I've worked with so many amazing families as a photographer...

...And I've worked with many wonderful husbands and dads. But I've also worked with more than a few male partners who I could tell just weren't terribly excited to be getting pictures taken. Don't get me wrong, they are great guys, they just were not into doing the session. It's not something they would choose to do themselves. And I understand that well, because I'm married to one of these guys!

So how do you convince your husband to both invest and participate in a photography session, whether it's a maternity session, newborn session, or family session?

Well, you can try to bribe him...

But I think a better approach is to communicate the value of a photography session to him. It's not just about some nice pictures. It's not just about have a few snaps for the holiday card (although we'll definitely get those!). No, it's so much more than that; we are celebrating your children and your family and capturing the milestones and memories in photographic art. Let's face it, we've got thousands of pictures quickly snapped on our phone. But are we framing these and showcasing them on our walls? Are we turning them into albums? Will we pass them down to the next generation? Generally no. This is not to say that those pictures have no sentimental value. But most aren't going to rise to the level of photographic art. That is where professional photography comes in!

Also, as moms, we tend to capture so many pictures of our kids, but rarely do we get pictures of ourselves with our families. That's another reason you hire a professional photographer...to capture photos of you with your family. Because you are an integral part, and you and your children both need to see pictures of you together. Moreover, a professional photographer will take care of the hard work of curating the session, so that you can relax and simple participate in capturing these beautiful memories with your family.

I've known so many moms who didn't want to ruffle feathers with their camera-shy husbands and just kept putting off booking a session. Meanwhile, their babies got bigger, grow up, and they miss the opportunity to capture those special milestones. Personally, even before I got into photography myself, I insisted to my husband that we needed to invest in newborn sessions, cake smash sessions, and at least one family session a year to document our family's growth each year. I have NEVER regretted booking any of these--the pictures are all over the walls of my home, more precious to me than any great art. I do regret that I didn't get a newborn session with my oldest daughter though (not at all my husband's fault, to be clear). I so wish I had better quality photographs from that very special time.

So Mama, I'm talking to you, don't miss out on these beautiful seasons of family life. Communicate with your husband why it is so important to you to capture your family in photographic art.

And if all else fails, consider doing a Mommy and Me session! :)