If you remember about two months ago, I had mentioned that I had a small project I was working on. Now, let me just tell you that MOST projects in my power start small and end with WAY more work that I ever anticipated, and THIS project was no different. But man was it worth it.

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Let me tell you a little about my “why” first.

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Let’s go back to 2015.

2015 was by far the hardest year of my life.

I had my second little girl, 21 months after the first one. And boy was she cute. Friends, she was SO cute.

 Photo by: Melanie Chattin Photography

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Right after I had my sweet Juiliette, I sat in the hospital bed and made promises to her. Promises that I NEEDED to keep.  To be present. To not let my life’s hectic moments convey stress to her and my family.  The end of my pregnancy was really rough and I let my emotions get the best of me.  Yep, that happened.  And I needed that to go away.

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Almost immediately, I failed.

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Mentally, physically, and emotionally – I was depleted.  Wow was two kids different than one!  I struggled with personal post-partum issues that lingered far longer than I wanted to.  And while this was supposed to be the “happiest” time in my life with a new baby, I was left drained in every way imaginable.  All you mothers know the tasks are never-ending, and the “momming” a 24/7 gig.  I struggled, and a lot. I was hard on myself more than not, and it was hard to talk about the problems I faced.  I hit a low that I never thought I would hit.  And I felt lost.  Lost in working full time, operating a photography business, as well as being the mom and wife I wanted to be.

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When the new year hit, I just knew I couldn’t continue doing what I was doing without making some changes. Without change, I knew I would not see any improvements in my own happiness and in turn would not be putting my best work forward.  That was for certain.  But what could I change?

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I did some soul searching.  I thought, and I thought HARD on what gives me joy.  And satisfaction. What do I LOVE doing. What fuels my soul and makes me proud of what I do?  My heart always came back to the same thing.

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Going back to 2015 – the things that pulled me through the rough times were the little, simple things – the toddler giggles, the baby snuggles, the wind blowing through my children’s hair, the soft embrace of my husband.  My family.

Family.

Family is what I love and what I value most.

I love the connections.

I love the genuine emotions.

I love that every family is different yet so deeply connected.

And so I thought – this is it.  This is what I want to do. I want to SPECIALIZE in those connections. In motherhood, in fatherhood, in REAL genuine family moments. Those in between beautiful moments that you NEED to get you through the bad moments. THAT is my passion. THAT is what fuels my soul. I want REAL emotion and playing and giggling and snuggling.  Those littles grow so quickly and if we’re not careful we often forget how much they really adore us.

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I want to make motherhood memorable.  I want mothers to know that you ARE doing a good job, and that you ARE adequate, and those little humans look at you with love in their eyes because you are their WHOLE world.

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THIS is what pushes me to want to be better.

A better mother, wife, and photographer.

I want to convey this love through photographs.

So what does this all mean? With all these emotions and feelings going around in my head, I ultimately decided I need to follow my heart and limit my photography services to include those things my soul craves most – family and motherhood.  I’ll be specializing in maternity, newborn, children, and family.  And my goal will go deeper than you just take a portrait. I want your learn your story, see your story, and capture your story on a deeper level.  As a mother, I know the gravity that preserving those beautiful moments weigh in your heart.

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Nobody said motherhood would be easy, but it sure is a beautiful ride.

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The most rewarding thing for me is when my client calls me in tears after seeing her images for the first time. Not realizing her baby boy looked at her with such joy in his eyes. Or that he squeezed her hand so tightly.  You’re doing the hardest work on the planet and you are your childs favorite person, and I love documenting that.

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THIS is what it’s all about.

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 What does this mean?

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So getting into this “project”.

I wanted to just change a few photos around on my website to showcase my new vision, style, and direction in photography.  Changing around a few things led to a COMPLETE overhaul of my website and my vision. Just updating a few photos would no longer suffice. I needed a clean slate.

SO, with that lengthy and very personal intro, I introduce: my NEW and improved WEBSITE!! Which if you’re reading this you’ve already visited so THANK YOU!

 I have poured my heart and soul into this “revamp” and will only continue to improve from here on out.  Staying true to myself in this process has been so valuable.  Also working with the talented Tianna as she helped guide me through the website design aspect of this project! I couldn’t be more thankful for the guidance she provided in this process!  I’m so happy with the direction I’m heading and I thank you so so much for not only reading through this mess of emotions, but also in supporting what is best for me and my family!

xoxo,

Shawna

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Photos by: Mai Fotography