Mom goals with Dita

I love working with new bloggers because I get to help them feel comfortable in front of a professional's lens for the first time, and to figure out their esthetic. Last week, I got the chance to photograph Dita, a young, super fashionable mom who recently moved to San Francisco from Stockholm (@sf.stockholm). Not only did I get to photograph her... but she brought her daughter to the shoot as well! It was my first time doing a shoot with a baby in tow! She was adorable and I loved every second of it. We even got her into some of the photos, which I think is the sweetest thing. To share your love for fashion with your little girl, so much so that you want your fashion blog photos to include her? Swoon!

We walked around gorgeous Noe Valley and the weather was PERFECT. It was sunny and around 72 degrees, despite the fact that it was actually supposed to rain that day. This look was Dita's last one, which was super fun because it fit perfectly with the weather and this white brick wall we found.

I really enjoyed watching Dita interact with her daughter because it was so clear how much she loves her. All of my friends are having kids at this time in their lives, and it's really inspirational to see them juggle having a family, careers, hobbies, health, and just life. I've always known that I never wanted to have kids, and I'm happy that it's becoming more mainstream to choose that path because when I was younger all I was met with was "Oh, you'll want kids when you find the right man" (found him, still don't want them), or "Once you hit 30, your hormones will kick in and you'll want to make babies" (I'm 31, no baby-making hormones yet).

People sometimes ask me why I don't want to have children. There's a lot of reasons I could say (overpopulation, global warming, political turmoil, etc.), but really it's none of those things because it's not a choice; it's just part of who I am. Some girls dream of being moms from childhood, but although I played house as a little girl (I've always wanted to be married), I never played mom. It's just not in my DNA to grow and care for a little human. It's like asking someone who doesn't like strawberries why they don't like strawberries - no real reason other than the fact itself. And that's definitely reason enough!

I believe it's so important for women to have choices and to be respected for choosing the right path for ourselves. I love meeting moms, but I also love meeting women who don't want to have children. We're a minority, and it took me a long time to feel like I was still a bona fide woman, even if I didn't want to grow another human in my belly. I have lots of love and nurturing in me, it just isn't directed towards wanting to raise a child.

But don't get me wrong - I love baby socks/clothes/toys/everything (they are the cutest)! I'll just forever be the cool auntie <3