Maternal Bliss

You don't see maternity shoots advertised on my website because, honestly, I don't ever do them.  I'm not sure why that is... I absolutely loved being pregnant myself, and I always inwardly smile at seeing those big round bellies in other women and the hope, love, and joy they foretell. 

On my trip to Texas earlier this month, I had three short days to spend in my home town of Austin.  And one of my dearest, oldest friends still lives there and is expecting her second baby this spring. I told her "You HAVE to let me take some belly pictures!!" and she happily agreed. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to capture this joyful time in her life.  Just like babyhood, pregnancy is so short, so finite....   And most of us wish the days would tick by even faster because we can't wait to meet our baby.   And while we may not always feel or look our best, we are awed by the little life growing inside us, kicking us, promising to make our lives complete and purposeful and full of love beyond what we thought possible.  That expectancy needs to be captured and remembered.  All stages of life are deserving of remembrance, the fleeting ones even more so, and portraiture is the best way I know how to do that.

So, there's my plug for maternity shoots.  And here's my philosophy on how they should be done: as naturally and honestly as possible.  I like to see photographs of the mother, and not just shots of her belly.  She's aglow, full of life in the truest sense of that phrase.  I like to see photographs of the family as they are in that moment in time, because that dynamic is going to change.  Here are a few of my favorite images from the session, and the entire gallery is a public one at CatchLight Galleries.

So, Thank You again to these friends for letting me do this session with you, and for the trust you had in me and the free artistic rein it enabled. I cannot wait to meet the new addition!!