Mama of the Month: Kristy Copperfield

Wife • Mama & Soon-to-be Grandma • Newborn, Maternity and Family Photographer

 

This month, we're honored to feature Kristy Copperfield, a Maui-based photographer who has helped bring countless Coco Moon moments to life over the years.

Kristy has spent the last 15 years capturing newborns, families, and milestones with heart, patience, and purpose. But what makes her work so special is the lens she brings as a mother—and now, a soon-to-be grandma.

In her own words, Kristy reflects on how motherhood has changed, what she sees differently through the camera, and how she hopes her story continues to inspire the generations that follow.

🌺 On Motherhood: “It gets harder as they grow.”

“Motherhood is the ying and yang of wins and challenges at all stages, but I was mostly surprised to experience parenting to get harder as my kids become adults.”

As a mom of two adult children, Kristy shares what many parents eventually come to feel—that raising kids doesn't end at 18. It simply shifts.

“With adulthood comes the freedom to make their own decisions and choices and you just need to trust that all 18 years of parenting them has provided enough structure for your children to make sound choices, but also to embrace their mistakes in order to work through them and to grow from them. Watching from the sidelines is so tough. But seeing who my kids have become through even the smallest challenges has made me one proud mama.”

📸 Through the Lens of a Mother

Kristy started her journey with a camera while working as a preschool teacher—observing milestones and documenting small changes in her students over time. That same attentiveness now defines her photography.

“Observation was my main focus—holding a crayon with a fist, turned into holding a crayon in a tripod grip. Sitting on the swing, grew into being pushed on the swing, grew into using your legs to move yourself on the same swings. Each stage was documented and carefully curated.”

As her own life evolved, so did the way she photographs others.

“I moved into adding to the story, celebrating the moments. Capturing small moments and guiding people into being their truest selves.”

 

And over the years, her work has expanded from intimate newborn sessions to multigenerational family gatherings:

“Seeing generations of families grow, I began to love larger family sessions with tutus and cousins. I come from a big family and getting together is so important to us all. Documenting large families together has become so important to me as well.”

 

Her lens has also grown more emotionally intuitive:

“My focus had always been on moms—the ones usually behind the camera—so I'd be sure to get her in as many as possible. After my friend lost her husband, I saw dads differently through the lens. I sought out dad moments equally… husband moments… and I got in closer to document all of those special moments.”

 

And most recently:

“With my grandmother's recent passing, I'm called to look for moments in the mundane. Not just candid moments, but unscripted moments.”

🧡 Becoming a Grandma, Remembering the Little Things

“Now that I’m about to be a first-time grandma myself, I’m remembering my observation days—documenting every single milestone and seemingly insignificant moment.”

Her photography has always been about more than a single snapshot—it's about time, memory, and the ways we preserve the people and moments that shape us.

“Overall, one thing has remained the same: I have always and will continue to photograph people not just for today, for posting now or for a Christmas card, but really for us to look back on in 10, 20, 30, 40 years and remember that even with all of life’s changes, shifts, and recalibration, documenting it will carry that part of your story on.”

 

📷 Tips for Newborn Photos at Home

Kristy offers simple, practical advice for new moms who want to capture their newborns at home:

“Indirect window light is your friend. Pick a time of day where the light is bright but the sun is not shining right through your window. Set up a little basket or bassinet with your choice of blanket. Textures are your friend. Take photos from directly above and down their face a bit—I try not to shoot up their nose. Light should pass across their face from cheek to nose with a slight shadow on the opposite cheek. Without moving baby, move over to the side of baby facing away from the window and get a shot into the window light.”

Her biggest reminder?

“Get all of their expressions. Smiles are great but tongues out, crunched faces and cries are all a part of newborn life. Document them all.”

She also suggests photographing them on a big bed:

“Get them dressed or nakey with a diaper on. Make the bed, open all of the windows so it’s bright, and put them right in the center of the bed facing up. Now stand at the foot of the bed and crouch down to their level… take photos of them stretching, scrunching and everything in between. Leave lots of space around them so that they look tiny on the big bed.”

And don’t forget the details:

“With the same lighting, use your iPhone’s macro lens to get in close to those tiny toes, hands, wispy hair, and little ears.”

✨Mama Wisdom

“I would hope that my kids enjoy their lives where they are at. Without yearning for anything, but working for it. Without worrying about risk and mistakes, but taking them—and learning from them.”

Kristy hopes her children will live with gratitude, curiosity, and courage.

“I hope they live with appreciation for what they have while growing and changing into every stage that they pass through. I hope that they travel and see the world—but always remember where their home is, in Hawai‘i.”

 

To follow Kristy, check out her Instagram here! 

And don't forget to visit her website here!