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Mother’s Day Self portraiture … and a challenge to all the mums out there…

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

(sorry, not for my UK readers, but don’t switch off… you can take part too!!)

Clare Breheny Photography 155 Mothers Day Self portraiture ... and a challenge to all the mums out there...

NOT FEELING LIKE IT BUT DOING IT:

On Wednesday I pushed Abigail in her pram down to the lake and sat on a bench watching the boats. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I soon realised that I was sweltering in my thick maternity jeans. But they were the only thing that fitted other than pyjamas and old jogging bottoms (sweat pants) that were really past their days of public appearances. So I jumped on a train into Zurich and headed to H&M to stock up on some basics that actually fitted. To my horror I had to buy clothes THREE sizes bigger than my usual size. A lover of shopping, this time I hated every moment and was straight in and out.

This is the biggest I have ever been and also the hungriest – breastfeeding has definitely made me a hungry horse!! So needless to say, being photographed is the LAST thing I wanted to do. My gut instinct is that I really don’t need a constant reminder of what I look like at the moment. BUT, and here’s the big but, my daughter does.

A few months back I read an article in the Huffington Post that really stuck with me. I’ve linked to the full article below but this extract sums it up:

“I’m everywhere in (my children’s) young lives, and yet I have very few pictures of me with them. Someday I won’t be here — and I don’t know if that someday is tomorrow or thirty or forty or fifty years from now — but I want them to have pictures of me. I want them to see the way I looked at them, see how much I loved them. I am not perfect to look at and I am not perfect to love, but I am perfectly their mother.” (Allison Tate: The Mom Stays in the Picture)

When I look back at my baby album I love seeing what my mum looked like, what the fashions were (lots of 70s browns and florals!), do I look like my mum, does she look happy…

As a photographer, I am nearly ALWAYS behind the camera. All our holiday shots are of hubby, the local people or our family and friends. And I notice this is true for many mums who are always pressing the one pressing the button. (And to be honest even when I don’t need to be behind the camera, I still avoid being in front of it!)

So at this important time in my daughter’s life I needed to put ME in the pictures with her.

 

Clare Breheny Photography 179 Mothers Day Self portraiture ... and a challenge to all the mums out there...

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A WORK OF ART:

Of course, as a photographer I am able to get into my studio and set up the right lighting and shoot from the right angles to avoid my gut hanging over my trousers, and tuck those extra chins away! I even hired a professional make up artist to help me look a bit better than I felt!! (Thank you to the AMAZING Alexandra from Glo Cosmetics for the great job she did with my make up and also for helping me with the difficult logistics of a self portrait shoot with a tiny baby – an absolute STAR!!)

BUT you don’t need a studio or a professional photographer (hmmm…I’m doing myself out of a job here!!). I have also been taking iphone and pocket camera snaps whilst out and about and plan to make Abigail a book of what we get up to together. Sometimes just recording the moment is just as important. Here’s my latest non- technical snapshot… literally just holding my iphone out in front of us…

snapshot by the lake 800 px001 Mothers Day Self portraiture ... and a challenge to all the mums out there...

I promise, no retouching!

DO IT TODAY:

So I urge you, get your partner/ friend /mother/neighbour to take a picture of you with your little one(s), or work out the self timer and pop the camera on a shelf or pile of books, or simply just hold your phone out in front of you and press that button.

Then, BACK UP the picture safely or even better PRINT IT… or the cherry on the cake – FRAME IT and put it up in your home, as I don’t think it will ever do our children harm to grow up surrounded by pictures that affirm our love for them.

Do it today. What better way to mark the occasion…

Happy Mother’s day.

(and let me know how you get on!)

Cx

Read Allison Tate’s full article in The Huffington Post here

Other posts you might like:

Abigail’s first month of shoots

My self portraiture maternity shoot

Recent baby shoots

Dave - May 22, 2013 - 10:31 am

Love these images………X

Faye - May 13, 2013 - 8:07 pm

This is so true – we take endless photos of our two girls, and I always make sure I’m out of sight! Thanks for the reminder, it’s definitely on my to-do-list now! P.s. Abigail looks adorable. Faye x

Karen - May 13, 2013 - 12:22 pm

Really enjoyed your latest thoughts on mother/baby photos.You are absolutely right about the shortage of joint images – glad to see the new mums are determined to act on your suggestions.I also like looking back at the fashions of the day – not only the adults but also the baby wear!

Catherine Boyle - May 12, 2013 - 7:00 pm

Yummy yummy mummy you! Seriously, beautiful pics Clare, you’ll all treasure them forever. Special times. We’ve been to a petting zoo today and reading your blog encouraged us to take lots of pics with us in them – mainly iPhone ones of the three of us huddled together all cuddly and happy. Simple snaps but they capture the happiest happiest memories. Thank you for the inspiration :-) xxxxx

Catherine Boyle - May 12, 2013 - 5:42 pm

Yummy Mummy you! Beautiful beautiful beautiful, pics you’ll both treasure forever! We’ve been to a petting farm today – we took so many photos with our iphone of the three of us just huddling together. Simple snaps but capturing the happiest happiest memories. Thank you for the inspiration xx

Jan - May 12, 2013 - 5:31 pm

Photos are beautiful and your blog made me think how few photos I have of the boys with myself as babies great idea.

Sarah - May 12, 2013 - 2:15 pm

Clare these really are beautiful images of you and Abigail and she will treasure these in years to come. You’ve got me thinking after reading that article and maybe its time for me to set myself a personal challenge which involves me & my two! xxxx

Clare @ Clare Breheny Photography - May 12, 2013 - 11:34 am

Thanks for sharing your stories ladies.
Jennifer – I am sorry to hear the story about your mum but so glad you are taking lots of pictures for your children – they will be so lucky to have them.
Cx

Jo Strawbridge - May 12, 2013 - 11:02 am

Hi Clare, you look simply stunning in these photos with your daughter and have inspired me to make sure I fill the empty frames I bought about a month ago!
As about to have second child, I’ve realised that they may get a complex when they see in the future lots of photos of first daughter and not them!!
Happy Mothers Day!

naina - May 12, 2013 - 10:53 am

Thanks for this post – all too true, there are less than a handful of pics of me with Georgia. I’ll get on the case this week. X

Laura Fletcher - May 12, 2013 - 10:33 am

Absolutely beautiful Clare! You’ve brought a tear to my eye. Abigail is one lucky little lady to have you as her mummy. Lots of love xx

Sally Slack - May 12, 2013 - 10:19 am

Clare you look amazing! These are images that Abigail will treasure. This really does strike a cord with me, I have so few pictures of me with my kids and they are growing up way too fast! I shall try to put my “hang ups” aside and rise to your challenge! :-)

Jennifer Godfrey (Allen) - May 12, 2013 - 10:14 am

Clare I whole heartedly agree, when my mum died we desperately looked for pictures of her ( with or without us ) and there were very few x I make a big effort to be in pictures with the kids and need to make sure I keep doing so as i age. We have a fair few pictures of her when we were little bit that is not how she looked in 2006 !! A great reminder to us all xx

Sandi Ford - May 12, 2013 - 9:40 am

I keep annoying my husband to get some shots with me and the kids! They are desperately lacking :(
Love the idea Clare, you are looking fabulous and I definitely plan more of an effort to be in the photos from now on!

Sue - May 12, 2013 - 9:32 am

Gorgeous moments caught of you and your gorgeous Abigail forever, well done for making the effort and personally I think you are looking amazing.
My son turns 18 at the end of this year and we have only a handful of images of us together when he is under 10 and they are indeed very special shots.
Fortunately my cousin is married to a very talented photographer and we have some lovely shots of us together, great suggestion to get some on the walls.
Happy Mothers day Clare, enjoy your day.

Clare @ clarebrehenyphotography - May 12, 2013 - 9:21 am

Excellent! I really hope that lots of mummy pics are taken today!!
Cx

Nicola Lynn - May 12, 2013 - 9:18 am

What a fantastic suggestion Clare. We definitely have hundreds of pictures of Eloise and Annabelle, but very few of me with them. I’m definitely going to make more of an effort to get in front of the camera!

Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich

Celine came in to the studio in December with her daughter for a wonderful maternity shoot as a surprise for her husband at Christmas. Check out her shoot here.

Baby Timo was my last newborn client shoot before I wrapped up for my own little one’s arrival… it was a joy to work with this family and I was really touched by Celine’s note to me after the viewing:

“During my pregnancy, you managed to capture and immortalize the beauty of it even better that I would have hoped for…
Now, with our family and newborn images, that’s the icing on the cake!
I am so glad I found you and I would love to work with you again in the future.

I did say “work WITH you” because you were not just the photographer; you took all our wishes into consideration and were so gentle with the kids.
Really, a big thank you for your professionalism, your kindness, your flexibility and your attention to details in every aspect of the shooting (getting all set for the baby, giving cookies to Cléa, or telling us exactly how to stand or what to dress and so on and so forth…)
What else can I say? We are really pleased!!!”

Here are their highlights:

Clare Breheny Photography 170 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 174 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 169 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 175 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 171 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 173 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 176 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 177 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich
Clare Breheny Photography 178 Welcoming Timo: Newborn & family photography, Zurich

Abigail: 3 weeks old (Newborn baby photography Zurich)

Just one picture this week… The hammock is a new prop for the studio… I am sure it will prove popular with my clients too!

Abigail in hammock at 3 weeks Clare Breheny Photography001 Abigail: 3 weeks old (Newborn baby photography Zurich)
Jade - May 24, 2013 - 2:46 pm

Clare – congratulations!! Abigail is absolutely beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! x

Ruth - May 12, 2013 - 11:07 am

Beautiful Clare … she’s gorgeous ..!! and love the sling ..!