Portrait of a Mother This is your motherhood. It only happens once.

My own mother taught me something as a child and I've never forgotten it...

being a mother

is the most important work you will ever do.

it's your calling

No one else can be the mother your kids need you to be.

I believe this with my whole heart.

No one is going to dispute the gravity of the role that has existed as long as life itself.

AND YET...

LET'S BE REAL.

Day in and day out, it's a grind. It's mundane. It's exhausting most of the time and soul-sucking at the worst. There isn't a lot in motherhood to validate that what you're doing is exceptional or even matters. There are no grades, no performance reviews, no awards. The time you spend playing peek-a-boo doesn't earn you money. Your sleepless nights don't get recognized except for bags under your eyes. And no one is going to give you a promotion for letting your breakfast go cold while you packed lunches and wiped noses. So why do we do it?

them. this.

The fact is, I do have moments of true, unfiltered joy in mothering that, when I take note of them, are actually quite frequent. Maybe not as frequent as the frustrating ones, but enough to let me know I'm exceptional TO MY FAMILY, if not to anyone else.

And so...

I've had this idea gestating inside me for a long while now. It is simply this:

To photograph motherhood.

Why?

It's standard in our culture to have portraits made to mark various rites of passage:

  • Birth
  • Baptism/Communion/Bat Mitzvah
  • Graduations
  • Bridal/Wedding
  • Pregnancy

Something is missing.

This is why I've created the Portrait of a Mother session, to celebrate your life as a mother.

how it works:

We start with a process of self-reflection. It involves a set of questions I've developed to explore your experience of motherhood. I want to dig deep and crystallize what motherhood is for YOU and what you uniquely offer your children. We discuss your responses and come up with a game plan for shooting the images.

We'll shoot...

Things you do over and over again that you don't think you'll miss...

...but you will.

Quiet moments...

And not so quiet ones.

How only you can make it better.

The games you play...

Over and over again.

Teaching them about the world we live in.

Typical scenes at home...

...and the places you go.

Basically you in mom-mode, but looking good doing it!

what you can expect

This is different from any other photo shoot you have done in the past. The whole process I offer is very interactive and organic as you and collaborate in telling your story. I ask you to be vulnerable, because that's how you're going to get the most of the experience. Motherhood is thrilling and sweet and messy and frustrating and full of all the feels imaginable. Your final gallery of words and images will be as honest as you'll let me make it. A mix of quiet, sweet moments mixed with silly and playful ones; a little artsy/unexpected and, hopefully, soul-stirring.

I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING

It's easy to justify having pictures made of your kids, but you feel awkward having pictures made of you. The truth is, I hear clients often say they want pictures of them with their kids because they're always the one behind the camera. I would also ask you this: wouldn't you want pictures of how your mom loved you? Wouldn't you consider those to be among your most valuable possessions?

If you don't feel you deserve this, realize that your kids do.

here's the thing

We all have insecurities, whether it's the state of your house, your current size, or your kids' unpredictable meltdowns. It's easy to look from the outside at everyone else's life/feed and think they've got it together.

As your photographer my gift to you is to be the outside observer and show you the beauty within your own life that may be invisible to your when you're in the thick of it.

In the end, here's what you'll have:

  • a renewed sense of purpose, satisfaction, and fulfillment in your role as mother
  • a greater sense of who you are and respect for your unique gifts
  • a well-spent morning or afternoon loving on your littles and having it all documented by someone who can see and anticipate the moments you'll want to remember
  • a keepsake album of your words and images to be an heirloom for you and your children
  • a set of digital images for you to archive, post if you like, and simply scroll through when you want to smile. One mom recently told me, "I literally only need a few portraits, but the candids? Those I could look at forever."

what moms have to say:

"I know I’ll look at these images thousands of times in my lifetime, and they’ll be a capsule of this sweet moment. Every day raising three kids can feel a little chaotic and un-hinged, but these photos somehow distilled out the mess and just portray us having a lovely and meaningful time, which is exactly how I want to remember it." --Kendra
I’m taken aback and left breathless by the artistry of the images. They’re so real, so raw. And it amazes me that through the lens such rawness can be captured and yet can look so beautiful. By viewing these images you’re reminded that the calling to be a mother is the highest calling possible here on earth. --Damaris
“For me it was such an amazing experience because I wanted to remember that exact moment in my life. The way my kids played in that home, the simple moments of being with them. I have a picture from the shoot that is right next to my kitchen sink and every time I look at it is makes me so happy! I was nervous that they might not “pose” right or be good for the camera but the great thing about these shoots are they don’t have to be! We cooked, read books, and played…All the things they love to do with their mama! It's so special to capture those moments in time–for me, and for them. As I write this I want to do it again! They really are my most favorite pictures you ever took of our family. So real and raw and pretty.” --Jane
"Jen asked me how I felt after receiving the images she created, and I honestly couldn’t be more delighted. Doing the shoot at home was probably my favorite part- my daughter was so comfortable in her own space and was willing to play and be her regular silly self, despite another person in the apartment lurking with a camera. Jen was so patient, waiting for just the right moments to capture, not interested in forcing anything. We had ideas for some pictures we wanted to try to make, but mostly we just played things by ear." --Martha

Credits:

Jennifer Jacobson Photography

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