Motherhood at Dusk {Series}

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Disclaimer:: Cincinnati Moms Blog received free photography services in exchange for this post, however we would not endorse a product or business we do not feel is of value to our readers. All photos are courtesy of Kati Best at Kandid.ly

When asked if I would be interested in having a photographer come into my home and take pictures of my son and me simply living our lives, my first impulse was to say no. I am an introvert and very private. Then, I got to thinking about it. I have never had professional photos taken of me and my son; something I sometimes regret. One reason for this is that I don’t like overly posed pictures. To me there is something insincere about having to dress up, go to an agreed upon location, and “act natural” while maintaining perfect hair and an unwavering smile.

Motherhood isn’t a series of matching outfits and docile children sitting in our laps. When I look at a photo, I remember my life at that moment. I don’t want a gallery of perfect pictures only to remember the stress of getting to the location or the bribes made to get my son to sit still and look at the camera. I’ve also realized that a posed photo taken in a studio cannot capture the real story of my life with this little boy. Our day-to-day lives, the mundane, the days we take for granted while planning our weekends and vacations are full of the things that really matter. I have thousands of pictures of my son. I do not have one photo of me putting him to bed. When my son is grown, it will be the daily life I lived with him that I will miss the most.

Once I realized this, I jumped at the chance to have kandid.ly come to my home.

Kati Best** made the awkwardness of having a stranger with a camera in my home seem comfortable. I was very happy with the experience. From the time she left till the time I viewed my photos, there was a feeling of excited suspense. What shots did she get? Would I like them? Would she be able to capture an authentic representation of our real lives in one hour?

My heart is full when I say that she certainly was able to capture our real life with her talented eye and hand-held camera. I will treasure these photos for the rest of my life. They will remind me of how small my son was the summer he was five. They will ensure that I never forget how we look at, and interact with, one another. They will bring to mind the milestones he achieved the summer of 2015 – getting himself dressed, putting on his own shoes, and riding his bike.

This photography session is also significant in its timing. By chance, these photos were taken mere days before our home was rearranged to incorporate my boyfriend and his two children. This was a welcomed event in our lives, but part of me was sad to say goodbye to the room that had served as my son’s for the first five years of his life. I am happy that Kati was able to capture our nighttime routine in that beloved room.

She also happened to capture the very real fact that no matter how much a mother plans something out, the child(ren) will always determine how things actually play out. I had planned to go through our bedtime routine and put W to bed. This is one of the most meaningful parts of my day. As you can see, we did do that, and then he pulled on his shorts and shoes and headed outside to ride his bike because it’s summer and the sun hadn’t yet set. I am so pleased with those photos. Photographic proof that mother doesn’t always know best and children have a lot to teach us if only we will listen.

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Kandid.ly is an amazing service that looks to pair local photographers with families in the area in an effort to help them capture life’s moments while enjoying them too. Their website is easy to navigate and a great way to connect with affordable photography services designed to give you memories of your life, both big and small. Birthday parties, a trip to a local farmer’s market, a picnic in the park or as this series highlights… even documenting life at it’s most basic. Kandid.ly gives you quality prints and a professional experience at a price that will keep you coming back for more.

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Lisa Springer
I am a native Cincinnatian, born and raised on the West Side and currently settled across the river in Northern Kentucky. I’m a former Highlander, Bearcat, Falcon, and Fulbright Scholar. My greatest challenge hitherto is the one I love the most: being a Mom to an energetic eight-year-old boy. When not working full-time at one of the city’s great hospitals, I’m trying to fit in all there is to do in this wonderful city – and there is certainly A LOT to do! As one who loves to read, I am an advocate for the public library and go multiple times a week. You can often find me at Music Hall enjoying the ballet, opera, and orchestra. I am an introvert, a bit of a foodie, an NPR listener, a pessimist who likes to think she’s a realist, a middle child, an ex-wife and amicable co-parent, a fiancée, and much, much more. I feel lucky to have grown up in Cincinnati and to be raising my own child in this wonderful city.

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