Mother of the Month - Charlotte

I have been lucky enough to work with Charlotte a few different times now, and each time she comes in with ideas for us to collaborate on and we always create some of my favorite photos!

1.) Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family, how you became a mom, what is special about motherhood to you, what your hobbies are, etc.

Hi! My name is Charlotte. My husband, Don, and I have been together for almost 16 years (married for 12). In our younger years (late 20s) we had debated when and if we would jumpstart a family. After a while, we started heading down a path where we did not think that having children would be in the cards for us, especially as we got older. Thankfully, fate had other plans in store and we are so grateful for our growing family and to be able to share our parenting journey together. I am 39 years old (almost 40!) and am currently pregnant with baby number two. Our son, Donovan, is 2 years old and is full of life, spunk, and spirit. We cannot wait for him to become a big brother to his little sister. There is a sacred moment shared between mother and baby: that moment when you hold your baby for the first time. It was in that moment I felt my journey of motherhood begin.

2.) Tell us why you decided to have professional family photographs taken and why you trusted Jen to take these special photos

With my first pregnancy, I did not think that we would have a second baby. With Donovan, we thought he was the one and only- the one and done. I wanted to preserve my maternity in memory through photograph and was so thrilled to find Jen. I had been looking for someone to collaborate with and to execute my vision, capturing my Diné (Navajo) culture and the importance of motherhood in my culture through the camera lens. I was absolutely blown away by the photos of my first maternity shoot. BLOWN AWAY. I call Jen the maternity whisperer of photography. Her ability to capture such raw moments and draw out the maternal instinct between mother and unborn child is an art form in and of itself. Her photographs are priceless works of art and heirlooms that I hope can be enjoyed by my family for years to come. Naturally, with my second pregnancy, I did not hesitate to reach out to Jen for another maternity shoot. This time around, I focused on my Chinese culture- and it was another bullseye. The vision was executed beautifully! It is such a joy to work with Jen. She goes above and beyond to ensure that the images are magical. I look at my maternity photos and am always astounded by the artistry. I sometimes forget that the images are of me because all I think of is how the artist (Jen) captured such a powerful image of a mother and her unborn babe.

3.) Please feel free to include anything else you find interesting about you or your parenting philosophy (ex. books you read, tips or tricks, etc.)

These are the things that I learned from my mother. Being a mom is beautiful and joyful, it is pain and heartache, it is stressful and tiresome, it is failure and success, it is full of unconditional love and selflessness that knows no bounds. In motherhood may you walk in beauty before you, behind you, below you, above you, and all around you.