Happy Friday y’all! I hope this week has treated you well. It has been extremely rainy here, really for the last month but especially the last two weeks. Lots of storms and lots of rain. My outdoor plants are loving it, but I’m definitely ready for some sunshine.
Today’s blog post is about the sweetest and most fun maternity session that I shot last month for my friends S and B. This session is the second installment of their baby-related photo sessions – the first was their pregnancy announcement session at Devil’s Den State Park last Fall, and then in a few weeks I get to shoot their newborn photos. It is so special getting to photograph each stage of pregnancy like this, it’s one of my very favorite things.
Planning the Session
The timing with maternity sessions is everything. I knew that since S’s due date was towards the end of May, we would need to have her session around the end of March/early April. I try to have as much flexibility as possible with maternity sessions, because everyone’s pregnancy progresses differently. S felt comfortable waiting until early April for her session, and I’m so glad we did because the photos turned out perfect!
Maternity Session Timing Goals
With any session, but especially with maternity sessions, I always ask what you want your photos to look like. As a rule of thumb, I always suggest scheduling the session after the belly has popped (usually around 20 weeks) and before it gets too hard to move around (usually around 30-32 weeks). But if a client wanted to book a maternity session earlier in the pregnancy because she liked that look better or wanted to be more active during the session, I would definitely be open to that.
I knew that planning a maternity session in early April would mean that most trees would not have green leaves yet. So when I was scouting for a location for S and B’s session, I knew I wanted to find somewhere with water (instead of a field or forest location). I talked with S about this idea, and she loved it! So then it was up to me to find the perfect spot.
Ever since starting my photography business here, I had been really wanting to shoot a session on Beaver Lake, which is so iconic to Northwest Arkansas. I scoured the internet for locations around the lake, and actually visited several spots as well before finding the absolute prefect spot for S and B.
Location Scouting
As a rule, I don’t give out my specific session locations. Instead I will give more general locations such as “Beaver Lake” or “Devils Den State Park”. If you are curious about my location scouting process, you can read all about it in this previous blog post. And of course if you ever want to book a session at a place you’ve seen in one of my photos, you can send me an inquiry and we’ll set it up!
An unintentional but super fun added bonus was the full moon. As soon as we set the session date, I googled what phase the moon would be in, and I was so excited when I saw that it would be full that day!
S had also communicated her desire to have some *unserious* photos during her session, along with the pretty photos. She had sent me a few inspiration photos of a maternity session in a retro pizza joint (I always love to have my clients share a Pinterest board with their inspo for outfits, purses, location … whatever!). So based on the Beaver Lake location, we planned to stop at Torchy’s Tacos in Rogers, AR for some flash photos.
The Session
Beaver Lake
The weather on the day of the session couldn’t have been more perfect if I’d planned it! Since S and B’s pregnancy announcement session had taken place on an overcast, drizzly day, I was really hoping for a blue sky and sunshine. And it was!
When we showed up to the lakeside location, the water was waaayyy higher than it had been when I scouted it just a few weeks before. But we made it work! One thing I love about being a photographer is being able to create magical photos no matter the situation. I can scout and plan as much as I want, but in the end, it is what it is.
Speaking of magical things no one could ever plan, I could not believe it when the crane showed up just in time for the silhouette shots. It felt so special and sacred – definitely a core memory for me.
Torchy’s Tacos
By the time we got to Torchy’s, it was pretty late in the evening. I was worried that it might be busy since it was a Friday night, but we got so lucky and the patio was completely empty.
The staff were so kind to allow us to shoot there! Of course we ordered several tacos from them, but I am so grateful they let us stay because the photos turned out so cute. Like, look at S’s perfect basketball of a belly. So cute.
Final Thoughts …
I absolutely love when my clients trust me to bring their vision to life. S and B literally told me that they were fine with whatever I planned for them, and I am so honored to have been able to capture these memories for them.
*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 portraits/elopements/branding 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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