Hello and happy Friday, y’all! Thanksgiving has really snuck up on me this year, but I am so excited that I get to go home next week for my favorite holiday! Thanksgiving in my house growing up was all about spending time with family; some of my fondest childhood memories are of my cousins and I camping out in our sleeping bags on the floor in my grandparents’ dining room. Those were truly the good old days. And next week I’ll be back home in Texas with my family and I could not be more excited.
Anyways, today’s blog post is all about a maternity session I shot last spring! I shared some of the photos a few weeks ago in my blog post titled “Maternity Photo Session Guide | Bree Hanan Photography”. And today I am going to be sharing even more photos and some special stories from my time getting to photograph maternity photos for C + H. I hope you enjoy this post and are inspired to book your own photo session with me, whether it be a maternity session, family session, senior session, or couples session!
Before the Session
When C reached out to me to photograph her maternity session, I immediately knew that we were the right fit for each other. Everyone who submits an inquiry to me gets an email within 24 hours that has a lot of information to help you get to know me and be sure that I am the right fit for you, as well as a questionnaire to help me get to know you too. Well, from C’s questionnaire I learned that she and H got engaged in Arches National Park (ummm, hello, I love national parks and plan most of my vacations around them. Read about my national park adventures here. And here. And here. And here.), they love a good coffee shop and reading day date, and just wanted their photos to feel laid back and silly. Like I said, I knew we would be the perfect fit.
After I got the chance to talk to C during her complimentary pre-booking phone consultation call, I found out that we have so much in common! She is also an emergency department nurse, and she actually found me because she worked in the same emergency department that I worked in when I first moved to Arkansas! One of our mutual coworkers had booked a session with me the year before and referred me to C when she was searching for a maternity photographer (ask me about my 15% referral discount!).
One of my favorite parts of the whole photo session process is styling. All my clients receive a welcome guide after booking that includes a style guide (and by the way, my style guide is available for free to everyone who signs up for my email newsletter). I also have a few Pinterest inspo boards that I send over for even more inspiration, and then I always give recommendations based on the location that we choose. I absolutely loved the outfits that C and H chose for their session, I thought that they went really well with the natural setting.
One of the things that C really wanted for their photos was a forest location. The timing of the session was so important for C and H. The baby’s due date was in early May, so we had to balance C’s level of activity with the weather and foliage. We had a location all picked out and ready to go, but a few days before the session I visited it and the Spring foliage was just not where I wanted it to be yet. So at the last minute we changed locations, and I am honestly so glad we did because the photos turned out incredible and definitely had the forest vibe that C wanted.
During the Session
I just love showing new places to my clients. In this case, though, C and H had hiked in our chosen location several times (H actually grew up in the area and had been hiking there his whole life! So special). Even so, I feel that the magic of photography is the ability to take something familiar and highlight its beauty in a new way – whether it’s the location or my subjects.
The evening of our session, there was actually another maternity photo session taking place in the exact spot I had had in mind! So once again, we had to pivot. But I truly believe we made magic together and I wouldn’t have the photos turn out any different.
The walk from where we parked to where we took photos wasn’t short. We stopped about a third of the way there to take pictures on a bridge, but I could tell C was getting tired. One of the most important things to me, especially at a maternity session, is the comfort level of my clients. We went at the speed she was comfortable with and rested a few times, and definitely once we got to the photo spot we took a nice long break.
About halfway through the session, C and H changed outfits right there in the field! H and I held up a sheet for C so that she would have some privacy while she changed. I love a good changing in nature moment, and this one did not disappoint. I loved both of their outfit combos so much, and especially with the flowers that C brought. Everything was so perfect.
One of the last photo moments of the evening was with the amazing sunset that showed up for C and H. I just knew I had to capture some silhouettes of the two of them with the sunset, and I just love how they turned out.
After the Session
Usually after each session I am so sad that our time together has come to an end (until the next time they hire me, that is – I love having repeat clients!). But in this case, C and H had also hired me to shoot their newborn photos after baby made an appearance, and I got to be (almost) as excited as they were for the arrival of their newest family member. Don’t worry, those photos are coming to the blog in the next few weeks!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading all about C and H and their maternity session, and if you are reading this and need a maternity photographer, I would be absolutely honored to photograph you during this special season of life. Click here to send me and inquiry!
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
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