“You can never have too many photos,” says Holly J. Greenup, a photographer from Missouri whose recent pictures depicting her 3-year-old son being swaddled like a baby, have gone viral.
“Vince is very silly and adventurous. He also loves to help me with whatever I’m doing,” Ms. Greenup told The Epoch Times, adding that he also “loves to be snuggly and pretend he is a baby.”
Vincent’s Viral Swaddling
Ms. Greenup’s photo studio is her home. Whenever she finishes a newborn photoshoot, there is much clean-up to do. Props, baskets, flowers, blankets, and swaddles need to be sorted out and washed.“Vince loves to come in and watch, help hand me things, every time I finish a session,” the proud mom said, adding that her little, playful organizer sorts swaddles into piles, puts blankets in the washing machine, and puts props back on shelves.
One day in March, during one such cleaning session, Vincent laid on a bean bag and pretended to be a baby. His silly antics included saying “cheese” and “goo-goo-ga-ga” as he sat on the plush chair. Watching her son, Ms. Greenup had an idea.
“I asked him if I could swaddle him, and he said yes,” she said.
In truth, she was doubtful that Vincent would stay still enough to be swaddled. She decided to try anyway, using one of her backdrops as a swaddle since the normal swaddles were too small for Vincent.
“I was able to get him swaddled and told him he had to stay really still for a minute for me to get the photos. He wanted to get the pictures so bad that he stayed perfectly still,” she said. “He loved it.”
Vincent smiled for a few photos and shut his eyes for the last one to mimic a sleeping newborn. His enjoyment was evident throughout the photoshoot, and he made sure not to move as his mother snapped the pictures. Still, he didn’t need to stay still for long as the photoshoot only lasted about a minute!
“I took four photos, and then he broke out of the swaddle,” Ms. Greenup said.
“I’m very excited that it reached so many people,” Ms. Greenup said.
A Mom at Heart
Ms. Greenup was a fine arts major in college, where she was first introduced to photography. She soon became passionate about the art of taking pictures.In 2012, she began her photography business as a side hustle upon receiving photo requests from friends and family. It wasn’t long before her business grew; in 2019, she began pursuing it full-time. Today, she enjoys taking photos of families and newborns.
She said: “As a mother of young kids, I’m familiar with working with active toddlers, and I know that sometimes kids don’t want to pose or participate. I know some tricks on what to say or do to get their attention and distract them into smiling for the photoshoot.”
When asked about the message she hopes to convey through her pictures, Ms. Greenup had some heartwarming words:
“To enjoy and snuggle your kids at every age,” she said, “and encourage them to be creative and silly.”
