There are so many reasons why I love being an Edmonton Photographer. The honour of capturing your most precious moments as a family. The joy of seeing your love reflected back in the images we capture. The pleasure of meeting new families and helping each one preserve their own unique love story. The list is too long to share each and every reason. Today, I’m sharing my top 5 reasons for loving being an Edmonton photographer, with a focus on maternity, newborn and families.
As a mother myself to two young girls, who are growing faster with each passing year, I truly love being around young children. Especially newborns, since my days of carrying and birthing and snuggling newborns has come and gone. Since I’m in the same (or very similar) stage of life as the majority of my clients, it feels natural to interact, be silly with and love on my littlest clients.
As many of you may not know, I was an elementary school teacher prior to having my oldest daughter (grades one and three were my area of expertise!) and so I use my knowledge as a teacher to help me win over even the most reserved kiddos. There’s nothing quite like the challenge of helping your little ones come out of their shells and letting their sweet personalities shine in front of the camera. I truly enjoy getting to help you always remember them, exactly as they are, by helping them feel comfortable and at ease with me.
I truly love meeting new families, many of whom are in the same life stage as me and my own. Motherhood can be quite the journey – filled with many ups and many, many downs. One of my favourite parts of my job is getting to connect with other mothers (and fathers!) and share advice, commiserate about the joys and struggles of parenthood, and generally just feel a little less lonely in this whole journey. After all, while “mother” has been my favourite title and role so far in life, it has also been the most difficult, and lonely at times. Getting to connect with other moms who are experiencing much of the same challenges (and, of course, fun) of motherhood helps us all realize that so much of what we go through is normal. Whether it’s laughing about the silly things our kiddos say and do, sharing our frustrations with the latest milestone we’re working to achieve, or offering our favourite recipes that our children actually love eating – just being around those in a similar life stage feels like a breath of fresh air. My clients often become some of my favourite people, and getting to connect with like-minded families is definitely a bonus of being a photographer!
One of the sweetest, and most unexpected joys of my job, has been using my experience as a mom to help other moms feel comfortable, beautiful and confident in this new stage of life.
If you’ve been through the stages of pregnancy and postpartum, you know that it’s easy to feel anything but confident and glamorous at times. Whether it’s feeling unfamiliar in your changing body, or doubting yourself as a new parent (both things I’ve been through!), it can be hard to feel completely confident in yourself and your abilities. One of the most rewarding parts of my job when working with new mothers (or newly postpartum experienced mothers!) is helping them see themselves the way their children do – as the beautiful, incredible mother they are, inside and out.
I first aim to help moms feel beautiful on the outside, with wardrobe pieces that compliment all stages of motherhood, professional hair and make-up, and gentle posing to make the most of their natural beauty.
But even more than what’s on the outside, I work hard to put my mothers at ease, and give them permission to relax and have fun with their little ones. By reducing a mother’s stress on the day of their session (and leading up to it), it’s easier to see that playful, caring and loving side come out. Our goal is to capture the side of motherhood that feels good on the inside – not the side that feels stressed, on edge, or worried. (Because, let’s be real, we’ve all felt these things as mothers!)
It is so rewarding to see a new mom relax, enjoy her family and look back on the memories and see herself as the beautiful person she is – both inside and out. After all, this is how our little ones see us, and it’s so important as women to be able to celebrate our beauty, rather than to search for fault in it.
As a mom well into my seventh year of parenting (not sure how that happened!) I like to think that I’ve learned some things along the way. I love getting to sit with new parents and sharing what I’ve learned in order to help them in any way I can. Whether it’s advising on how to help with a gassy baby, tricks for getting started on potty training, or sharing resources to help guide my clients with any list of topics, I’m always happy to help however I can. It’s always really sweet when a new parent asks for my advice, as it means that they truly trust and value my experience and opinion. I have shared so many tips and resources with my clients throughout the years – most of which have absolutely nothing to do with photography! – in order to help them in their own journey. If I can make a new parent’s life even just the tiniest bit easier, then that’s a win in my books! (So if you’re reading this and you’re a present or future client of mine, know that I love to chat all things parenthood, and no questions are silly ones!)
And finally… one of my absolute favourite parts of the job is helping my families forever look back on this season of life.
As parents, we know all too well how quickly our children grow, and just how heartbreaking it can be. I am passionate about helping each and every one of my sweet clients hold onto this beautiful stage of life with both hands. I aim to document your children’s beautiful and unique personalities, so that you can look back on a photo in 10 years from now and hear that sweet laugh in your mind. And to help you freeze them forever as they are through tangible artwork that is truly built to far outlive their baby cheeks.
One of my favourite parts of my job is seeing the look on my clients’ faces when they see their family in print. Creating artwork that can be enjoyed now, and that your children can continue to enjoy throughout their childhood and into adulthood. Artwork that is meant to be passed down to future generations, so that your family’s story is told, time and time again. Allowing you to create a visual legacy that will never be forgotten – that is what this job is all about.
Being a photographer is about so much more than taking pretty pictures. I truly love being an Edmonton photographer for all the little moments that we share, and the joy that I get the honour of bringing into your lives. So if you’re a past, present, or future client, thank you for choosing me, and for allowing me to continue to tell the stories of your families. It truly means the world.
At KKP, we believe that ensuring that our memories live on – in ways more tangible than our Instagram account – allows us to continue to tell these stories, long after the people in them have grown. As a newborn photographer and storyteller, my job doesn’t feel complete until your favourite moments are forever preserved in print.
Learn more about the KKP Experience here, and come say hello! I can’t wait to preserve your most special moments with the ones you love.
All images by Kahla Kristen Photography
All dreamy images scanned by Canadian Film Lab
Brand and Web Design by Studio Dukesa
copyright © 2024 Kahla kristen photography, Edmonton Newborn Photographer
edmonton newborn photography for sentimental mothers