Getting to Know Rockport Family Photographer Mae Burke

It's so good to see so many new faces on my Instagram and Facebook page, Welcome!

I know that many of you are here because you saw my small contribution to Click Away during Ginger Unzueta's talk, and while I'm bummed I couldn't be there to hug you and teach myself as was planned, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it in some small way.

Here are three things you probably already knew:
-My name is Mae Burke
-I'm a family photographer in Rockport, Texas
-I usually have 1-3 children under my feet (often times more, because... it's unexplainable really...)

Here are five things you probably didn't know
-I am equal parts Mary Crowley, Leslie Knope, and Peggy Olsen (with a dash of Selena)
-I can speak way more German than I can Spanish (which isn't saying much, on either account!)
-I have lived on the Texas Coast almost the entirety of my life and have yet to go surfing.
-I have had images on two major morning news shows and was REALLY DISAPPOINTED when my Skype calls with them were bumped for something else.
-I have seen every episode of every season of Boy Meets World, Dawson's Creek, Lost, and The Office at least six times over... I fall asleep if I read for leisure, people!

I have been in business, photographing families, falling in love with the connection between mothers and their loved ones, for nearly eight years. I have been mentoring other photographers on how to do the same (in their own beautiful way) for the past five. I built my client base in the DFW Metroplex and returned to my hometown of Rockport, Texas just a few short weeks after my third baby was born. I am forever grateful for each and every family who let's me into their home or meets me out at the park or beach and allows me to share their story. I am encouraged as a mother and wife, and affirmed as an artist.

Thank you all for being here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

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Happy Valentine's Day, friends!

I opened up an email today that read "Be your own Valentine, that's real Self Love goals #relationshipgoals" and I thought two things

1) Why do I sign up to read content from people who talk like this in real life? 😅
2) You sure 'bout that?

Now, I'm the first one to tell you I'm all for loving you for you in all your imperfect, fro'd out, freak-flag-flyin ways- BUT- (you all saw the "but" coming, right, you better have by now!) I think we've taken a step or 63 miles past that point and are straight in the self-absorbed, self-idol, self-centered, FEELS REAL GOOD, part of the journey as a society.

The idea that "we must first love ourselves before we can love others" has a place, but for the most part, WE'RE REAL GOOD AT LOVING OURSELVES, Y'ALL. Serving ourselves, catering to our needs, looking out for Number One. And Jesus KNEW this- He said "Love your neighbor (literal, actual, people living right next door to you; your family that drives you nuts, your coworker that stinks) as you love yourself. He knew we were full of it two thousand years ago!

So- PLOT TWIST- don't let the fear of taking the love you have for yourself into idolatry keep you from taking care of yourself. Don't deny yourself love and care and expect all of your outward devotion to be worth anything- it will be coming from a dry well.

Take me-

My main mission in life at this moment is to be my husband's number one fan and support, and raise our girls to know Christ (and read, I guess) I stay home and school them in our living room to accomplish this.

So I have potentially 24 hours in a day to work with

We'll say 7 of those are spent sleeping, 3-4 of them are spent alone with my husband after the girls are in bed, 2-3 of them are spent going to and from the gym for a weightlifting session, and 1 hour is spent taking, organizing, editing, and posting an image- that leaves me with 5 uninterrupted hours with the girls every single day. That's 1825 hours a year. It takes me 8 hours a day to prepare myself to be fully available for a 9 hour job- and I think that is fair.

I'd like to argue that "loving yourself" is preparing yourself to be the best wife, mother, daughter, friend, student, employee, etc. that brings glory to God. One that is loving, kind, selfless, and full of the fruits of the Spirit.

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I find so much joy in photographing families in Rockport, Texas - if you are wanting me to photograph you loving you and your babies, visit my shop or email me at hello@maeburke.com for more info on booking a session with me.