Jenny + Chloe | Pensacola Breastfeeding Photographer

Jenny won a mini breastfeeding session contest that I hosted at last year’s The Global Big Latch On in Pensacola, FL. She was interested in a session IN the water, but we weren’t able to fit it in before it got too cold. And the constant rain this spring ruined every plan we made to get this done! Jenny was certain Chloe would give up on breastfeeding any minute, but miraculously she was still going. We still couldn’t connect at an ideal time of day, so we did our best with what we could work out…And it was magical!

Now, 10AM on the beach is usually a no-go for me. There is almost nothing on the beach to filter the harsh light of the midday sun. Almost.

The Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier casts a beautiful soft shadow that really worked perfectly for us. It was however a challenge to keep a busy toddler IN the shadow. Chloe really just wanted to run down the beach into the sun. Jenny definitely got her workout in with all of the chasing, corralling and spinning she had to do to keep Chloe in just the right spot. The beach was also BUSY as heck. JUST behind and to my left there were about five hammocks hanging under the pier and more and more kept popping up in the half hour we shot, even further limiting the space we had to work. And every minute or two someone would stroll into the frame behind Jenny. It was chaos.

Definitely not ideal, but you’d never know it, because Jenny stayed positive and smiling the WHOLE TIME. She put all her energy into having fun with her girl, tuned out all of the distractions, let go of perfection and trusted me to get good stuff. As you can see, the moment you let go of perfection, stop posing, stop worrying about your hair blowing in your face or the kids looking at the camera and just connect with each other…well those are always the most perfect moments.

I’m participating again this year as a vendor at The Global Big Latch On hosted by Belly To Cradle and Sacred Heart Hospital on Saturday, August 3rd from 9-11AM. This is an event where people gather together to breastfeed and offer peer support to each other. Friends, family and community join this celebration to promote and support breastfeeding to help create a lasting support network for the community. You do not have to be breastfeeding to attend, so I hope you’ll come and see me and lend your support. You never know what I might be giving away this year!

Please also check out the personal photography project I am doing to document stories of the challenges all mothers face when feeding babies, Project Fed.