Girl power... more than a slogan on a t-shirt {Family photography in Buckinghamshire}

There I was out shopping with my 6, soon to be 7, year old at the weekend and she pipes up "Girl Power!" with a fist pump. So, obviously I'm delighted that she's on message (!) and I told her that I first heard about "Girl Power!" when it was summer 1996 and through the medium of the Spice Girls she said "I know who they are, Geri is a Spice Girl". (She is a fan of that recent BBC1 early Saturday evening show). Anyway it got me thinking, how do get these positive messages through to our children? Other than as a slogan on a T-shirt, how do we get them to understand what "girl power" means and why they need to understand it as they grow up?

And its not just for girls, I want my son to know that he is an equal too and for him to grow up respecting women as equals. I'm finding it hard to navigate all the messages they get and helping them to understand their place in the world. When it comes down to it the clearest message I want to give them is to be kind, we are all human beings.  But some people come from a position of privilege and others don't; be it gender, ethnicity, ability, class, whatever it is I'm hoping I'm helping my children to understand theirs and that of others. There is a loooonngggg way to go before human beings are equal. Here are just a few of the girls I've photographed lately who will be part of that change... may your voices be heard, loud and clear...

Motherhood in photographs {Family photography in Milton Keynes}

Motherhood in photographs is a vast spectrum of images and everyone has a different idea of what motherhood looks like. It often depends on your own experience of motherhood, of the influences you have had in your life, of the idea of what society deems it should look like or even the images that fill your social media timelines. The reality is motherhood is different for everyone and that is amazing. We all have different lives that we have created for ourselves and to me, the value of your images of motherhood is that they mean something to you. Photographs in your home, your space are often the ones where you are most at ease. 

As mums, all too often we don't see ourselves in those pictures of motherhood but we are the ones living exactly that. Photographs can help to tell the story of your motherhood; the firsts, the exploration, enjoying the little things and, of course, those cuddles. And most importantly to me, it is about real life motherhood, letting your kids know that you were there too and very much part of their everyday life. 

So here are a few images of my favourite images, sometimes it not about the 'perfect' picture but about the story that it tells...

Considering how much I love taking photographs of others, I'm not a particularly keen on being photographed. But as a photographer and as a mother I know how much I value being in the frame with my kids and to prove I was part of their childhood too! Taken as part of the 30 day September Challenge