life – Milli Stephania Photo

“I’m Not a Camera Person”

Now let’s talk about mom for a second.

Eliana told me from the beginning:
“I just want photos of the baby. I’m not a camera person.”

She even shared that when she got engaged, her fiancé hired a photographer, and she was quickly over posing.

And I told her, very gently…

“I’m going to peer pressure you in the nicest way possible.”

Because here’s the truth:

The fresh baby smell fades.
The tiny toes turn into little feet that one day smell like cheese.
The newborn scrunch disappears.
The way they fit perfectly on your chest changes almost overnight.

This is their first baby. It only happens once.

the magic of now new born photo session in queens new york, close up of mom holding baby while she breast feeds, holds her babby's hand and you see a close up of baby's baby rolls

And I always tell my moms who don’t want to get in front of the camera:
If you never want to look at the photos again, you don’t have to.
But at least they’ll exist.

She trusted me, and it was worth it.
By the end of the session, Eliana was relaxed. She laughed, she held her baby without worrying about angles. And when she saw the images, she thanked me over and over. She even left the sweetest review, the kind that makes you want to hug your laptop.

I will always encourage moms to get in the frame. Because one day, your baby will look for you in the photos. And they should find you, holding them, loving them, existing in their story.

mother changing her newborn in the nursery

I’ll never forget when I delivered a gallery to a sweet mom, and she messaged me with: “These made me cry. I’ve never seen myself like this.” Cue my own little dance in my kitchen, don’t judge. That’s the magic of candid photography: seeing the moments you didn’t even know existed, the ones that show the love, the chaos, and the beautiful reality of motherhood.

Moms Are Always Behind the Camera

If you’re a mom, I bet your phone is bursting with photos of your kids: their first steps, their silly faces, their masterpiece crayon drawings on your walls. And let’s not forget the dozens of group shots at family events where everyone looks great… except, wait, where are you? Oh, right. You’re the one taking the picture. Moms are like the stealthy ninjas of family photography, always capturing the memories but rarely appearing in them. It’s almost as if we’re trying to make ourselves invisible.
Um, excuse me!!
Spoiler alert: we’re not.

But here’s the thing: Moms matter. You were there too. You did the bedtime stories, the epic pancake breakfasts, the dance parties in the living room. And someday, when your kids look back at those moments, they’ll want to see you there, too, smiling, laughing, and being the heart of their childhood.

Candid Photos: The Ultimate Love Letter to Yourself

Mom holding her baby close with a warm smile while sitting on the living room floor while her toddler dances circles around her.

When I photograph families, I always make it a point to turn the lens on moms. And not just the posed “hey, look over here and smile” kind of shots. I’m talking about the real, raw, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments. Like when your toddler grabs your face for a sloppy kiss or when you’re laughing so hard at your partner’s dad joke that you’ve got tears streaming down your face. Those are the moments that make you, you.

The beauty of candid photos is that they’re not about perfection. It’s not about having your hair perfectly curled or your kids sitting neatly in matching outfits (though props to you if you manage that). It’s about capturing the love, the chaos, and everything in between. It’s about giving yourself permission to exist in the frame with messy hair, yoga pants, and whatever mixed match socks you found closest by.

What Will Your Kids Remember?

When your kids grow up and flip through photo albums or scroll through your digital archives, they’re not going to care about whether you had makeup on or if the kitchen was spotless. They’ll care that you were there. They’ll care about seeing the way your eyes lit up when you looked at them, the way you held them close, and the way you made their world feel safe and full of love.

Imagine your grown-up daughter showing her own kids a picture of you laughing in the backyard, holding her as a toddler. She’ll say, “This is your grandma. She was always so full of life.” That’s the legacy of a candid photo: it’s not just a picture; it’s a memory, a story, a connection that transcends time.

mother and teenage daughter laughing together

Change the Narrative

Moms, this is your gentle nudge, no, your loving shove, to get in the frame. Be part of the memories. Let someone else hold the camera (or better yet, let me do it). Because you deserve to be seen, celebrated, and remembered just as much as everyone else in your family.

So, next time you book a photo session, don’t shy away from the camera. Embrace it. Laugh. Dance. Be unapologetically you. And when you see those photos, I hope you’ll tear up, as well, because you’ll see what everyone else sees: a mom who is bold, beautiful, and full of magic.