better to them than any rose. I know that for a child, the best place on earth is in the arms of their parents. To be seen by them, acknowledged and validated. To be loved, unconditionally.

How I'm Keeping You Safer During Photo Sessions | Yuma, Arizona

I’m THRILLED to be photographing your beautiful faces again! I take your family’s health very seriously so I wanted to share what I’m doing to keep you safer during sessions. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic is a fluid situation. Nothing is certain and we’re all doing the best we can by creating and implementing procedures in an effort to keep hospitals from overflowing. I’ll continue to monitor CDC, state, and local guidelines and keep my scheduled families up to date on my safety procedures. We’ll need to be flexible with scheduling in case someone feels ill, and be aware that non-essential businesses like photography can be closed again. Please feel free to contact my here at any time with additional questions.

My Photography Style is Already Suited for Contactless Sessions

My photography style is natural and unposed. I verbally guide and direct you and your family during a session. This is especially true for newborn sessions. My philosophy is that babies are happiest in their parent’s arms and they spend most of their time snuggling mom, dad, and siblings during my sessions. Even when I photograph newborns individually, mom or dad is the one placing baby. I don’t pose or manipulate baby into positions. I don’t use my own props so there’s no risk of germs from those. My sessions already take place outdoors or in your home. For outdoor sessions, my locations are free from crowds with plenty of space for proper social distancing. In home sessions take place in the comfort and safety of your own home.

I’ve Implemented Extra Sanitation Procedures During Sessions

Since I work with babies, children, and schools frequently, I’m already familiar with germ control. I’m adding additional sanitation procedures according to current guidelines. As we all now, this situation is fluid and the guidelines will change over time. I will update my procedures as needed and keep all my scheduled families up to date.

Procedures

• Rescheduling if I, or my family members, feel sick. I am leaving more room in my schedule for this.

• Asking all of my families to notify me and reschedule if they or their family members exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms.

• Sanitizing all of my gear before and after a session

• I will wear a mask to all sessions and avoid touching my face.

• I will wash my hands before and several times during a home session, and bring my own hand sanitizer and wipes for use during outdoor sessions.

• I will observe proper social distancing

For my families that know me, I can’t wait to see you again. And if you haven’t been in front of my camera yet, I’m so excited to make you a part of my photo family! I totally fall in love with every family that I photograph and I wouldn’t have it any other way <3