Stylized maternity session at Heather Farms

The families I photograph become people I care about and often stay in touch with. I love getting updates about their lives, especially when they share that their family is continuing to grow. Kimberly and Shaun reached out New Years, 2017 to let me know about their pregnancy with their second child, due in June. 

Kimberly knew she wanted a stylized maternity session in May and had a goal to purchase a stunning blush pink gown from the Etsy shop SewTrendy Accessories. As the May session grew closer, Kimberly and her husband Shaun learned they would be having a girl. Kinsley would be joining big brother Riley just a few weeks after our session.

I love how gorgeous Kimberly is inside and out, and was not at all surprised that she went glam for Kinsley’s nursery, stylizing it with soft pinks, gold, and white. We kept this in mind as we planned, knowing that photos from the maternity session would be included in Kinsley’s room.

Though every session will throw unexpected challenges at you, we did not expect the rare heat wave that was occurring when we reached the day of the session. Despite being 38 weeks pregnant in 90-degree heat, Kimberly looked beautiful in her Celine Tulle Gown: a beautiful blush pink fitted mermaid style maternity gown. She was stunning, and you would never know how hot and humid it was in looking at the photos.

Kimberly, Shaun, and Riley looked gorgeous against the natural background at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek. When photographing such a stunning gown, I consider all the light sources that can potentially affect the quality of the image. At our session, the sun was setting, shining down on the golden field she stood in. This gave Kimberly a light source behind her, and allowed a golden hue to bounce back on her. I decided to add a diffused off-camera flash to create a soft puff of light to further add to her pregnancy glow and bring catchlight to her eye. 

This session went particularly smoothly aside from the heat, as Shaun and Kimberly brought their babysitter along for the session- this is such a great idea!! The sitter, Kayla, helped to get Riley’s attention during family photos, and also played with him when we took photos of Kimberly and Shaun. Kalya also made a great assistant helping us with Kimberly’s gorgeous dress as we moved locations.

I love how excited the family is for the addition of Kinsley and I can't wait for Kinsley's one-year session; Kimberly let me know the designer of her dress creates a one year size, perfect for a mommy and me session! We’re all looking forward to another session together.