family

Surrendering What "Could" Be In Motherhood

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I've been fighting motherhood since Maeve was born. I have a hard time letting go of control. There is something so hard about surrendering your thought of how parenthood "would" be.

But, the other side has been incredibly beautiful.

It's not Maeve's responsibility to inspire my growth, but she has just by her sheer existence. I'm facing hard truths about myself and areas I need to stretch and improve upon. This is the work I should have been putting in long before I had a child, simply to become a better person. But, I wasn't. She pushes me to see my areas of weakness and make them into the strongest parts of me.

I never realized how resilient I can be until the process of becoming pregnant and everything that has followed.

She's also made me the best version of an artist to date. I've always served mothers, but now it goes much deeper. The way I can empathize and strive to give them an experience that will mean more as the years go by. This time in our lives is all about survival and my mission is to give mothers a few moments of breath...a few moments of letting go of control and expectations.

"I feel there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people: - Van Gogh

Little girl in dress, running into the ocean waves during a colorful sunrise

Where Is My Village | Postpartum Depression

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Where Is My Village | Postpartum Depression

When there were villages was postpartum depression as prevalent? We feel we have to preface every complaint with, “I love my child, BUT…” It’s out of fear of judgement, or hell, fear of saying how hard this is out loud and admitting that we don’t know how or when it will get better. We weren’t designed to live this way. Maeve was designed to have many sisters and brothers, in a village. My husband and I were designed to have others around us who told the same stories and helped us look after our little love. I don’t know the solution, but I write all of this because I don’t know where else to put it at times. I write all of this because I know we could fill so many villages full of people who are out there, crying, because they don’t have a village.

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The Breakers Palm Beach Family Session Turned Into Legacy Wall Art

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The first photograph is my client's wall after installation.

The second photograph is what I designed in my software.

My client said to me, "It's rare that you see something that is exactly how it looked from conception and you did that for us."

That is a magical feeling.

I'm really proud of this one. I'm most proud because of the text I received last night, from said client, "Shannon, our house feels like a home. Thank you, thank you."

I'm an artist and a big part of me is a narcissist at heart. I love the feeling I get when someone "likes" one of my photographs on social media. But, the truth is that it's so fleeting. After I post the photo, and it is liked by others, it is soon forgotten. These photographs will not be forgotten. They will live on in my client's home. Every day, when they walk downstairs, this is the first thing they will see. Sloan, their daughter, will see how much she was/is loved.

This is why I do it. The love this family will see for each other, every single day, that is my why.

Preserving a Fisher Island Family's Legacy Through Photographs

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Preserving a Fisher Island Family's Legacy Through Photographs

What do you want the world to remember about you? What do you want your children to remember about you as a parent? How do you want your spouse to feel thirty years from now? How will you preserve those memories that you cherish and spent years making?

This is why I work very closely with my custom printer, framer, and album artisan. Preserving my client’s legacy by print is as equally important as photographing them.

Don’t let your legacy die on a hard drive.

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The Process of Working Together

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The Process of Working Together

I will guide you through the entire process and will anticipate your needs before you might even realize them. It’s my pleasure to create custom art for my clients, based on their individuality.

What I love most about these sessions is the experience. We will create gorgeous photographs and you will have one of the most enjoyable experiences of your life.

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