Her First Baby | Portraits of Motherhood

“i want to apologize to all the women i have called beautiful

before i’ve called them intelligent or brave

i am sorry i made it sound as though

something as simple as what you’re born with

is all you have to be proud of

when you have broken mountains with your wit

from now on i will say things like

you are resilient, or you are extraordinary

not because i don’t think you’re beautiful

but because i need you to know

you are more than that” ~ Rupi Kaur

I am so often inspired by the words of others. I tuck them away in notebooks, or more often, in the photo roll of my phone. This poem is one of those treasures I’ve held onto, and I wanted to share it with this session today. The session is of my beautiful sister and niece, but instead of just gushing about how physically beautiful they both are, I wanted to also honor those qualities that are less celebrated by our popular culture. Qualities like strength, resilience, gentleness, and devotion.

I think that we, especially women, are entirely too critical of ourselves, our physical appearance, our perceived flaws. After years of criticism, It takes practice to speak kindly to ourselves. We aren’t perfect, we aren’t meant to be perfect. And yet, even if we become comfortable in our skin, accepting or admiring what we look like, we can’t limit our self worth to what we see in the mirror. It will change, it is temporary.

We are so much more than the bodies we live in.

The world tells us that physical perfection is what we should all strive for. It simply isn’t true, but I think it keeps a lot of us from feeling comfortable being photographed.

A camera doesn’t see flaws. A camera sees truth. The truth is, you are beautiful, you are loved, you are worthy. The truth is you have experienced life, overcome obstacles, and soldiered on. You are intelligent, witty, kind, strong, soft, determined, fluid, and a hundred other gifts that make you “beautiful.” It’s okay to honor that. In fact, I encourage it.

Honor who you are and the role you play in this world.

This is the third and final part of my Portraits of Motherhood series.

Her first baby.

Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | mother and baby girl laying on bed in natural window light in black and white
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Motherhood Photography | mother and baby daughter swaddled laying on a white sheet in soft window light
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Family Photographer | mommy and me mini session with new mother and infant baby girl breastfeeding
Tonya Edwards Photography | Oroville Family Photographer | breastfeeding mother with newborn baby girl in headband
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | motherhood photography mini session baby girl laying on her back with mama patting her belly
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | mother and baby girl smiling and snuggling in window natural backlight
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | mother and baby mini session with infant girl laying on bed and mama kissing her nose
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | infant baby girl looking at the camera while mama touches her child and holds fingers in black and white natural window light
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | mother with long blond hair laying on bed playing with newborn baby girl in window backlight in black & white
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Family Photographer | mother with long blond hair in beaded gown holding infant baby girl in her diaper in soft window light
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photography | mom holding baby girl in her diaper showing mother's hand wedding band and baby girl side rolls in diaper
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | mother breastfeeding infant daughter in floral chair in soft window backlight freelensed mini session
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | mom with long blonde hair standing breastfeeding baby girl in beaded gown in window light
Tonya Edwards | Oroville Photographer | mother with long hair sitting in floral chair in window light breastfeeding swaddled baby in black and white freelensed

Portraits of Motherhood Part One

Portraits of Motherhood Part Two

I am hosting a Portraits of Motherhood mini session event this year on

Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28.

I would be honored to capture images that celebrate your unique beauty as a mother.