Romanticizing the Real: A Slow Living Motherhood Session in Rural Alberta

There’s a kind of beauty that doesn’t beg for attention, it just exists.

In dirt-smudged knees. Chalk-stained fingers. Tiny hands tucking seeds into soil.

This session was full of that kind of vibe.

We didn't chase perfect light or curated props.

We simply captured real life, as it unfolded in a backyard where chickens roamed freely and laughter echoed off the siding. There was nothing elaborate about the setting, but everything about it was meaningful.

This was motherhood the way it often is:

A little messy.

A lot magical.

And absolutely worth remembering.

I watched her kneel beside her littles as they planted flowers, not for a Pinterest-worthy result, but simply for the experience of doing it together. I watched chalk become learning on concrete, and the way her children leaned into her body knowing she is their safe space.

That’s what slow living looks like.

Not picture-perfect. Just present.

As a photographer, these are the sessions I hope to do more of, where the images feel like archives of real life, not performances.

Where mothers don’t worry about the mess on their shirt or the smudge on their toddler’s face, because they know that what matters most is already here.

PS: Can you we talk about those overalls? How perfect are they?!

All my best,

Kendra

KW Visual Stories