All that I am or ever hope to be…. {Family Portrait Photography, Chepstow}

 All that I ever hope to be, I owe to my Angel mother.

Abraham Lincoln.

This was such a special shoot for me. It combined so many elements that are so important in my work, and I think (hope!) the results show that- a perfect storm of love and emotion!

The session was bought for S by her sister, in the hope that it would enable her to celebrate her amazing bond with her son; a connection all the more special as it is just the two of them. This struck a real chord with me as T is the same age as my own son, and I know how incredibly meaningful and special that mother/son ‘thing’ can be! So a real treat for me to explore this relationship through my lens. S’s words to me at the beginning of the shoot; ‘Just show the connection we have. It is so special and I want to be able to look at these photographs and really remember that in years to come.’ Yep, that’s what I do!

T was somewhat wary to begin with, but that lasted, oh, maybe 2 minutes?! What a wonderful boy he is! I love teenagers anyway and am a huge advocate for their spirit, passion, and misunderstood-ness. But T is really a very, very special man in the making. S has done an amazing job of offering this gift of a child to the world.

You may have heard me talk about the ‘Beloved’ genre of photography before. A means to celebrate love and connection in a relationship. Revealing the real, not posing and pretending; creating something meaningful. Having a laugh, being serious, contemplating the future and remembering the past; having the time and space to just be together. And if this shoot does anything at all, it shows that Beloved is not just about man and woman in love; it’s about love of any sort; and as these images show, the love of a mother and son is so worth celebrating. I do find it hard to explain the magic of Beloved photography in words, but when you see these images, I hope you’ll understand:))