Need gift ideas? I have a couple.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but my ideas will work for pretty much any birthday/holiday and any budget.

There was a post on Facebook one Christmas that read: “All I want for Christmas is… for someone other than me to capture photos of the tiny moments I have with my children. #RealMomLife”

That post was shared ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN THOUSAND times in ONE week! The mom who wrote it had (at the time) just over 2k followers.

It seems obvious that this post struck a chord among moms everywhere. They want the magical/crazy times they share with their children documented. They know these days are a gift and won’t last forever, and they want to be IN the photos with their children (not just the one taking them). I think it’s pretty safe to say that they don’t care if it’s Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any holiday at all — they just want to be in their family photos!!

Ready for a gift idea that goes above and beyond chocolate, flowers, or stuffed animals? Something timeless? Enter my shameless plug at what a great gift documentary family photography would make!

Present your favorite mom with a gift certificate for a documentary family session this Valentine’s Day and give her the gift of being seen, and valued… in photos with her favorite people in the world!!

Professional photos not in the budget? I get it. I do. But that doesn’t mean mom needs to suffer!

Everyone carries a phone on them these days. Spend the next week on a photo hunt to document the little moments that so often go unnoticed. Don’t worry if you’re not very artistic and don’t know a lick about photography. Do your best. Imperfect photos are better than no photos. She’ll appreciate them, I’m sure of it. For bonus points, get your kids in on it! Have them get photos of the two of you as you sneak up on her to give her a hug/kiss or the two of you on your daily walk or whatever it is you do together.

For a totally free gift option, make a slideshow from the photos you took to share with her (don’t forget a sweet song and a slide about how much you love and value her). If you have a bit of cash, print some of the best ones out and frame them, or make a photo book for her to go along with the slideshow 💕

Hope all your days are full of love, not just February 14, and that you’re able to capture photos every now and again, one way or another, of your love story. #youreverydayisworthit!

xo, Anna (914.318.6696 OR anna@annaholdenphotography.com)

* For my subscribers reading this post in an email, there’s an issue with some email providers. If you can’t see the photos, click the ‘read on blog’ link in the top right corner. xo, Anna