Hi, I’m Tanika - the mother behind the lens here at Freebird.
Here’s a little about me and why I love motherhood + family photography.
Motherhood is obviously very close to my heart, I have my children to thank for fuelling the flames of this passion - a mothers muse. And along my motherhood journey I have learned that Mother is not a job title to fill a space on a form that asks your occupation. It is not a title to be taken off easily, even like “doctor” or “teacher.” Rather, it exists in a realm more akin to “woman” or “human.” Something that does not change with the hour or the season. Your children go to sleep, yet you cannot take off the name “mother,” and there is not much I find more important than that to document. The way your eyes speak to each other during a feed. The laughter while reading a book, or little hands helping to hang out the laundry. The beauty in a pregnant body, radiant with the energy of two souls in one. We all wish we could stop time in these moments - and that is the importance of the documentary-style photography I love to capture.
The only thing as lovely as encapsulating the moments between a mother and her child, are the moments between a whole family, the different streams of love that shift between each member. Whatever your family may look like, two parents, solo parents, or even grandparents. The connection between family can breath life and magic into any photograph.
Why choose me?
There is something magical in the art of photography, not just your average iPhone image. My creativity lies in the slightly off focus, minor details. I want to create something beautiful, timeless and interesting. Full of depth & full of warmth. Something you want to hang on your wall. Our time together may be fleeting, but the art we can create is eternal.