Lina Forrestal

You always hear parents say, “It goes by fast.” The “it” they’re referring to being — your baby growing up. I always thought it was cliché when people said it and when I was in the thick of the newborn stage with Archie I admit that I was thinking that it didn’t go by fast enough. Now that Archie is 15 months old, I’m starting to understand what everyone meant. 😭

It goes by fast…

Even when some nights feel long and some days (when he refuses to nap) feel even longer, I scroll back on pictures on my phone and realize that sometimes we’re so busy with just trying to “get through the day” that it can be hard to just sit and cherish the moment. As a parent, your mind is already trying to plan “the next thing” — snacks, diaper changes and meals and everything else that its’s hard to practice being in the present moment with your baby.

Things I Wish I Had

What’s even harder is remembering to take family photos. One of my biggest regrets is not having many photos as a family when Archie was in the newborn phase. We have a few selfies, but now that Archie is a toddler and the baby phase and almost behind us, I want those photos more than ever. I’m actually tearing up writing about it. If there’s any advice that I can give to a new mom it’s this: be in the picture. I completely understand that as a new mom your body has gone through trauma and maybe you’re not feeling your prettiest, but I promise when you look back on the photos of you and your new baby, that thought won’t even cross your mind. I don’t care how cliché this sounds but becoming a parent is a magical thing and if you can record those special early moments with professional photography or video it’s so worth it. Two things I wish I had is audio of Archie’s first cries and professional family photos of when John and I officially became parents.

my session with photography by Fabienne

Fabienne Calkins and I met on Instagram. I meet a lot of local business owners on Instagram by using some of our local hashtags. We met up for coffee one day and found that we have a lot of common interests — we’re both moms with a background in the marketing industry and a passion for living a life full of creativity. Fabienne is a photographer and based near Princeton, New Jersey. She serves all of New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. As a blogger, I’m always working with other creatives and so Fabienne and I decided to do a collaboration photoshoot! If you’re interested in seeing more of her work, check out her website Photography by Fabienne.

to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow — audrey hepburn

Fabienne and I planned to meet at a local flower farm in the early morning to take photos. There’s something so wonderful about late summer. We wanted to showcase late summer blooms in a photoshoot that could transition us into fall. I decided to wear a white dress from Urban Outfitters that I rented from Nuuly. I thought a solid colored dress would be perfect so that I could stand out against the busy background of summer blooms. Both in my experience being in front of the camera and behind it, solid colors are always a safe way to go. This was Archie’s first time dressing up. I don’t dress him up often since I want him to be comfortable, but for this photoshoot I dressed him in a button down from Gap and jeans. He looks so cute in jeans! If you know me then you know how passionate I am about second-hand clothing — this whole outfit was thrifted!

a worthwhile investment

There are so many reasons to invest in professional family photos. I completely understand that working with a photographer can be a luxury, but most photographers are happy to work on a package that can fit your budget. I like to think of photography as an investment: they’re pictures that will be treasured for a lifetime. 5 years from now, I know I won’t have regretted investing in a family photo session. Like I mentioned before, something deeply regret is not having professional newborn photos taken of Archie and I. I took some beautiful photos of Archie at the hospital with my camera that I’ll cherish forever, but I’m not in any of them! Even though I’m a photographer myself (check out my very outdated portfolio here), working with another photographer means that I can finally get in front of the camera. What’s so special about my session with Fabienne is that I’m actually in all of the photos 💛. I love working with other photographers because it’s always exciting to see how someone else executes their creative vision. You can have two photographers shooting the same model in the same place and the photos turn out completely different. People see the world through different lenses and that’s what makes the artistic process of photography fun!

preserving my youth

It’s about capturing me in the moment too. I’m aging gracefully and years from now I’d love to look back and be transported to the giddy, wild beginnings of being a new mom. We get so caught up in taking pictures of our kids growing up that we forget to document ourselves. One day our children are going to want those family photos. I know one of my favorite things growing up was flipping through old photo albums that my grandma had at her house. She had photo albums from when my dad was growing up too. I feel like I got to know a different side of my family just by looking at photos. I hope Archie will one day look back on these photos and love them as much as I do! I hope he looks back and sees the pure joy in my face, I hope he’ll be able to see that I love everything about being his mom!

feeling connected to your own story

Deciding to take photos at the local flower farm was special to me because I felt like the location represented everything about me in this season of life. I’ve always loved wildflowers for everything that they symbolize: blooming in unlikely places, growing strong despite adversity. They bloom where they’re planted and I feel so connected to that ethos. Growing up, we moved every few years because of my dad’s job. While having the opportunity to change schools often and even being homeschooled for a few years gave me experiences that shaped me in the best ways, it also made my world feel unstable and at times, unsafe. But I’ve always bloomed where I was planted. I always found a way to make the best of things and to lean into the experience as much as possible. I only wish that we had more photos throughout my upbringing that could help me feel more connected to my own history. I truly believe photos make you feel connected to your own story.

I love the season of life I’m in right now. I love our farm — even though I know nothing about farming — I’ve been loving the process of learning how to be a small hobby farmer. If I could think of any word to describe this season, it would be the word nurture. I’m learning how to nurture the Earth I’m living on, how to nurture my son, and most importantly how to nurture myself. After traveling full-time for two years, John and I decided on a farm because we both desperately felt the need to “go back to nature”. We visited cities around the world, flew in planes and helicopters, and by the last plane ride home we were spent. We were full of beautiful experiences but were left with a longing to feel rooted in one place. I think it’s a beautiful thing to have different chapters in your life. Isn’t that what makes an exciting novel? Right now, I’m excited to grow roots and fully lean into this chapter of life🌱.

what it was like working with photography by fabienne

Working with Fabienne was so much fun! She’s committed to her craft and very detail oriented. She’s knowledgeable on posing and angles so taking photos with her is effortless. Being a mom herself, she understands what it’s like to work with children and comes armed with little toys and a lot of patience. Fabienne takes pride in her work and takes and artistic approach to framing and lighting. She’s fearless in experimenting and trying new things! My favorite photo is this one with Archie and I with the truck! I love that she brings her own unique style into editing while still keeping colors very authentic. Overall, if you’re in the Mercer, Hunterdon or Bucks County area and are looking to work with a photographer, I can highly recommend working with Fabienne! She’s easy-going, smart, and a joy to work with. You can contact her on her website or send her a DM on her Instagram.