I was inspired recently by fellow photographer Camille Arner's post about photographing a series. Camille's words about recognizing a theme in her personal work really resonated with me and also spurred me to begin posting some of my work undertaken as a participant in the creativity exercises led by Sarah Wilkerson over at Clickin Moms. It was an honor to be featured on the CM blog as part of the 'series' exercise and even more meaningful to reflect on the value that I found in recognizing themes in my own work. I also realized how my personal themes translate into the work I do for other families.

Being a photographer involves a lot of observation - of light, of lines, shapes and composition, and of moments. Being a mother is especially helpful for this last piece. Parenting brings a wealth of opportunities for observing some wonderful aspects of humanity - the growth of your child, the love of family, and the humor and exhaustion in it all. Being in the thick of it myself makes those meaningful moments more recognizable to me while shooting for others. And documenting these moments, both for my family and others', is what makes my heart happy both as a photographer and a mother.

I love looking back on these images of my son and seeing his growth - our family's growth - and our love for each other (even when exhausted :-)). I especially love sharing this facet of photography and life with other families.

Here are the images I submitted as part of the CM 'series' exercise. I love shooting at windows, but I love even more the way these images evoke my own sense of childlike imagination and wonder - something all parents relish (and reminisce) in observing their children. Check out Sarah's article for some the beautiful ways that an image series can be a powerful means of telling a story or conveying meaning.

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