It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I don’t much care for being in front of the camera. If I am going to be completely candid…it’s because I am not a big fan of my body. Pre-baby I was frequently self-conscious about my figure. Post baby the feeling of self-loathing has reached an all-time high. I am definitely not one of those lucky ladies who easily morphed back into her size 2’s (or 4’s or even 6’s!) 3 months after giving birth. 10 months later, no amount of exercise (or at least the amount of exercise that I can possibly squeeze into my chaotic, overwhelming, “I-have-a-10-month-old-and-a business” schedule allows) seems to be budging my last 8 pounds of baby weight. And, again, being completely honest, I’m not much of a dieter. I love food and no amount of self-loathing prevents me from going out to eat, sharing a plate of nachos or some pizza with Mike or indulging in an ice-cream cone once or twice a week. I’m writing these words today because I’m pretty sure a lot of new mothers share my sentiments. And for a lot of them, it might prevent them from posing for photos with their families. When my friend, neighbor and fellow photographer, Brad, suggested a photo swap, I wasn’t sure I was game. I knew I would pick myself apart in every photo. But in the end, I had a realization. Despite my lack of confidence in my post-partum figure…despite my day-to-day anxiety about scheduling, raising a daughter and balancing everything in our hectic lives…I love my here and now. This time in our life is amazing and I wanted to capture it. I also wanted to send a message of confidence to my daughter. I hope someday she will look at these photos and only see how happy I was with her and her dad, and maybe, just maybe, she herself will embrace that example and avoid the body-conscious feelings that have plagued me.
Brad…thank you so much for these moments. They are beautiful and we will treasure them for years to come!
Well said. You are unconditionally your daughter’s world no matter what you look like. You are a good role model and I wish there were more people like you. Your family is lovely; you are a beautiful person inside and out!
You all look like you are having a wonderful time. You, Jen, look especially radiant! You will never be sorry you took these pictures – they are beautiful.