Photographing families is very special for me. I am a big believer that moments matter. One of my daughter's favorite things to do is to look through family albums. It brings her so much joy and these memories help her through times when she is upset or anxious. My husband often teases me... "it still happened, even if we do not have a picture", but I never regret taking lots of images and having family photos done! These images are so valuable and a cherished part of our home.


Often times, parents come to a session worrying from the start. They are hoping their kids behave... they have a vision of what they feel the "perfect" family photo is. There may be bribes or days prepping the kids beforehand.  The moment I glimpse a parent looking a bit like "oh my goodness, my child is a cyclone" or "how will we have any images if they refuse to look at the camera"... I like to remind families that "everything is okay. What you feel right now is not what I am seeing through my lens".  I show them some shots on the camera and they smile... Oooo, I love that one!

The momentary chaos doesn't phase me. I am a "live in the moment" kind of person and I look for the calm, the beauty, the awesome-ness within the "apparent chaos" of that 60-90 minutes. This is part of why I love what I do!

My family sessions are meant to be fun... I like to make funny faces and sounds, I like to have conversations and get to know you and your kids. What is your favorite superhero? Show me how high they jump!  Kids are shy, they are high energy, they are stubborn, they are unpredictable! Let's roll with it, let's have fun! Your family is perfect just the way you are... in this moment, in every moment... you are you, and I am thrilled to capture images for you to cherish always.

During this beautiful, early morning family session, this little guy was a bit shy. He didn't want to look at the camera and that is okay. He is so adorable and this is him in this moment. The parents had told me that he can be a bit shy, so for me that is a perfect way to capture him at this moment in time :) Meeting families and being surrounded by their loving, comforting selves makes what I do so special.

Your Family is Perfect :)

Much love from Welcome Arms,
Mandy

#momentsmatter #familyislove #imperfectisperfect

I LOVE families & I LOVE capturing moments in time for them to cherish always.

I LOVE living near the seashore. This time of year is one of my favorites for family sessions as this LOVE of the SEA is very obviously shared by so many!


I had a blast working with this lovely family this past weekend. Their little one is a Mermaid at Heart and she would bee-line for the surf at every opportunity! A quick clothing change was even in order after a surf side wipe-out! Did not phase her in the least! Lots of laughs, sand play, exploring was to be had on this beautiful Nova Scotia evening :)

With love from Welcome Arms,
Mandy

You may be asking yourself, what exactly is a Mother Blessing? 
Well, it can be any event that honors the Journey of Motherhood, a Bonding of women, a Community of women.
A devoted moment to Welcome and Support mothers.
It's about providing a Space for mother's, for their children, for grandmothers, for women who are not themselves a mother, it is a Gathering of Women.
It is a Sisterhood.
It is a space to feel Loved, to feel Connected, to feel Grounded, to feel Accepted.
It is Women lending their skills and love of the Birth Community and of the Motherhood Community.
Food, Massage, Yoga, Coaching, Photography, Sound Therapy, Belly Casting, Intention Setting, Bonding... the Mother Blessing was all this and much more.
I was grateful to offer my services and photograph this Blessing for the 2nd year. Much love to all Mother's who attended and all individual's who volunteered their time to hold this special space.
Thank you to @jessieharold of @nalumanawomenswellness for organizing again this year :)

I say,
Welcome Mothers, Welcome Little Ones,
Into Welcome Arms,
You are Loved.

xox
Mandy

You know when you find a place...and it feels so much more than a just a place?

That is how I felt when I first walked into Hazelnut & Rose Maternity Boutique in Downtown Dartmouth. Not only is the boutique beautiful, serene, and nurturing... not only is it graced with some of the most lovely, practical, stunning maternity and nursing clothing, it is owned and operated by a lady that shines with her love and passion for what she does. She truly loves helping women feel good about themselves and she does this not only through her clothing suggestions and support, but also for just being herself and present.

I felt connected with her and the space instantly and knew that it was the perfect location to work with moms-to-be, and momma's and their precious children, while capturing simple nurturing moments during my MINI Photography Sessions. I am so grateful for Genny, for her space, and for the friendship we continue to grow.

I am thrilled to share some images from this recent Mini Mommy & Me Nurture Session with you, all images taken at Hazelnut & Rose, Dartmouth :) #hazelnutandrose

Much love from Welcome Arms,
Mandy

Below... 3 Generations... Grandma & Mommy's hands and precious little girl :)

Welcome Arms Photography will be holding regular MINI Sessions at Hazelnut & Rose throughout the 2017 year. Mini Bump Sessions and Mini Mommy & Me Sessions. Keep an eye on my Events page and FB page for upcoming dates and details! :)

All images copyright 2017 Welcome Arms Photography