Remember Ruby, from this post? Well, while I was in Perth photographing her first birthday party, her mother took advantage of my services to perform a little impromptu maternity session. See, she’s 20 weeks pregnant, and her daughter has just turned one, so not only will she have her hands insanely full very soon but she’s also doing some pretty superhuman things – breastfeeding while pregnant, working full time, and moving cities. That’s got to put a dent in your energy levels. So to acknowledge all of life’s changes and challenges, big and small, we found a quiet oasis in her bedroom to spend some time together.
We talked of the future, of our dreams for our children, of the challenges of motherhood. Clair breastfed her daughter, smothered her in kisses, and relaxed her long limbs as the little boy inside her relaxed too, and it was in these moments that my quiet camera found its pace. Some people think you need all kinds of things for a good photo shoot – props, coordinated costumes, stylists, impressive backdrops. I don’t find that to be true. All I find you really need for photos that are loving and beautiful is light, people who love each other, genuine interactions, and a photographer who truly knows where to look. That’s how you get photos that are real.
I hope that these photographs are ones that Ruby treasures when she is older. She will see just how much her mother loves her, how beautiful she is, and how waiting for her brother to arrive was such sweet, complex bliss.
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