Mother and daughter photos with Faro & Asha

After a long day working on the frontlines as a doctor, there’s nothing Faro likes more than relaxing and snuggling up with her husband, Tom, and little Asha, two.

December 2020 update: The above portrait has just been awarded a Highly Commended Rosette by the Master Photographers Association (MPA). Ray Lowe, Chairman of the MPA, commented, “Absolutely gorgeous… I love this shot… beautiful expressions, lovely lighting, this image works really, really well… It would score well in the national [competition].”

Faro’s role has meant two things: firstly, that the last few months have been incredibly busy for her as Covid-19 has hit the healthcare system. Faro was a full-time mum for the first year of Asha’s life, and that meant the two created an incredibly strong bond. The increased time Asha has spent with her dad during lockdown has strengthened their relationship, and for now Asha has switched from being very much a ‘mummy’s girl’ to ‘daddy’s girl’.

That’s been a delight for Faro to watch, as Tom and Asha gleefully head outdoors to jump in muddy puddles and dance in the rain together. Faro is more than happy to watch from the window and join in the fun once they reenter the warmth, dryness and comfort of the house!

The second advantage of Faro’s role was that she understood the severity of the virus earlier in the year than most of the public. By having a closer understanding of the risks, Faro was able to make decisions that would help safeguard her vulnerable mum, insisting that they stay apart until the first wave had passed.

Faro’s mum was used to seeing and caring for Asha once a week, so this was incredibly difficult for the whole family. But they made it through, thanks to plenty of video calls and the knowledge that it was better to make a short-term sacrifice now rather than risk a more permanent separation. Their eventual reunion for Asha’s birthday in September was all the more poignant for the time apart and the recognition of how much they all missed each other.

Faro, short for Rufaro, means joyful, and that description fits not just Faro but little Asha, too. The pair came over to my Bicester photography studio to create some images of the two of them together. Asha is curious, energetic, outgoing and has the most adorable smile:

As is often the case, Faro is normally behind the camera, capturing each day’s memories and milestones of her family. She realised that were anything to happen to her, Asha would only have a handful of selfies together with her mum. Hopefully Asha has many, many more happy years with her mum yet. However, photos reinforce memories, and that’s why it’s so important for both parents to #existinphotos, so that they can look back and see that mum and dad are both a visible part of their life.

In response to Faro’s realisation that she didn’t have many pictures showing mum and daughter together, Tom booked them in for a photoshoot with me, and we spent a happy hour or so dancing, tickling and blowing bubbles to create some beautiful timeless images of the two of them having fun.

Faro now works part-time, giving her an extra couple of days each week to spend enjoying Asha’s company. They love going to a mum and child group, where the mums have a group exercise class while the children run around entertaining each other. And after our October photoshoot, they were heading off to find a pumpkin for Halloween.

Asha already has a good vocabulary and Faro can’t wait until they can start having those unfiltered and enthusiastic conversations that you only get with youngsters, when everything is exciting and dramatic and interesting.

But in the meantime, Faro is content to spend her days off hand-in-hand with Asha, watching her grow up, delighting in her company and enjoying being snuggled up and warm at home as one very happy family. 🙂

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If you’re interested in COVID-secure mum and daughter photos and you’re based in or around Oxfordshire please do get in contact.

Sarah Plater LMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional newborn, child, and family portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire. She is the Master Photographers Association Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire).