We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Camilla Spencer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Camilla below.

Camilla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

Annually, I host a special giveback photoshoot for bereaved moms who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. As a mom who has experienced 6 pregnancy losses, I understand the many emotions and hardships these moms go through. And I wanted to offer an opportunity to help these moms feel loved, seen and heard. As well as having safe space to share their story of the baby they lost, cry and even laugh amongst women who are there to support them.

This year, the mom I photographed had a wonderful story of continued healing. After the loss of her son last year, she was blessed with a beautiful surprise as she found out a few months later that she was pregnant with her daughter, that she later delivered this year. This mom had an amazing support system and stated that sharing her story about her son has helped her heal continuously.

Experiencing pregnancy loss, in my opinion is one of the hardest experiences a women can go through in life. It not only effects your body physically, but your mind and how you view the world and yourself.

After the photoshoot, I asked the mom I photographed, how she felt and how the experience was for her. One of the many things that stuck out to me was when she mentioned that she didnt have a lot of self confidence before the photoshoot and afterwards she felt so beautiful, more confident and loved. And this is why I serve these moms, who are often forgotten.

Bereaved moms tend to be put on the backburner after their loss. In the initial moment of the loss, there is often times support from either family and friends, but in the later months the support is less and less. Others forget that these moms are also in postpartum. And just like a mom who experences a live birth experiences the postpartum period, bereaved moms experience it as well and support is pivotal in their recovery, but in a different manner.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a wife and a mom to two beautiful children. I am also a Motherhood photographer and Podcaster and I also host a local mom walking group. My passion for working with moms started with my own motherhood journey. I initially started my photography journey with my first pregnancy with my son in 2011. Unfortunately we lost him with a mid term pregnancy loss in 2012. I still had the love and the passion for photography and through my grief and healing, I continued to learn and grow my knowledge of professional photography. In the last four years, I started my business officially, I have won several awards for my work, allowing me to continue to grow my craft and better it for those I serve.

After having my second child, I felt a burden towards serving moms, and being able to relate with some of the many things that mothers are not able to experience for themselves, which is being in photographs. Every mother deserves to have professional photos where she feels and looks beautiful. In many cases, the only photos moms have taken of themselves where they are the focal point of the photos, is when they are expecting and celebrating the new life they are creating with maternity photos. Unfortunately, there aren’t many photos showing mom after she’s had her baby, to show her new power, beauty and the new woman that she has become after birth. Because after the birth of a baby, a new woman is created, and that is who I want to celebrate and love to showcase through my photos.

With every maternity and motherhood portrait session that I offer, I want mom to feel as regal and royal as she is. Which is why I provide professional hair, professional makeup and wardrobe styling with access to our client closet. I guide and pose the mom through her photos, which she is able to view directly after the portrait session in a private ordering session to select all of her favorite photos to be printed and taken home. By offering a full service studio to my moms, it allows them to unwind from the busyness of their everyday lives. Moms are the matriarchs of the family and I want to showcase that with luxury and grace. Creating pampering portrait experiences for moms to be, new moms and moms afterbirth, showing their beauty and radiance, and also their power and their strength through photos.

Now, my motherhood podcast, Matrescence to Motherhood is a platform where I love to help moms, by sharing tips, stories and having conversations with other moms of how their motherhood journey started and where they are in their motherhood journey. This podcast is for women looking to get pregnant, currently expecting or in postpartum. Because the motherhood journey doesn’t just start once the baby is born.

And once a mom is born, she needs a village and community. Which is how I became an ambassador for a mom walking group. As a mom, you need other moms around you to be able to talk to and connect with. I understood this completely once I had my youngest baby. I needed to be around moms with babies. Other moms who knew what I was going through in this time and place in my life and motherhood journey. And what a perfect match it was with the mom walking group. I am able to be outside, getting fresh air and some exercise all while meeting and making new mom friends.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Once I became pregnant with my youngest child everything changed. I was going to have two children at home and life would be completely different going from one child to two children. I recognized later in my pregnancy that I needed to rest more, in which I took more time off from my business, because I needed to make sure that the health and well being of myself and my unborn baby was taken care of. As entrepreneurs resting can be so hard, but it is very much needed.

After having my baby, I developed a determination for change within my business that worked best for me. I was going to be both a present mom and business owner. If I have a meeting, rather than sending my baby to a sitter or daycare, she is with me. As many know, every baby is different. And my youngest definitely proved this. We both had a hard time detaching from each other and rather than the constant worry or heartache of being away from my baby in her first year, she has become my unofficial assistant. This was what was best for me emotionally and mentally. And it works for me. I’m so grateful for my clients and business colleagues who have been understanding and so welcoming. Through this, I love to show other moms that you can make things work for you in your business. Whether its having your children with you as you work or having your children be cared for by another, you make your own way.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My ultimate goal is to show my children that anything is possible. That becoming a mom did not stop my journey of being an entrepreneur. Instead it stretched me and made me grow. Being a mompreneur has allowed me to connect with other women and moms in the business industry where I have created community. By creating a routine and schedule in my life, and creating the balance that works for me, I am still able to do the things I love and be with those that I love most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.camillaspencer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camillaspencerphoto
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/matre2mom