Two Mamas Photography celebrates five years
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Two Mamas Photography is a flourishing Somerville moms business. - Photo courtesy of Two Mamas Photography

By Peta Jinnath Andersen

There are two things you need to know about the women behind Two Mamas Photography: they take gorgeous photos, and they love to laugh.

In early 2006, Renée Scott and Mandy DeBurro met on a Somerville sidewalk. The two new mothers–or mamas–were both new to the neighborhood, and eager to make friends. “Mandy and her husband were taking their newborn daughter on her first walk,” they tell me. As they rounded the corner by Scott’s house, Scott dashed out, “so happy to see another family with a baby!”

Five years later, Two Mamas Photography is a flourishing Somerville moms business — and it all began because of Prospect Hill.

“We have the incredible good fortune of living in a neighborhood packed with young families that all moved to Prospect Hill and had their first children within 12 months of each other,” say Scott and DeBurro. “All 12 families met within a few months and bonded instantly, having parties and play dates and forming babysitting co-ops.

“[We] were sitting on a bench drinking coffee and we both started talking at once about this great idea we’d separately had…We just finished our fifth edition of the calendar this December. We had so much fun doing that first calendar and were constantly being requested to take holiday family photos of our neighbors, we decided to take our love of photography and turn it into more than a hobby.”

Soon, the two mamas were offered free weekend space at a friend’s studio–but business soon took off, and they found a place of their own. Where? Prospect Hill, of course.

Scott and DeBurro are open about how much Somerville has contributed to their success. “Somerville is so supportive of its artists, with lots of civic pride,” they tell me. “Somerville Local First has been really helpful because Somerpudlians are remarkably loyal to their own…Somerville Moms are so good about supporting other local mothers. We doubt we would be as busy as we are, with the time we are able to dedicate to it, had we lived elsewhere.”

But the Two Mamas label goes deeper than Scott and DeBurro being moms–their style is all about family. “Being mothers absolutely influences how we interact with families. We both have two kids under six so we understand the need for transition/warm up time and the necessity to make it fun so they feel relaxed…We love nothing more than to get each child feeling comfortable and offering up that smile or laugh that their parents long to capture. [And] we also understand when it just isn’t working and the kids need a break, because we’ve been there.”

And kids–family–are important to the pair. “We built our business around our families, and it has worked better than we imagined. We both wanted to be home with the kids before they went to school, but also grow our business so it had enough fortitude to be a real business when all of our kids are in school. Having an artistic outlet while raising children is so important to happy parenting.”

Any favorite Somerville spots for shooting? The Prospect Hill Monument, of course. “[And] local Somerville playgrounds are really fun!”

When I ask about most important thing to remember when taking the kids out for a shoot, the mamas are all business.

“Dress-wise, as long as you are comfortable with what you are wearing, and all outfits in the group look good together, you’ll be fine. As far as mentally, be relaxed and come to have fun. Let us do the work…[and]think about things – poses, looks – you definitely want to capture. [We’d] hate for the shoot to be over and our clients wish they had said they wanted a certain pose or grouping we missed.”

One of the best things about working in Somerville? “Meeting so many local families. It’s so cool to run into clients at Christmas tree lightings or the grocery store. Somerville is a large city with a small town feel.”