fun in the creek with mom | Charlotte NC family photographer

when I tell you this mom + daughter duo came to have fun, I’m not exaggerating! I think we almost forgot the whole point was to get photos of them, and honestly, that always makes for the best of them!

did little girlie want to stay forever and jump completely into the creek with no regard over not having a dry change of clothes? absolutely!

it’s all part of the story + memories they’ll talk about over the years!

I first met Liz through instagram. we’re both photographers and both in a coaching program that brought us together. like any internet besties, we were dying to meet in person one day, and man did the stars align for us to do that! she drove a few hours from Virginia to meet me in Mt Airy, North Carolina at this cute little creek I found after spending a bit of time on google maps. it was the most gorgeous spring day, perfect for dipping our feet in the creek! we went with a laid-back and fun vibe, just like what they would wear on a normal day at the park.

something I love to emphasize is that what you wear to your session doesn’t matter as much as how you feel in what you’re wearing. while sometimes that means you’ll wear a gorgeous, flowing dress that makes you feel snatched and put together, sometimes it can also be your favorite pair of jeans with a pretty top that makes you feel good and comfortable. whatever your own aesthetic and style is, it doesn’t have to change for your photos to look good!

the best part of this is that when you feel comfortable, you’re not thinking about your outfit; you’re able to be present and pause and actually be in the moment with your favorite people. you’re not thinking about your belly being too obvious or the pattern feeling too loud for your regular preference or worse, a potential wardrobe malfunction just waiting to happen. instead, you can play and laugh how you do. you can snuggle your baby that’s growing up so much faster than you can even process, and you can play with her in the creek without worrying about how your outfit - that you didn’t feel great in but you thought would be aesthetic - might be looking.

they did just that! this mom and daughter splashed and played and found sticks and leaves to throw in the water. it was so much fun that the camera was all but forgotten and they got to pause and just enjoy each other’s company.

a few days later when Liz saw a preview of their photos, she told me how much it meant to her that I got one particular photo where you see them holding hands and you can see the tattoo on her forearm that she got in honor of the twin baby they lost in the same pregnancy. she said “it’s almost like having both of my girls right there with me” and that’s a frozen moment in time she’ll be able to carry forever and ever.

as a family and motherhood photographer in North Carolina, I’m the biggest believer that you’ll never regret the photos you did take, only the ones you never did. getting a photographer that values presence and intentionality over perfect poses and smiles is where you’ll be able to get those real moments frozen in time. where you’ll be able to look back years down the road to remember these are the good ol’ days and recognize the exact season of life you were in - not some perfectly curated version of it.