7 Tips to a Successful Family Shoot with Kids
Taking photos with your little ones isn’t as scary as you think… or is it? Check out these 7 Tips to ensure you have a successful family session!
One thing I always get asked as a family photographer is what are your tips for posing kids naturally in holiday photoshoots.
Not going to lie. it all boils down to how well you know your kid, sometimes they will surprise tyou
Hire the Right Photographer
Keep your expectations low.
Bribe those babies
Wardrobe Matters
Let Kids be Kids
Unhinged Tip, if all else fails get your money’s worth
Reward yourself after
Motherhood wants too much of you….. it’s ghetto, yet holy at the same time.
It’s a calling, but it’s ghetto. Why do I feel bad for being a mom?
To the Mama With a Lot Going On (aka… all of us)
Listen… motherhood is HUMBLING.
When my oldest got diagnosed with autism, I had to grieve what I thought motherhood was going to be and accepted it for what it was.
And then boom, my youngest turned ONE and decided to run my house like a tiny dictator with no bill-paying responsibilities.
Motherhood went from thinking I was going to be in little league t-ball and soccer practices to daily ABA therapy and rotating IEP Meetings. I had to quit my job, and scale back on my business because my babies needed me.
A normal day in the Bois household it feels like:
therapy appointments
tantrums
snack negotiations
and googling “autistic friendly dinner ideas… that aren’t chicken nuggets”
It’s tough constantly hearing what my kid isn’t doing, while on the other side raising another kid that is (thankfully) doing everything. Some days it’s mental torture. Through it all though I am still grateful because it truly could always be worse.
I realized that when you ask God for something he doesn’t give it to you in the form of immediate blessings. He is more like a personal trainer. Gives you exercises to help build that muscle of what you are praying for.
My motherhood journey has given me more patience, more compassion not only for kids but moms in general. Because this is every day, you can’t just turn off being a mom.
When You Love Your Job But Your Kids Said “Be For Real”
I love photography.
I love creating.
I love being outside of the house for more than 12 minutes.
But these kids?
These kids said “no ma’am, not right now.”
God Himself whispered,
“Prioritize them. I’ll handle the rest.”
So I slowed down.
Scaled back.
Stopped trying to do 47 things at once.
And at first, it felt like failure…
But then I realized:
It’s not falling behind. It’s shifting into the season God actually wants me in.
So for the mom who can relate please remember that
Your career isn’t disappearing.
Your dreams aren’t canceled.
They’re just marinating so they’ll hit harder later.
The lessons these tiny humans are teaching us now will set us (and them) up for a better future a part of God’s plan.
5 Lessons Motherhood keeps Teaching Me
✨ 1. You can be exhausted AND be chosen at the same time.
God didn’t wait for you to be put-together to give you those kids. He gave them to you once He saw you were ready, not when you thought you were. Sanctification is a process and it’s never an easy one. Things that come easy, leave easy too.
✨ 2. Asking for help isn’t weak, it’s wise.
Because you can’t pour from an empty cup. Being a mom takes a lot out of you, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially. It’s okay to ask someone to pick you up a pack of diapers when they are coming over. Pampers cost almost $50 a box, it’s ghetto out here. Asking someone to watch your babies so you can poop without an audience doesn’t make you a bad mom. It makes you human.
✨ 3. Slow seasons aren’t punishment.
Being in the wilderness is where God does His best work. You just have to be obedient and follow His wisdom. Sometimes it’s protection to slow down. Enjoy the slowness, I promise there is beauty there.
✨ 4. You’re not behind.
You’re exactly where you are supposed to be. Ask God and He will affirm that.
✨ 5. God fills every gap you worry about.
Your kids don’t need perfection, they need you. You are enough just as you are.
When things get rough I remember:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” — Isaiah 40:29
Translation for moms:
God is basically spotting you while you lift the weight of motherhood. Because sometimes motherhood feels like when Peter joined Jesus on the water. With his eyes fixed on Jesus he could walk on water. The moment he took his eyes off he drowned, but even then Jesus still pulled him out of the roaring waters.
Give your weight to Him and keep your eyes on Him and I promise your edges will grow back!!
💛 Final Word, Sis
If you’re tired, overwhelmed, or hiding from your kids in the pantry eating their snacks…
you’re not alone.
God sees you.
I see you.
Your babies adore you.
You are not failing.
You are simply in a season where motherhood is louder than everything else and that’s okay. It’s okay to grieve what was and embrace what is. We all do it.
You’re doing holy work.
And even if month was chaotic?
You survived it.
That counts.
You got this. God’s got you even more.
The Art of Grace
Its all about intentions
Welcome
Where faith meets motherhood, and the mundane becomes holy.
If I’m being honest with you, sis…
Motherhood didn’t meet my expectations, they weren’t lying when they said its the most beautiful “hood” you’ll ever be a part of. It exceeded them in ways I didn’t know I needed and shattered me in places I didn’t know could break.
One moment, the sun is hitting just right, and your kid does something so sweet you swear your heart can’t get any bigger.
And not even five minutes later, you’re holding back tears, praying under your breath, and threatening to run away.
It’s funny.
It’s exhausting.
It’s holy.
And it’s real life.
And that’s why we’re here.
Who is Marti? (the unfiltered version)
Hey, I’m Marti — a photographer, a mama, a woman who loves Jesus, a soft-hearted romantic, a little awkward, a little impulsive, and a certified hype woman for women and mainly moms trying their best.
When God made me He made me he used:
1 cup of golden retriever energy (friendly, warm, down to hug strangers),
1/3 cup of confident black cat energy (boundaries on lock, don’t play with me, it took some time to get here so don’t think it happened overnight),
4 cups artist energy (seeing beauty in everything),
a dash of foolery (because let’s be fr, my motto is “I laugh to keep from crying)
unlimited cups of God’s daughter energy (been through fires, came out refined, and untouched).
Motherhood humbled me.
Faith rebuilt me.
Grace carried me.
And creativity gives me a place to breathe.
This blog is where all those pieces come together.
Why I Created This Space
There are a lot of motherhood spaces online… but not enough that say:
“You’re a woman first. And God sees every part of you — the tired, the tender, the talented, the trying.”
I wanted a place where moms could come and feel:
seen, not judged
understood, not analyzed
encouraged, not lectured
inspired, not pressured
hyped, and also held
A place where faith wasn’t forced
and perfection wasn’t the goal
and honesty wasn’t punished.
The Art of Grace is for the mama who loves deeply, prays consistently (or inconsistently because let’s be real life be living), laughs loudly, fails sometimes, gets back up every time, and wants to live her life with intention.
My Heart for You
My prayer is that this blog becomes:
that breath you didn’t realize you were holding
that reminder that you’re not alone
that hug you needed today
that spark that reignites your confidence
that moment with God you’ve been craving
that soft place to land when life feels loud
Because motherhood is an art form.
Faith is a lifeline.
Intentional living is a choice.
And grace… grace is the thread holding all of it together.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9
If you’re here, sis…
it’s because God led you here.
Welcome to The Art of Grace.
I’m so glad you found your way home.