Franklin TN Family Photographer | Helweg Family
When a momma hires me, my goal is to show them the amazing the amazing mother they are. I know many mothers (including me) are filled with self doubt.
Will I be enough for the human I love more than anything on this planet? How could I ever be enough? When nothing will ever be what my child deserves?
Momma. You are enough. Even with the flaws and mistakes we make, we are enough. Because we were chosen. Chosen to be their mother. And that in and of itself means you are enough.
Breathe it in. And say. I am enough. Because I choose love.
In 2022, our society has taught us to focus on the now. The immediate needs and wants. Social media has taught us to care about what we can share, what’s “sexy” according to Instagram. We as a society care less about what we will want or need a decade or two from now.
But I have chosen to listen closely to what people who are older than me say. They all say the same things.
Your “stuff” won’t matter. That Pinterest worthy kitchen, wont matter. Your $75K car, wont matter. What will you miss?
You will wish you were less busy. You will want more time. You will want to revisit the good ole days (PS, you’re in them right now).
I encourage you to live for your future self. Imagine being 65. Will you have stories to tell and share (in person, I dont mean share on social media). Will you have spent enough time with your loved ones.
Even the homeschool parents who have graduated kids tell me “I wish I had done less” - they spent years cramming academics into their kids and later realize it was not only unnecessary but it took away precious time.
Spend more time together, and capture those stories. The stories of your dinner times, your prayers, family game night, baking with your kids on Sunday. Whatever your story is, its worth telling.
I hear it often:
I want a family film but I think I should wait for ….
When I lose the weight…
When my house is renovated…
When my next baby comes….
When my child is a little older….
When we move to our new home….
When the weather is warmer…
When the leaves have fallen….
The thing is… it is already later than you think. And if you are always waiting for life to be more perfect than it is right now, then you’re missing the NOW.
It is already later than you think.
Our culture seems to be moving further and further away from a culture that supports and encourages moms in their mothering.
We normalize complaining about our children and our husbands. We normalize needing wine as a coping mechanism. We normalize unsuccessfully nursing. We normalize sending our infants and children off to institutions to be raised. We normalize making moms feel less than unless they’re running a household, raising children, having a successful career, all while maintaining sexiness. She isn’t enough unless she can do all the things without fail. Which is actually unsustainable. No wonder women don’t think they can homeschool.
I used to be that mom but I’m here to say it’s all lies. You can do less and be more worthy. You can have mechanisms that even when you’re in the busiest season, you’re happier and calmer than ever rather than exhausted and yelling. But we don’t help moms gain those skills. We just say “yeah girl I need wine too” instead of why are we so stressed and how do we find our happy?
Nashville Baby Photographer | Vera 3 Months Old
Baby Vera. This session was awesome. We captured some lifestyle and documentary photography for this family, their first session as a family because of Covid. What I loved about this session, was feeling the way they loved Vera, how confident they felt as parents, and how I could feel their connection not only in the images, but during the session. We photographed longer than normal, because the baby was in such a great mood. She had an honest blow out, so bath photos also occurred hahahaha!
At the end of the session, I was packing up to leave when from upstairs, dad calls “this might make a good photo!” - so I did what any amazing loving photographer would do and I unpack my gear and head up.He was bouncing his baby girl to sleep on this ball. Mom watched as I photographed it. I described how it would have felt to have this moment on video rather than just photo and tears came to her eyes.This session wasn’t a film session but we will do one soon. I’m so glad she has photos of this moment. It makes me feel a sense of happiness and stillness, seeing him bounce his baby girl. One day, she won’t need bouncing to fall asleep. This moment was fleeting.
Here is the email reply that momma sent me after seeing the gallery:"Jennie- I’m in tears. You are so perfect with capturing our family. I love Love love the photos and your work. You’re a true talent. It was so great to meet you and have you as a part of our journey. Tom and I are still discussing future sessions and considering a video as well. We will absolutely be in touch- you have customers for life with us. Thank you!!! "
Franklin TN Documentary Film and Photos | Real is the new perfect
If I asked you to think of your favorite people and the memories you most treasure with them, would you say it was when you were posed on a quilt in a field for your annual check list family session?
No. you wouldn't.
So why are we investing in just this type of photography? Im not saying no to posed or lifestyle sessions, but I am saying we need to say yes more to real life memories. Meaningful sessions with the purpose behind them to preserve our memories.
I have been a photographer for almost 10 years. Its been trend after trend after trend. and at some point around year 7-8, I subconsciously became sick of it. I didn't know why. I didn't know what happened exactly, other than my own family had our own documentary shoot.
I had hired a photographer from Australia, who was visiting the area, to film my family. She said the session came with photos, but initially, I didn't care much about those.
But then, I received the images before the film. and the images had me breaking down in tears. This moment changed my heart forever. I entered into a transition of finding my own authentic self as an artist. and never looked back.
It all makes sense in hindsight. My degree is Psychology. Im excellent at reading people and moments. at Feeling what people are feeling. I just allowed trendy photography to deter me from my true inner self for far too long. I still love capturing families outside in lifestyle sessions, but it doesn't feed my soul like documentary.
My theory is, is that inside all of us, particularly mothers.... there is this part of us that wants raw real photographs and videos of our everyday. As mothers, we can see that the boo-boos, the sick days, the stories that are being told to our children, the quick hugs, the long snuggles, and the giggles, are the real moments that make our hearts go pitter patter. I just think we are too afraid of something way off in left field, to fully invest and jump into it.
I hear it all the time .... "Our lives are not that interesting" and Im here to tell you, thats a lie you're telling yourself. Your life is interesting. Because it is your family's story. and that is the most interesting life that there is. Photos and film of your family - that goes above and beyond any staged session that there is.
I met with a momma the other day, as she is hiring me to capture her life with a 3 year and 1 year old twins. I asked her why she wanted a film. I wish I could have videoed her long answer. I will try to paraphrase what she said. It made my heart soar.
"I look back at photos of my 3 year old as a baby and I already find that I forgot things that I didn't realize I would forget. I have always wanted a big family and I feel so blessed to already have 3 kids. Its absolute chaos, but I love our chaos and I want that story to be told"
Y'all, I nearly cried listening to this mommas heart!
One final thing. Preserving these memories, isn't just about what momma wants to remember. It is also about documenting the childhood of her children. Capturing life as it happened - so that your children can look back and remember their LIVES and how they LIVED in YOUR family.
So lets get back to the heart of photography. Preserving our real raw memories, so we can look back and truly remember.
If you want your family captured, contact me here!
Warmly,
Jennie
Franklin, TN Newborn Photographer | Welcoming Walt
Walking a journey into motherhood is a passage into a new self as a woman and a person. Add into that any other struggle or variable, and the journey becomes that much more complex. But I have seen in my life as a mother, that the harder the struggle, the brighter the light is at the end.
Watch their film here:
Kate, the mommy of baby Walt, told me - no - admitted to me during her session that she prepared herself to not really become a mother. After many miscarriages, Kate struggled to fully believe that her dreams of being a mother would ever come true. Im so glad she was wrong.
Capturing meaning in a family's moments together. That is the goal of a family film. That is the purpose. It isn't to show a glamorous technical gorgeous session filled with gorgeous light and blurry background. Films and Photography are more than that to me. I would rather my images be extremely simple but tell a deeper story to the families within them. I would rather have 5 likes on IG and FB and have my clients sob over their photos and film. That is the ultimate reward.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Warmly,
Jennie
Nashville Family Photographer | Blanton's Spring Session
This family. They are incredible. Sarah (mom) does an amazing job on her wardrobe - a hard task to do - particularly with 3 daughters. But she kills it time after time. Even at photography sessions where we have been eaten by mosquitos, the family and I always come through with a top notch photo session full of emotive images telling their own story. We played and laughed and some of us cried. Nashville gave us that perfect gorgeous spring day with lots of flowers, perfect temperatures and most importantly - no rain.I find that there is one theme centered in all of my work: Motherhood.Im sure its partially because I am a mother. But honestly, Ive been attracted to babies and pregnant women since childhood (was that creepy?)....I knew I wanted to be a mother when I was a young child. And pregnancy and breastfeeding were natural to me. I know some women struggle there, and thats okay, I just didn't. I recall thinking I wouldn't know what to do with a child after about age 5 (thats pretty true, but now my boys are 6 & 9 and I guess Im figuring it out... or so I hope).I find my best work, is capturing mothers in their moment. Fathers too, because I can see that through the mother's eyes. But seeing a mother in her raw element, mothering her child in any way - even if its a moment of tears, a scraped knee, or wiping snot - that tugs at my artistic and mothering heart strings. Because its those in between moments, that we take for granted at times. That will go away one day and we will miss and crave the most.Some of my favorite times as a mother, are taking care of sick children. Don't get me wrong, its rough - but somewhere along the way, I started to see the beauty in illness. Calmer, slower days. Filled with rest and snuggles. It brings us closer, every time. The older they get, the more I treasure this. (Definitely was not a fan of sickness under the age of 3 when you worried they would never get well again).Here are my favorite images from this day with this precious family.If you want your family captured, contact me here! Xoxo
