Jenna Lane & Jasper | at home family session to pizza on the water front

Jenna and I originally met years and years ago in Nashville at a coffee shop. I was travelling with someone who knew her and we bumped into each other and got to chatting. Just three Toronto gals in a cool coffee spot in Nashville. Who would of thought that years later while shooting a wedding in Hamilton, she turned out to be the manager of the restaurant that the wedding was at and she was my saving grace as I was asking about a quiet place to pump (this was when Oscar was a baby and I was pumping at weddings).

Jenna was there to take care of me and with a , “I got you, I’ve been there before.”, we just clicked and then it clicked when she also reminded me that we knew each other. Such a small world!

She made sure I was nice and comfortable while I was shooting the wedding, helping me find a place to pump and safely store my milk. We got to chatting that night, talking about her life with her son, Jasper, and then stayed in touch after wedding. We connected on Instagram and bonded over motherhood; I loved how real she about her life and being a solo parent.

We ended up arranging an at home photoshoot of the two of them. I wanted to the shoot to be as real and honest as it could be. I wanted it to be a glimpse into this time in their lives, their routines, their connection and the places that matter to them. We captured the beautiful little moments in their routine, like dancing in the kitchen, hanging out in Jenna’s room snuggling, eating pizza on the dock by the water, and their journey in a wagon to get there… the focus was truly on just capturing the essence of their relationship. The bond between a mother and her son is so special and we really wanted to catch all the little fleeting moments that make it so.

I work with a lot of single moms and have so much admiration for them. It’s not an easy job and they do it so beautifully, but also so honestly and authentically. They’re so real about the struggles and so vulnerable, and I think being honest about that kind of thing gives your child a safe space to express when they’re feeling vulnerable, which is a really beautiful example to give your child. Capturing those special moments and creating memories for the mom to look back on is so important to me. And sharing the beauty of this life even among the chaos of motherhood is so important in making sure all the stories are there. All mothers are seen and all experiences are honoured.

I feel so lucky to be able to capture moments for people and I especially love that I can do this for moms because as one myself, this job of motherhood is one of the hardest, yet beautiful, experiences and to have little snippets to remember among the fog; that’s (pardon my french) fucking awesome.

Big love xo