The True Mama Project

I’ve started a project focusing on the mamas out there. Too often we neglect to have our photo taken and when we do, I feel like we tend to dress up and do our makeup in a way that isn’t true to our self. I’m all for a glamour or boudoir shoot to remind yourself of how gawdang fierce you are. But, do you have any photos of your true self? Any photos that represents how you look on your day-to-day that your kids would love? I bet your answer is, no.

I’ve started photographing mothers without their kids in sight. The idea is to create portrait that reflects your true aesthetic . Ones that your kids, and their kids, will love for years to come. It might be hard to picture, I hear you saying “Kate, I don’t want a picture of me in my onsie and top knot”… and I’m gonna ask you, why not?

Think about your favourite picture of your own mother - what is she wearing, what is she doing? Is she laughing? Reading a book in her favourite chair? What ever it is, I bet it isn’t the photo taken at the Sears portrait studio (no disrespect, I used to be one of those photographers!)

My favourite photos of my own mum are varied. One from before I was born - her hair is long and she’s at a party standing beside my dad. She’s so fun and vibrant - a reminder that she wasn’t always my mum and had a whole life before the kids arrived. Another is a snapshot on a BC Ferry - her classic 80’s perm is blowing in the wind and us kids are wrapped in her arms. We’re having the best time in our K-Way windbreakers.

There are others, but like most mothers she avoided having her photo taken while we were growing up and is rarely on her own in any photo. Instead opting to take the photos of all of the moments she wanted us to remember. I don’t think she realized that I want to remember her too.

We’re so critical of ourselves, and rarely happy with the photos we do appear in (guilty!), that we tend to avoid being in the photo at all. Or, too often feel like we need to be more done up, more dressed up, or more posed. When we do those things, we look good, sure… but we don’t look like ourselves.

What if I promised to make a portrait of you, that reflects your true self, that your kids would love? When you see it, I promise you’ll love it too.