Photomama

Almost five years ago, my first daughter was born.  The first week of her life was exhausting, exhilarating and everything I had ever (and never) imagined it would be. One sleep-deprived night - after she fed for what seemed like the twentieth time that day - I looked down at my little girl, ran my hand over her soft newborn hair and wished, with every ounce of my being, that I could keep her that small and sweet forever. The next morning, we had her first of many photo shoots. Bright morning light poured in the window. Baby laying on daddy’s hands over a soft white blanket. I still get choked up looking at this picture and seeing her eyes looking back at me - that old soul saying, "see Mom, you can have me this small and sweet forever".

I took my first online photography class during my maternity leave. I craved a better understanding of "painting with light" and immersed myself in the subject. Once my daughter started moving, my patience with my point & shoot camera was wearing thin. The shutter speed was never fast enough. I had no control over the image other than where I was standing and when I pushed the button. I yearned to achieve those amazingly sharp images that are only consistently possible in manual mode. For my 31^st birthday, my husband purchased my first digital SLR camera and I never looked back.