Early Motherhood Photo Project

Marchet writes:

This mom and baby pair are the first in a project I'm working on about early motherhood and childhood. I wanted to catch the tenderness and obvious adoration between the model and her daughter. It was a cold day, so we mostly stayed inside and used available light from the windows to create these images. I'm especially proud of the top and bottom pictures. That little baby grip on the pinky finger is one of the best parts about holding an infant.

I'm still in search of more models for this project; so here are the details.

The Project
Marchet Butler is looking for moms, babies, and young children to model for her photo project celebrating breastfeeding, early motherhood, and childhood. This photojournalism project will feature candid images taken in the model’s home.

The Moms
Models can expect a daytime photo session in their home (Roswell and Alpharetta area) that will last about an hour. Participants must sign a model release for themselves and their child or children. In return, models will receive high resolution digital files of the best photos from their session at no charge.

Sign Up
If interested or for more information, please email Marchet at marchetbutler@gmail.com or call 770-363-1547.

Finishing the Early Motherhood Project

Yesterday’s photo shoot marked the end of my Early Motherhood Project. This model and her baby girl were one of the first to sign up for the project, but because of bad weather, sickness, graduation (congrats to my model!), and scheduling conflicts, we almost didn’t get together for the shoot. I’m glad it finally worked out!

It’s a relief to be finished. It’s been a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. What started out as a germ of an idea has blossomed into a great adventure for me as a photographer. I’ve met so many wonderful moms and their families, made friends and contacts for future shoots, and put my photography skills to the test.

Meanwhile, I’m taking bookings for regular photo shoots: families, couples, individuals, and (yes!) mom and baby shoots. Please visit my Pricing Page for more information. And it’s full speed ahead for my next TFCD Modeling project: I have spots available on June 16th, 26th, and 27th. Lots of dates in July are also available. If you live in the Roswell or Alpharetta area (or can travel here for a shoot), please contact me to have your school-age kids model for my Kids and Teen Photo Project.

Real Babies, Real Moms

Marchet writes:

My Early Motherhood Project is off to a great start! I have a few more moms lined up to model for me, but am looking for more. Details are available on an earlier post: Early Motherhood Project.

Today, this little 6-month-old ran the gamut of emotions during our photo shoot: sleepy, hungry, angry, scared, confused, and absolutely desolate! Fortunately for us, little miss also had some smiles behind the tears. We spent the first half of the photo shoot trying to sooth a teething set of gums and helping little miss become acclimated to the camera. Even though the situation may have been a bit distressing, I have to admit, I still loved it! This is what I've been wanting to do for months: shoot photos of real babies and real moms.

After little miss calmed down, we took her outside to sit in the grass for the first time. She didn't wait very long before grabbing that fistful of grass. Let's add one more emotion to today's list: curious!

Trio in the the Trees

This beautiful trio were wonderful models for my Early Motherhood Project. Despite bright sun, we found some shady spots in the backyard and in wooded lot nearby. I love how vibrant and alive the sisters look in their red shirts against the green background. I also love shooting mom with both her young child and her baby; after all, early motherhood is often about taking care of more than one child.

Being One

Marchet writes:

My little boy and I spent a great morning at Webb Bridge Park with a friend and fellow blogger who agreed to model for my Early Motherhood Project. Her little guy was busy! He was swinging, playing, eating, smiling, fussing, and even walking as proud as he could be across the floor of the pavilion. Such independence comes with being one, and this little guy was out to prove it!

Today's sunny light made harsh shadows and bright highlights, something I usually try to avoid. However, I found that the contrast was perfect for black and white images like the ones on the slide. It's opportunities like these that help me learn as a photographer. So far, the Early Motherhood Project has been a tremendous success: it's helped me expand my portfolio, get out of the house to meet other moms and babies, and say "thank you" to my models with a free CD of their images. I will be finishing this project in a few weeks, but I'll start a new one after that. Ideas for new projects are welcome!

Lakeside Family Photo Shoot

Marchet writes:

We spent our Saturday afternoon today at a beautiful little lake with this couple and their baby girl. It was great to have Jacob on the shoot to assist and also take photos. He has a great eye for backgrounds, and I appreciate his honest critiques of my work.

During the shoot, we typically spend a lot of time talking while we're working--sharing stories, getting to know each other, finding out what we should try to capture about this family. One thing was obvious throughout the shoot: Daddy adores his girls. He was so attentive of both his wife and daughter. I've been shooting a lot of moms and babies (including this pair) lately for my Early Motherhood Project, so it was a nice change to photograph the family with the daddy too!

Although I love portraits of faces, my favorite shots from today are the full length photo at the top of this post and the second one of the shoes. The first photo really works technically: the light, depth of field, and perspective were perfect in that shot. The shoes are just fun. I generally shoot with color in mind, but occasionally black and white really suits the image as in this case.

Summer Portraits

With summer approaching, the colors and light outside have become more vivid and bright. That's great for my Nikon camera, which captures colors so well as long as I white balance before each shoot. But the brightness is sometimes hard to get around. To avoid squinting eyes and harsh shadows, I look for shady spots to take photos. These photos were taken at the model's home in her front and back yard. The trees and the house provided enough cover from the sun, and the ivy, lattice fence, and brick made lovely backgrounds.

This time, I concentrated on getting portrait shots of each model. The girls were pretty easy to capture. At first, the oldest played and posed readily for me. Even when she got a little stubborn about having her picture taken, she looked great on camera (see the close-up black and white photo). The baby was an easy-going calm one. She was just about happy with anything I did to get a good picture. Lastly, I wanted to give mom a nice portrait of herself. When the light hit her brown eyes just right, I took several shots of her alone. It's great to have pictures of you and your children, but sometimes it's nice when you are the star of the photo alone.

This is the second-to-last photo shoot from my Early Motherhood Project. I have one more mom and baby pair to shoot, and then I am officially done with this project . . . at least the photography part. I would like to have some of my work from this project published and am looking into that possibility.

Quiet Wonder

This mom and baby pair braved cool weather to model for my Early Motherhood Project (see previous post for details if you are interested in modeling). Just six months old, the baby boy was full of quiet wonder for all the spring beauty around him. And I love how the soft pink and blue hues echo the mother's gentle caregiving.

It's been such an amazing experience meeting moms and taking candid shots of them and their babies. I will be working on this project until the end of this month, April. After that, my new project tentatively called "School Days" will feature school-age children and teenagers.