I often start with an idea.
A light, a set, a feeling I imagine could work.

But the real session begins when you walk in.
When we connect, when I listen, when I understand what you need, not just what I planned.

That is where everything shifts.

A portrait session isn’t about fitting you into my vision.
It’s about creating something together, something that feels true to you.

Would you prefer to be guided, or to co-create your session?

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I often start with an idea.
A light, a set, a feeling I imagine could work.

But the real session begins when you walk in.
When we connect, when I listen, when I understand what you need, not just what I planned.

That is where everything shifts.

A portrait session isn’t about fitting you into my vision.
It’s about creating something together, something that feels true to you.

Would you prefer to be guided, or to co-create your session?

This photo is from last year.

We look different now. Older, wiser, with shorter hair. We’re in different countries. Life has thrown its complications at us, the kind that don’t get shared on social media. And a photo like this is not possible right now.

So I’m holding on to this one until better days come.

I remember how hard it was to take it. So many bad ones, so much frustration. Me going back and forth from the camera. And then this. The last one. The real one. Laughter out of frustration. Boom.

This Mother’s Day, I’m not thinking about breakfast in bed or bouquets. That’s for the Instagram show.

I’m thinking about the women who wish they still had their mum. The ones who wish they were one. The ones holding everything together while the world posts its perfect mum life, and we all know it’s not real. The ones who are tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, desperate for a break, but with a heart full of love, hanging onto every little moment of joy.

You don’t have to have the perfect day to be a good mother.

Today is about acknowledging us, exactly as we are.

Happy Mother’s Day 🤍

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Open post by by_valentina with ID 18104950459849691

This photo is from last year.

We look different now. Older, wiser, with shorter hair. We’re in different countries. Life has thrown its complications at us, the kind that don’t get shared on social media. And a photo like this is not possible right now.

So I’m holding on to this one until better days come.

I remember how hard it was to take it. So many bad ones, so much frustration. Me going back and forth from the camera. And then this. The last one. The real one. Laughter out of frustration. Boom.

This Mother’s Day, I’m not thinking about breakfast in bed or bouquets. That’s for the Instagram show.

I’m thinking about the women who wish they still had their mum. The ones who wish they were one. The ones holding everything together while the world posts its perfect mum life, and we all know it’s not real. The ones who are tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, desperate for a break, but with a heart full of love, hanging onto every little moment of joy.

You don’t have to have the perfect day to be a good mother.

Today is about acknowledging us, exactly as we are.

Happy Mother’s Day 🤍

Six years ago, I photographed Louise feeding her baby during her newborn session.

Last Friday, I went to something special.
The live recording of @no_parental_guidance , the podcast by @mamastillgotit_ and @hannaheastcomedy. What an absolutely amazing morning, thanks again for having me there!

And on that occasion we swapped books.

In her copy of Milk Tales, I wrote: “This book was born from the real voices of mothers. In many ways, you give space to those voices every day.” ( or something on line as I don’t rememebr the exact words now - hello I don’t remember what I ate for lunch, let the exact words I used a week ago!😅)

Because that’s what she does.

Milk Tales is a collection of breastfeeding stories and photographs, born from my own experience and built from the honest voices of other mothers. Through her podcast with Hannah East, Louise has been doing the same work: creating space for the messy, funny, hard, beautiful truth of parenting.

It’s one of those full-circle moments. The newborn I photographed six years ago. The mother who keeps showing up, keeps speaking honestly, keeps making other parents feel less alone.

If you haven’t listened to @no_parental_guidance go and find it. Real conversations about the parts of parenting no one warns you about, with lots of humour.

If you’ve been curious about Milk Tales, it’s available on Amazon. And if you haven’t read Louise’s book yet, find it there too you will laugh out loud!

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Open post by by_valentina with ID 17881548204472252

Six years ago, I photographed Louise feeding her baby during her newborn session.

Last Friday, I went to something special.
The live recording of @no_parental_guidance , the podcast by @mamastillgotit_ and @hannaheastcomedy. What an absolutely amazing morning, thanks again for having me there!

And on that occasion we swapped books.

In her copy of Milk Tales, I wrote: “This book was born from the real voices of mothers. In many ways, you give space to those voices every day.” ( or something on line as I don’t rememebr the exact words now - hello I don’t remember what I ate for lunch, let the exact words I used a week ago!😅)

Because that’s what she does.

Milk Tales is a collection of breastfeeding stories and photographs, born from my own experience and built from the honest voices of other mothers. Through her podcast with Hannah East, Louise has been doing the same work: creating space for the messy, funny, hard, beautiful truth of parenting.

It’s one of those full-circle moments. The newborn I photographed six years ago. The mother who keeps showing up, keeps speaking honestly, keeps making other parents feel less alone.

If you haven’t listened to @no_parental_guidance go and find it. Real conversations about the parts of parenting no one warns you about, with lots of humour.

If you’ve been curious about Milk Tales, it’s available on Amazon. And if you haven’t read Louise’s book yet, find it there too you will laugh out loud!

March: the month we celebrate women. Twice.

But instead of just posting about it, I’m doing something.

I’m opening up five complimentary portrait sessions in my studio this March. Small, intimate experiences for women over 40.

For women who’ve been thinking about doing this but haven’t taken the step.

For women who want to see themselves differently.

There’s no catch. Just the experience of pausing, of being witnessed, of seeing yourself through a lens that isn’t your phone screen.

If you fall in love with an image and want to print it, you can. Prints start at £100. Because you deserve to see yourself properly, not on a small screen.
If nothing calls to you, the experience is yours to keep.

To apply: Comment and tell me in one sentence what it would mean to you to see yourself differently.

5 spaces. Late March. If this stirs something in you, don’t wait.

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Open post by by_valentina with ID 18129915733530657

March: the month we celebrate women. Twice.

But instead of just posting about it, I’m doing something.

I’m opening up five complimentary portrait sessions in my studio this March. Small, intimate experiences for women over 40.

For women who’ve been thinking about doing this but haven’t taken the step.

For women who want to see themselves differently.

There’s no catch. Just the experience of pausing, of being witnessed, of seeing yourself through a lens that isn’t your phone screen.

If you fall in love with an image and want to print it, you can. Prints start at £100. Because you deserve to see yourself properly, not on a small screen.
If nothing calls to you, the experience is yours to keep.

To apply: Comment and tell me in one sentence what it would mean to you to see yourself differently.

5 spaces. Late March. If this stirs something in you, don’t wait.

It’s been 17 days since I last posted.

I had to check the date because honestly, I didn’t notice. And that’s new for me.

For years, I’ve felt the pressure to show up constantly.
To post multiple times a week.
To be visible. To prove I’m here, I’m working, I’m relevant.

But somewhere along the way, I started asking myself: is there value in posting just for the sake of posting?

If I posted every day saying “book a shoot with me,” I’d bore myself.
So how could I expect you not to be bored too?
There’s already so much noise online. And I don’t think you need mine too.

So this year, I made a choice.
To show up when I have something worth saying. To prioritise depth over frequency. To invest in myself rather than performing for an algorithm.
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve read 9 books.
I’ve studied. I’ve learned. I’ve grown.
And I feel more valuable now than I did when I was posting three times a week just to tick a box.

I’m not saying social media doesn’t matter. It does. Visibility matters.
But so does substance.
So does intention.
So does showing up because you have something real to offer, not because you’re afraid of being forgotten. And Now I’m here to drop this reflection.

I’m still here. I’m still photographing families. I’m still creating work I’m proud of.
Actually I’m more busy than usual.
I’m just not shouting about it every day anymore.

And I’m okay with that.

If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear it.
Because I think a lot of us are tired of the noise.

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Open post by by_valentina with ID 17989166684771083

It’s been 17 days since I last posted.

I had to check the date because honestly, I didn’t notice. And that’s new for me.

For years, I’ve felt the pressure to show up constantly.
To post multiple times a week.
To be visible. To prove I’m here, I’m working, I’m relevant.

But somewhere along the way, I started asking myself: is there value in posting just for the sake of posting?

If I posted every day saying “book a shoot with me,” I’d bore myself.
So how could I expect you not to be bored too?
There’s already so much noise online. And I don’t think you need mine too.

So this year, I made a choice.
To show up when I have something worth saying. To prioritise depth over frequency. To invest in myself rather than performing for an algorithm.
Since the beginning of the year, I’ve read 9 books.
I’ve studied. I’ve learned. I’ve grown.
And I feel more valuable now than I did when I was posting three times a week just to tick a box.

I’m not saying social media doesn’t matter. It does. Visibility matters.
But so does substance.
So does intention.
So does showing up because you have something real to offer, not because you’re afraid of being forgotten. And Now I’m here to drop this reflection.

I’m still here. I’m still photographing families. I’m still creating work I’m proud of.
Actually I’m more busy than usual.
I’m just not shouting about it every day anymore.

And I’m okay with that.

If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear it.
Because I think a lot of us are tired of the noise.

What’s the main message of Milk Tales?

This was my answer on my very first podcast back in July, before the book even launched. And now, after being featured in Grazia, this message feels more important than ever.

Every story shared helps another mother feel less alone.

Every conversation breaks the silence a little more.

If you’re struggling with breastfeeding, please know: you deserve to be seen, heard, and supported. Your story matters.

Milk Tales available on Amazon

#MilkTales #BreastfeedingStories #MaternalMentalHealth #breastfeedingsupport #postpartumsupport

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maternity studio