‘You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.‘

– Buddah

The Mums Get In The Photograph project was founded by Zephyre Rose Hood to encourage and inspire other mums to get in the photographs more despite how they feel about being in them. Since then a whole community has been created on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and has been interviewed on BBC Radio Devon about the project.

About the founder and how it all started…

The whole project was inspired after having my second child and started posting pictures of myself on social media just being honest how I felt about it. During Lockdown, I was taking lots of photographs of my children but I was barely in any of them. I asked my partner to start taking them and at first it upset me as I barely recognised myself, but then I started to accept that is just what I look like right now and I simply want to be in the photographs of daily beautiful moments and the amazing places I visit with my partner and family. There were so many photographs I didn’t post because I didn’t feel good taking them and was longing for my pre-pregancy body back, one where I didn’t have to feel self conscious of every self portrait I take. But the reality is I wasn’t happy in my pre pregnancy body either, not many of us are. Since doing so, so many mums have felt my posts were relatable and even started using the hashtag #mumsgetinthephotograph along with images. Some have also written they wished they had got into the photographs more when their kids were younger, some wish they could be brave now and some regret they never got the chance to. We need to get in the photographs for our children’s sake, for our loved one’s sake and most importantly for our sake. These photographs may be all of what is left of memories that we shared with our families. Ask your partner to do it, even just take a selfie, you don’t have to put them on social media…just take them. I am feeling the most confident I ever have and so should you! I feel sad for the way I used to look at my body before children and realise now how much I appreciate it. This project and community has an exciting future ahead!

I encourage you all to get in the photographs, if you feel brave enough to share them, use the hashtag #mumsgetinthephotograph and share them on our Facebook and Instagram and Twitter. If you need a push here are 6 Ways To Get In The Photographs With Your Kids.