HP Photo Books are perfect for sharing memories. In these interviews, mom bloggers share their thoughts on photography and the photos that captured the special moments of their lives.
Maya Laurent is a young mother who describes herself on her blog The Laurent Files as "trying to figure out this new parenting thing with our first child while at the same time keeping our dog entertained."
Maya has been interested in photography since she was a small child. Her mother is a professional photographer, so she was effectively raised behind the camera: "I always tried to capture my time with friends and when I met my husband [who is a graphic artist], I became more appreciative at what an art form it truly is."
One of her favorite moments on film is a picture of her husband and her under the Eiffel Tower: "I held the camera out and told him to kiss me. Somehow the wind blew just perfectly at that time and it came out beautiful!"
Not surprisingly, a more recent favorite is a shot she took of her husband carrying their son on his shoulders, and her favorite photos of all time are the shots her mother captured of her son's birth: "She was able to get absolutely everything from the first time my husband held him, to his feet being stamped."
Her favorite picture that she took herself, however, isn't of people. It is a landscape shot of wild flowers in Stonehenge, England:
"I remember walking over to the field and seeing the beautiful flowers. I laid down in the grass and took some shots of the flowers with the blue sky. I even captured how gently they were blowing as some of the flowers are out of focus.
In that moment I remember breathing in the fresh air and thinking how lucky I was to finally get to travel and experience it all with my husband. I felt so free standing in the middle of the field, as if anything was possible. Little did I know that I was pregnant! The flowers and open field seem to symbolize what was to come."
Maya, like most mothers I ask about this, prefers candid photos of her child: "My favorites are of the moments that his personality is shining. This could be a snuggling with Daddy shot or playing peek-a-boo. I think posed shots are very cute but candid ones capture more of the day-to-day life of a child."
Maya plans to use one of the HP Photo Books we gave her to create an album for her son's grandparents. The other one will be a "brag book to show off our son."
It's not bragging, Maya. He's pretty cute!
Print or Share online?
"I try to print them monthly, or at least bi-monthly. I wait to print a bunch until I want to include them in a scrapbook."
Photos by Maya & Patrick Laurent Interview by Susan Getgood
Printable version
Maya Laurent is a young mother who describes herself on her blog 
Not surprisingly, a more recent favorite is a shot she took of her husband carrying their son on his shoulders, and her favorite photos of all time are the shots her mother captured of her son's birth: 