The pregnant body is beautiful, so don’t miss this opportunity to schedule a maternity session. While you may not feel beautiful at the moment, it’s a joy for others around you to see that bump grow. And if you think about it, the uterus your baby is growing in started out the size of your fist and will expand until it’s just below your breastbone. And your body created a whole organ (the placenta) to support your baby while it grows. It’s simply amazing, which leads me to the first reason.
- You’re growing a tiny human, what an incredible opportunity to witness God’s design in such a personal way, a maternity session is a wonderful way to celebrate that.
- With that baby comes a lifetime of discoveries and adventure, so start documenting your baby’s story now. Children love seeing photos of when they were in their mama’s belly.
- No need to buy anything to wear, choose from beautiful gowns and silks in our studio wardrobe!
- Maternity sessions can be modest; it’s up to you and your comfort level.
- You’re a work of art—don’t fret about stretch marks or swollen ankles. We’ll emphasize your beauty in just the right way.
How It Started
Looking back, I’m really glad my husband and I did a maternity session. I didn’t have beautiful gowns or a studio back then, but the photos of us are so sweet and can instantly bring me back to what it felt like to be expecting our first son. We did our session with a talented photographer friend at Mellon Park and brought our dachshund and a chaise lounge, just typing that makes me laugh!
Then I did a quick outfit change in what I thought was a private corner of one of the nearby buildings only to notice a security camera pointed right at me in between outfits! My husband did is best to hide me… We still laugh about it to this day.
Today, I offer a completely different experience. My studio provides a private and relaxing atmosphere with a dressing room and all of the little last minute things you might need like a steamer, chapstick, lotion, safety pins, combs and lint rollers. In the studio I have natural light and studio lighting as well as a variety of backdrops and furnishings (no need to bring your own chaise lounge).
I still enjoy photographing maternity sessions on location too and have a list of some favorite spots within a 30-minute drive from Cranberry. Some of my clients have chosen to do part of their session in-studio and part on location. I also have a short list of locations near my studio that are wonderful for a combined in-studio and on-location session.
Maternity Sessions Today
The session is two hours long and allows time for a variety of looks and creativity. It comes with your choice of ten images that I will retouch so that they are ready for printing 8×10 files or smaller. If you’d like to order a larger print from your maternity session, or an album, I’m happy to help with that too!
This framed print (above, please excuse the cell phone photo) of a maternity portrait from last year is a treasured piece of art in my client’s home. She is reminded of the beautiful beginning of her daughter’s life and of her own experience in becoming a mother. I can’t think of a better reason to hang a maternity portrait on the wall!
Most of our mothers weren’t photographed professionally when they were pregnant and if you ask your grandmother about the idea of a pregnancy photoshoot, you might get a funny reaction. The fashion in their day was to hide the pregnancy as much as possible. But it’s becoming one of my very favorite sessions to shoot. I love that we can celebrate this beautiful moment in a women’s life.
Seeing Beauty Differently
It’s funny how some women don’t necessarily feel beautiful until they are pregnant. For them, it’s an easy decision to schedule a maternity session. I wish we all could see ourselves as beautiful, pregnant or not. But I think pregnancy presents an opportunity for us to see things differently. It’s hard for most people to live up to the ideal of a flat stomach, but then when we have a reason for that growing belly we see our beauty.
I realize pregnancy is a difficult subject for some women and am sensitive to that. I have many friends who have struggled to get pregnant or who have suffered a loss. My heart has ached for friends and family who have been there. And I want you to know that you are beautiful and I pray for you to find joy and peace on your journey.
And while I don’t know what you believe, I’d like to offer this Bible verse which comforts me in times of uncertainty: “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastees 3:11 That’s the King James Version and my understanding is that God is over everything and has the big picture in mind.
We feel frustrated when we can’t understand God’s plans and timing, but we can take comfort that our God, who created us and has a plan for us, is in control and we are dearly loved. If you’re not sure about this and would like to learn more, I’d love to share my testimony, please reach out.
Planning for Your Maternity Session Style
There are lots of styles for maternity sessions to consider. Some moms like to include dad for a couples session of the expecting parents. Some like a natural light look and others want studio lights with gowns and a train toss. As I’ve been spending more time photographing maternity sessions, I’ve been asking myself, who am I???
I went from one style, the natural light look, to adding a wardrobe of gowns and backdrops with studio lighting. I love all of the looks and can’t choose just one style. Before sessions, I like to plan ahead with a phone consultation to learn what my client is envisioning and plan the session around that.
Maternity sessions are best scheduled between weeks 30 and 36. It’s a balance between showing off your bump at it’s biggest and being comfortable. I had a mom schedule her session at 36 weeks and give birth the next day! We were shooting on-location at North Park. It was a fantastic session, but involved a lot of walking. We were both so thankful to squeeze that session in before her baby was born! (Her session is featured in my sample maternity and newborn album at the studio.)
Capturing Your Story
And if you’re scheduling a maternity session, I’d say a newborn session is most definitely a must-have as well. I offer 18-month memberships for families who want to capture the milestones over that first year or so. There are two options: a three-session plan and a four-session plan. So an example of what that looks like is starting with a maternity session between weeks 30 and 36, a newborn session sometime between birth and the first month, a six-month session or when your baby starts sitting independently, and a first birthday session.
Another possible schedule if you’re not planning for a maternity session, is the newborn session, a six-month session, a first birthday session, and a family portrait when your baby is about a year and a half.
Each session comes with your choice of 10 images that I retouch and size to be high-resolution files that you can print as 8x10s or smaller. In addition, the three-session plan comes with a 10” album and the four-session plan comes with the 10” album and a 20×30 framed print—with these packages you’re basically purchasing the product and getting the sessions for free! You could skip making a baby book and have artwork to hang on the wall.
Decision Time
You’ve heard it said from loved ones and well-wishers that it goes fast. And it sure does! I’d love to help you capture this special time in your family’s story so that you can enjoy looking back time and time again. I love walking through my home and seeing my babies at all of their different phases. It’s especially meaningful as they’re getting older and don’t need me as much anymore. I love looking back on those days when they were small and seeing glimpses of their personality that I have come to know so well. And though my boys would never admit it, I think they like looking back too.
If you’re ready to plan your maternity session, I’d love to hear from you. It’s a good idea to start planning in your second trimester. Please call me at 412-427-8371 or email me here.
Captivating Imagery
Captivating Imagery