The Mama Journal | If I wasn't a mama...

If I wasn't a mama, I'd probably have the extra time and money to go leisurely roam through the nail polish aisles of a cosmetics store and pick up a few of those Essie colours I've been wanting forever. If I wasn't a mama, I'd actually wear my accessories without them getting pulled off/hidden around the house/broken/chewed on. I'd probably be able to finish my coffee without reheating it 14 times, and I'd be able to get through a shower without playing a game of shower curtain peek-a-boo / have bath toys thrown at me. If I wasn't a mama, I'd probably still be using my favourite Roots purse, instead of shoving the essentials in my wallet and throwing that in the diaper bag. If I wasn't a mama, I could probably get through a phone call with a client without it sounding like I live in a zoo, and I wouldn't have gone 18 months (and counting) without sleeping through the night. If I wasn't a mama, everything would be cleaner and more organized. Me, my home, my car, everything. But -

If I wasn't a mama,

I wouldn't have quiet moments scattered throughout busy days where I can peek around the corner and spy on a sweet, spirited girl with soft, squishy cheeks and peach fuzz hair while she slowly and methodically peels and eats a banana while sitting on the bottom step - like her papa taught her.

Moments like these - so ordinary, so small - they make me catch my breath and think Is she really mine? This perfect little human, I get to keep her? And does she really love me just as much as my heart achingly loves her? And I forget all about Essie nail polish and Roots purses and sleep. Because if I wasn't a mama... I would never know just how much my heart could love.

London Ontario Family Photography | The Ingram Family

Meet the Ingrams! I first met them a few years back when we attended the same church and now keep in touch with this beautiful family through - you guessed it - Facebook. We met at a park and simply played. No posing, no hassle. I had so much fun chasing these guys around! I have so much respect and admiration for these guys. They are the sweetest people, with such a positive outlook on life, and sometimes I wish Becca was my personal chef and personal trainer when I see snippets of her amazing menu plan and read about her Jazzercise feats on - you guessed it - Facebook. As parents of children with special needs, they face challenges that many of us will never fully understand, but they do so with honesty, passion and joy. The way they advocate for, play with and simply love their children touches my heart and inspires me to be a more intentional parent. You can read a bit about their journey on their blog, and you can see photos from our giggle-filled candid park session below.

London Ontario Family Photography | Melissa, Greg, Cooper & Sawyer

I met this beautiful family on a very foggy and overcast November afternoon, but despite the grey skies, this session was all about fun, laughter and bright colours (loved the bright blues and oranges!). We met at Gibbons Park and explored some of its more rustic areas. The boys were adorable and Cooper definitely kept me on my toes! Coco the stuffed dog, Cooper's beloved companion, came along too.  Here are some favourites from this very sweet family's session.

London Ontario Family Photographer | Jessie, Darcy and Max

If I could only write one word for this blog it would be "FUN". Not only because this was a fun session for me on my side of the lens, but because this family exudes a love of life and play that is contagious and, dare I say, rare. We met at a park for a lifestyle session and our goal was to have fun and capture some real, love-filled moments. Mission accomplished. So many smiles, giggles, hugs and games... Little Max is one of the luckiest boys around to have such an amazing little family, and I was so honoured to spend the afternoon with them.

London Ontario Family Photography | The Charlebois Family

The Charlebois family was one of my first families when I officially started Raw Footage Photography back in 2010. At that time, they only had two children, Andrew and Sophie. I was so excited when they contacted me again this year and told me the exciting news that they had a new precious addition to their family - sweet baby Trevor! This was such a lovely outdoor family session. I met the Charlebois family in a wild field and, despite the chilly weather, we captured the sweetest moments between all of them. I love this session because it really shows the different relationships within the family between both parents, siblings, and each parent with the individual children. You really get a feel for how much each member of this family loves each other. Every time I look at these photos, I feel warm and fuzzy and I can't help but smile! I hope  you enjoy this sampling of favourites.

The Mama Journal | Christmas Tree

I've always journaled in some way, be it with a pen and a diary as a pre-teen, in a never-ending word document that was saved on the old desktop computer that sat in my room as a teenager, through countless photo scrapbooks growing up or, more recently, through blogging. It's always been important for me to relive those moments in my life that take my breath away and reflect on life's beautiful simplicities. Writing and reflecting on life's moments has always been a key component in my quest to be intentionally grateful, and to try and see the good in everything. Writing helps me process, reflect and appreciate. Keeping a blog has motivated me to keep up with photographing my own family and has acted as a way to document the precious moments and milestones of our little life. So when I took an indefinite hiatus from writing my personal blog a few months ago, it felt like something was missing. I would literally lie in bed and "write" in my head about my thoughts. It's different from plain old thinking in a way I can't explain. Everything in me was eager to sit, reflect and write. I longed for a place to share the lifestyle images taken of our simple everyday.   I've decided that keeping two blogs is more work and trouble than I can handle right now. I've come to really love my little space here, and the Raw Footage Photography blog has become more than a place to simply share recent sessions (although there is still much of that happening). The Behind the Lens series has given me an outlet to reflect on my journey as a photographer and has received such a positive response, which I am so grateful for. I've decided to add The Maman Journal to the lineup. A place where I can share some photos of my perfectly imperfect little life at home as well as thoughts on my journey through motherhood, which is essentially what my personal blog had become after the birth of my daughter. I worried that maybe my readers here, clients as well as fellow photographers, might not be interested in a glimpse of personal life. This is, after all, a space previously reserved for my photography business. But the reality is that my passion for photography spills over into every area of my life, and the images I take for me are a big part of my journey as a photographer. And as more and more clients began asking me about me during our sessions, even asking "So, how's Neve?",  commenting on her Halloween costume and on her big blue eyes, I realized that many of them appreciate the opportunity to connect with me on a bit more of a personal level, just as I enjoy connecting with them.  I'm all about building relationships, both on a professional and personal level, so I think incorporating a more personal touch to this blog is really a true representation of who I am and what's important to me.  So here we go. The start of The Mama Journal. I hope you'll join me on this journey! xo

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Last Christmas, my girl was 5 months old. Wide eyed and cute as a button in her Christmas jammies, but a little bit oblivious to everything going on. This year, at 17 months, she is truly living out her first real Christmas, and I'm just a little ridiculously excited about introducing her to the many joys of the season. Our days have been filled with holiday renditions from Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Amy Grant and more modern favourites like Michael Buble and She and Him. Neve loves "Caroling Caroling" by Nat King Cole the best, because she can sing "ding dong ding dong" while swaying her head back and forth from left to right (cute, right?). We've been obsessively baking cookies - trying new recipes at home and whipping up old favourites with Grandmaman and Grandpapa - and I've discovered that Neve has acquired a taste for drops of spilled molasses and fallen brown sugar crumbs.

We recently put up our real Christmas tree and it was so special to watch her reaction. Lots of pointing and exclamations of "wooooowwwww!", followed by her usual monkey-business - getting tangled up in ribbon, systematically removing every ornament I would hang and trying to feed the pinecones to the dog. Decorating the Christmas tree has never taken me so long, but it's never been quite so magical, either. It's hard to put into words the joy it brought me to see the excitement in her face as the lights went on and watching her hold up shiny ornaments in wonder. My husband and I are getting to experience all the wonders of Christmas through they eyes of our beautiful little girl, and it truly is a gift. Here are some shots I snapped of my girl as she decorated the tree for the very first time.

xo 

London Ontario Family Photographer | The Roselle Family

For the most part, October was a dreary, rainy month. But we were still treated to a handful of mild, sunny evenings where the golden sun flooded everything in sight. The Roselle family's session was on one of these nights, and the light was just beautiful. They are such a sweet, fun-loving family, and I loved meeting and photographing them. Here are some favourites from their sunkissed October session!

London Ontario Family Photography | The Kelly Family

I met the Kelly family on a cool Fall morning. The skies were grey and it threatened to rain at any moment. But despite the weather, we went for it, and I'm so glad we did! I just love the vibrant colours our location provided us - brilliant reds and oranges on the wild plants and bushes. Even once the leaves have fallen, it's still possible to find beautiful and colourful Fall locations! We had such fun exploring the fields and trails. Maryn, Jack and Madelyn are as cute as they get, and we laughed and giggled as we played red light, green light and collected rocks and leaves. We captured so many sweet interactions during this session, and I hope the Kelly family treasures them for years to come! Here is a look at their session.

London Ontario Family Photographer | The Babineau Family

Meet the gorgeous Babineau Family. The lovely Caleigh, who is also a photographer, brought her family all the way from Newmarket to London just for this session, and I was so completely honoured. They were rewarded with one of the sunniest October evenings we've had. Their entire session was bathed in delicious golden light, the kind that makes my heart skip a beat. Believe it or not, the youngest Babineau girl is named Neve, just like my little monkey. Such a fun coincidence. I loved this session, and I am so glad I was able to be a part of this family's memory-making. Caleigh, thank you so much for making the trip - it was a pleasure meeting you and your family!! xo

London Ontario Family Photography | The Kucharski Family

I met the lovely Mallory through Facebook. She is a photographer herself and I was so honoured when she asked me to capture some memories for her gorgeous family. Little Anya is crazy adorable, and the three of them together are as sweet as can be. The weather prediction for our session date was rain, but we were able to beat the downpour and get some amazing shots. We started in a beautiful wild field and ended our session in a charming wooded trail. This was one of those sessions that had me saying "awwww" at every photo.  Thank you so much for allowing me to photograph you, Kucharski Family! Here are some favourites.