milk time :: breastfeeding portraits (part II)

Back in march, i stepped out and offered a specialized form of mini-session portraits that i had never done before : portraits of mamas with their nurslings. knowing how special and how fleeting a breastfeeding relationship is, i figured maybe other mamas would want it documented the way that i do! so, i partnered with midwife Sara at Cedar Tree Birth and Wellness, and we hosted this lovely event for 14 pairs of mamas and babies. it was so special. 

so we did it again, of course! this time around, a couple things were different. like, the room we used last time, which previously had a couch in it, was now filled with a gorgeous, inviting bed, giving the mamas the opportunity to recline or side-lie while nursing, or to sit in a rocking chair in that same private room. meanwhile, in the main rooms, women lingered, nursing their babies and chatting about motherhood and birth. there was so much lingering this time! all these women, who had never met before, all hit it off. for me, that was really rewarding to see, as i had hopes that this photo event would also invite a sense of community and support. 

so, without further ado, here's an image from each nursing pair who came out this past weekend. beauty upon beauty. 

thank you so much to every one of these mamas for letting me photograph you and your babies. it was a real joy. 

artist portrait :: emilie tromp of lief design

emilie and i live lives that brush up very close to one another -- mutual friends, shared spaces -- but rarely intersect. each time that they do intersect, i'm inspired and moved by her, both her quality of person, and the beauty of what she creates. she's in inevitable artist, an unavoidable creative, and also a genuine lover of people. 

her company, lief design, specializes in hand-lettering and stationary pieces, using letterpress and screen-printing. she utilizes textured materials like linen and wood paper, and bases her color palette in whites and natural tones, with muted colors adding accent.

emilie the talent behind my simple and sweet logo. it fits so naturally on my website and with my images, and i believe that's because she was able to see the essence of my work and build something that would match it. 

today, i finally got to return her favor. i went to her studio to photograph her work for her website portfolio and shop (the images i took aren't up there yet). but i asked her if i could also to make an environmental portrait of her in the space where she does her creative work. thankfully, she agreed. and we chatted about creative process and life in general as i peeked around at all the intricacies of her studio, snapping as i went. there's so much going on in the space, yet every object seems purposeful in its placement, chosen because it inspires. it was absolutely inspiring to just walk around in that room. and then to get a small glimpse at some of her creative process, after enjoying the end results of it for so long, felt like a real privilege. 

so, here it is : emilie at work.