Happy Anniversary to Us!

In 2012 I photographed my first birth. I knew it was something bigger than I had imagined and at the end of 2013 I started JCP. Since then, I’ve documented over 60 births. I’m so, so grateful for the work I get to do. It is more than work, it is my calling, and for that I am blessed. I realized as I am booking early fall births already that I want to celebrate and do something a little different. I’m going to raffle off my largest, most complete birth package. I’m only offering 100 tickets so there is a very high chance you can win since there will be no limit on the amount of tickets you can purchase. Now what’s also different is that every ticket you buy is a credit towards ANY JCP session, package, or products. So there are no losers in this! If you were planning on booking a birth session or any other session you get the credit, BUT you may also get an amazing package or session for as little as $25. You do not have to want birth photography to purchase tickets, so now is your chance for a family video session for a huge discount. 

So to be clear you could buy 20 tickets which would pay for a half of your birth photography and that gives you a 20% chance at winning. Or you could win with the mere price of a pizza dinner out!

Birth& Video Packages can be found here

Family & Video Session can be found here

So if you are expecting {estimated due dates can be no earlier than June 1st, 2017} or thinking of becoming pregnant or want a family session and also know someone who would love this as a gift if you won then do it! Celebrate with me and document your story! 

All credit purchases toward JCP sessions will have a 1 year expiration date {June 1st, 2018}. The draw will be April 17th, 2017. Tickets go on sale now and I will be available to answer any question on April 1st at the Upstate Birth & Baby Expo Come out and see me!

How to love your body after birth

We are submerged in messages about our bodies. How to feed them better, make them more beautiful, exercise, clothing, surgery, etc. It's all about change. It's all about some day you will love your body if you just do this. This is really about how to love your body, but I think after children is when women who otherwise felt okay about their bodies start to feel inadequate and it is precisely at this time when they are the most amazing! They have just grown and are feeding a human!

I have three daughters. Three! They all have different bodies. They are all beautiful and yes, I am their Mama, so that's a given in my book. But truly they are, because everything is beautiful. And if it's not beautiful, it's interesting or emotional or has a story. That's my favorite, it has a story. It belongs to something or someone and there are words and layers of life there. 

Since I started photographing birth I've wanted to offer postpartum sessions, motherhood "boudoir". It's not been the right time for one reason or another, but so much has happened in my life in the past year and I've been working on my own journey towards body acceptance, that I think it's time.

I don't want to dress you up. I don't want to add props or lots of makeup. Those types of boudoir shots are wonderful and I know several amazing photographers who do them if that's what you are looking for.

I want you in your own skin. 

I want to play with the light and I want you to bring the things that make you feel sexy and beautiful. I want to hear your story and how you feel about your body and I want you to love it just a little more when we are done.

In college, I was an English major and lucky enough to know and work with lots of writers. My friend Stephen is a wonderful poet and offered a few signed copies of one of his books, my favorite. It includes this beautiful poem that inspires how I want a mother to feel after she sees the photographs from her session. I want to offer a complimentary session and a signed copy of his book. This isn't a contest. Everyone will get a discount on a session if they choose to book one.

But I want to hear your stories, why you want to be photographed and how you feel about you body, your journey. No one but me will read these and I will choose based on pure subjective emotion. I don't want you to include your name in case I know you. Make one up. Just your email or phone number so I can contact you if you are chosen. If you follow me, you will know I'm pretty private with my clients and about 1% of what I photograph ends up on here or on FB. This session is for you and those you choose to share it with. It's for me and the art I hope to create of motherhood, feminism and how God's hands only creates perfect beauty.

You can apply for a session here.

A peaceable quiet life {This Moment session}

-and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. Thessalonians 4:11

Last Spring a friend messaged me to do some family pictures. We talked about all the insecurities of family sessions, clothing coordinating stress and when you have 5 kids how can all of them smile at the camera? I told her that l really don't aim for everybody to smile at the camera. I prefer to catch everyone being who they are at this very moment and what your life is really like, scrapes and dirt, maniacal smiles and all.

And I had the best time and I think this family rocks. Here are a few of my faves.