How Being a Mom Has Changed the Way I Photograph People

...and why I think I see you better because of it.

The truth is I’ve always been a mom and a photographer at the same time.

The two are tangled together in a way I’ll never fully untangle, and honestly, I don’t want to. I picked up my first camera during one of the hardest, most tender, most transforming times of my life: postpartum with my oldest daughter.

Photography was my way back to myself.

It gave me a reason to notice light again, to slow down, to find beauty in ordinary things when everything felt a little too heavy and too much. It wasn’t about starting a business back then. It was survival. It was something just for me in a season when I felt completely consumed by being everything for someone else.

Looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way, being a mom has not only changed how I photograph people it’s completely defined it.

I Don’t See “Moments” the Same Way Most People Do

Being a mom rewires your brain in ways no one warns you about. Suddenly, you’re crying over socks that don’t fit anymore and looking at baby photos at 2am while your actual baby is sleeping four feet away.

So when I show up to photograph your family, your wedding, your love story I’m not just chasing the big stuff. I'm watching for the glances, the small squeezes, the soft looks, the way your people feel about you when they think no one's watching.

Those are the things that matter when the years start to blur.

I Don’t Need Perfect I Want Real

Perfection is laughable. My days are equal parts beautiful and absolutely bonkers. I’ve learned that joy and chaos can (and do) exist at the exact same time.

And that’s the energy I bring into every shoot.

Your kid is melting down? I’ve been there. You forgot to eat lunch before your session and now you're running on iced coffee and vibes? Relatable content. Stressed because your timeline's off? Same, but we will figure it out.

I don’t panic in chaos I actually kind of thrive in it. I’ve learned how to find the magic in the mess, the beauty in the breakdown. Because it’s all part of the story and I’d rather tell your story honestly than try to edit it into something “flawless.”

Patience? I’ve Got It (But It Might Look a Little Different)

I’ve learned that patience doesn’t mean standing still and being calm. Sometimes it means being flexible. Being silly. Knowing when to push and when to pull back. Knowing when to say, “Let’s take a breather,” or “Wanna spin in circles and shake this off?”

Motherhood gave me that kind of intuition.

Whether I’m working with toddlers, stressed-out couples, or big, wild wedding parties, I try to meet people where they are. That’s how we get the good stuff. The REAL stuff.

My Lens Is Always Focused on What Matters

Having two daughters—one who’s five and one who's almost nine months—means I’m constantly reminded of how fast everything changes.

The chubby baby hands. The tiny shoes. The way they look at you like you’re the sun. It doesn’t last long and it never comes back the same way twice.

So when I photograph people, I do it with this quiet urgency. I don’t just want to show you what happened. I want to give you something you’ll feel when you look back. Something that pulls you back into the moment.

Because when you’re in the thick of life whether you're getting married, raising kids, or just figuring yourself out it’s easy to forget how beautiful it actually is.

Being a Mom Made Me a Photographer And It Keeps Making Me Better

From the very first click of my shutter to now, every part of my photography journey has been shaped by motherhood. Not in a cutesy, filtered way but in a deep, messy, soul-level kind of way.

It taught me to look harder. To listen better. To care more.

So when you invite me into your world whether it's for your wedding day, a family session, or just because I bring all of that with me. I bring the softness, the silliness, the chaos-embracing, beauty-chasing, deeply human perspective that motherhood gave me.

And yeah, I might tear up behind the camera when your baby grabs your face or your dad hugs you a little too long. That’s just who I am now. And I love her.

-xoxo

Maddie

P.S. If you’re in a messy season of life parenthood, healing, big transitions I see you. I’ve lived in that space, and I know how much it means to have someone see you as you are. You don’t have to be perfect for it to be beautiful.