Being a Mom Is... | Lifestyle Photographer Columbus Ohio - Erika Venci Photography

Many would agree that it is the HARDEST job in the world.. being a mom. No breaks, no down time, on call 100% of the time, learning as you go, etc. Not to mention that most of the time, your "boss" does not appreciate or understand your efforts. Nothing can prepare you for motherhood.. no books, no blogs, no words of advice can prepare you for the exhaustion, beautiful chaos, and intense love that is motherhood.

Ever since Bodhi was born I have kept a list of things I found amusing about motherhood. Most of these remarks were written while I was on maternity leave with him, but I have also added a few since he has entered toddlerhood.

To all the moms out there.. this is for you. 

BEING A MOM IS..

Scarfing down cold food

Re-heating your coffee for the fifth.. or tenth time 

Trying to decide if you should sleep when baby sleeps or fold the laundry or just veg out with some shows

Kissing boo boos

Saying "no" ... A lot.

Realizing that babies have their own agenda

Holding your pee

Taking one hour to get out the door 

Being a ninja when they FINALLY fall asleep

Realizing that YOU are superwoman.. 

Forcing smiles when all you want to do is have a meltdown

Laughing at what you thought maternity leave would be like 

Feeling your heart break and melt at the same time 

All the coffee..

Letting go of who you used to be

Realizing that book shelves are overrated

Staring at how many beauty products you USED to use 

Rocking your new mom-do.. whatever that may be

Loving your new mom bod because it created and sustained LIFE

Realizing your past is coming back to haunt you.. like that one time you judged a mom with a screaming toddler at the store (why can't they control their child?! LOL) 

Cooking a nutritious meal that your boss throws on the floor

Negotiating

Having a tiny person follow you around the house and undo all of your cleaning..

Dressing your kid in Baby Gap.. whilst you wear sweatpants.. and haven't bought new clothes since who knows when

Counting down to bedtime but then staring at them while they sleep

..THE MOST REWARDING JOB IN THE WORLD

A Very Happy Mother's day to my friends, family, and clients.. and especially to my mom, who is always there for me.

A few of my favorite motherhood moments..

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Love and Light, 

Erika

365 Project - April | Lifestyle Photographer Columbus Ohio - Erika Venci Photography

The month of April was pretty great to say the least. There was plenty of sunshine, all things spring were in bloom, and I crossed over to the other side of the 30s. 

We were very happy to have warm weather again as our son LOVES to be outside.. all day every day. Seeing the sunshine was so refreshing and we cannot wait for more! I cannot believe how much our son and my photography has grown since starting this project in January. I love being able to look back and see the difference. 

If you are thinking about taking on a 365 project, it is definitely worth the commitment! And you do not have to be a photographer to do it! ;) 

Without further ado, here is the month of April 

Love and Light, 

Erika

Lifestyle Photographer Columbus Ohio | Fresh 48 - Edwin

Hi friends! Happy Friday!

We made it through another week! PHEW! When will this rain ever stop?! I thought it was APRIL showers bring May flowers.. ;) Anyways.. Have I told you all how much I LOVE Fresh 48 sessions?! They make my heart sing. So much love and excitement (and exhaustion!) in one little room. It is so neat to see family members interact with their newest addition.

I had the honor of photographing Cason and his family at OSU Wexner Medical Center last week and I could not stop gawking at how HANDSOME he is. I just love how his gallery turned out.. Hands down one of the best things about running my business is getting my baby fix with these newborns! 

I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy these precious photos! 

Love and Light, 

Erika

How to Survive a Creative Rut | Lifestyle Photographer Columbus Ohio - Erika Venci Photography

Creative Rut.

Oh, the agony. No artist wants to find themselves in a creative rut. You become restless.. and it feels like there is a big black hole in your artist's brain. 

I went through this earlier this year. I blame the dark, gloomy, and grey Ohio winter.. but I think it also had to do with me taking on my 365 project. Forcing myself to shoot and edit everyday made me start to question my style of photography, editing style, and wonder where the heck was the sun hiding! Shooting indoors when there is minimal sunlight can be tricky and I just felt like all of my images were mediocre. 

Then, there was the feeling of being lost with my editing style. Just when I thought I had found a way to edit my pictures that I loved, I started to HATE it.. so I would spend hours experimenting with my images and the feeling that I couldn't get them to look the way I wanted was pretty frustrating..

This went on for almost two months.. and then, something clicked. I don't know what it was but I was seeing everything differently. It was like my eyes changed the way they saw color and light. I could see small things I needed to adjust in my photos more clearly and I was finally producing images that I loved again and my mind was clear.

I learned a few things during this really difficult creative rut so I want to share some encouraging advice for those who may go through this as well.

1. Reach out to members of your community 

Community over competition is a motto here in the photography world. I have met some of the nicest people that have been really helpful in my photography journey. Just knowing that someone else "gets it" is a huge comfort when I need to vent about something like editing bright green grass (it is harder than it sounds, folks!) My photog friends are a huge source of inspiration and encouragement and if you don't have friends in your industry, try joining Facebook groups, send an email to someone whose work you admire. There are a lot of ways to get in touch with people and although it is hard to reach out to complete strangers, when a friendship blossoms from it, it is SO worth it. 

2. Push Through - Keep going and don't stop

Do not give up! Sure, you might need to take a break from your craft but don't let a creative rut stop you. Usually, when you are in a creative rut, it is because you are about to create something AMAZING.. so don't give up on yourself! 

3. Experiment With a New Medium

Something I found relaxing for my creative mind was drawing and brainstorming.. Drawing (and writing) allowed me to put onto paper any creative spark or thought I had even if I couldn't create it at that moment with my camera. I would write down lists of photography projects I wanted to try, blog post topics I wanted to write about, and business ideas. This helped me to feel accomplished and more ambitious. 

4. Take a Class

I have taken several online classes for my photography. There are a TON out there. Some of my favorites are from a website called Clickin' Moms and I also love Creative Live. Creative Live is great because they have live "on air" streaming of certain classes each day so you can watch whatever is on air for free! Definitely worth checking out. 

5. Go Somewhere New (and bring your camera)

Even after living in Columbus for twelve years (TWELVE!? holy cow I'm old), there are SO many places that I still have not visited. Be a tourist in your OWN town.. google "things to do in ________" and you might be surprised at all of the awesome places you have not been to.

My favorite thing to do this past year is try to visit new metro parks with our son. My family gets fresh air and exercise + I get to take photos = WIN! Visiting a place you have never seen before changes something in your brain and re-sets it. You might be surprised to find that seeing these new places inspires you and makes you feel alive again.. almost like a mini vacation.

I hope that you find these tips to be helpful! And if you find yourself in a rut, don't give up!

Love and Light,

Erika