Behind the Scenes--Maternity Session

I have known Haley since she was a cute and chubby baby. I attended countless dance recitals, heard all about her crushes, and trouble with friends. I was present when she married the love of her life, Tony. So, it seemed fitting, that I help document the new journey for her--becoming a mother. From time Haley was four or five years old, she knew she wanted to be a teacher and follow in her Aunt Penny's footsteps by teaching children through love and empathy. Haley's embarking on this journey of motherhood without her Aunt Penny, but she has a strong group of female role models that will help her along the way and help keep Penny's memory alive.

I typically shoot maternity sessions when the mama-to-be is 32-36 weeks pregnant, but due to the timing of Haley's trip to Iowa, we had to make some adjustments and her maternity session took place when she was 25 weeks. Haley's husband, Tony, is proudly serving in the United States Marines and was stationed in California. The couple recently moved to Hawaii and will be stationed there when their sweet baby makes his/her arrival.

The couple opted to be 'Team Green', meaning they did not find out the sex of the baby during the ultrasounds. I had three surprises myself, but I think this little bean that Haley is cooking, will be a boy!

I was able to convince Haley to wear one of my maternity gowns. She was very hesitant, since yellow isn't always a flattering color on blondes. I loved the movement of the yellow gown and the high slit, which showed off Haley's perfectly tanned California beach legs.

Also present was Haley's mom, Dee, and older sister, Kelsey. These three women are some of my most favorite humans on the planet. Although there's physical distance between us, I know that I can always count on them, and vice versa. Catching up with them and seeing them gush over Haley was such an empowering experience. Haley has always been such a 'Mother Hen' and her maternal instinct is very strong.

I asked Kelsey to be a second shooter for me and gave her my Sony A7IV camera with my 70-180 mm lens and asked her to take photos of me taking photos and some shots from different angles. Kelsey is a self-taught artist and Jill of All Trades and quickly caught on to how to adjust the camera settings while shooting in manual mode. She was able to take some incredible behind the scenes photos for me.

Shooting an outdoor session in Iowa in August can be incredibly hot. Luckily, Mama Dee packed a portable fan for Haley. I cracked up when I was culling the gallery and saw that Kelsey had taken a shot of Haley positioning the fan up her gown. I also loved the behind-the-scenes images of Haley flipping off her older sister. Reminds me of me and my big sis.

Haley definitely has that pregnancy glow about her. Throughout the session, Kelsey and I kept commenting about how we thought she looked like Barbie's pregnant friend, Midge. The Barbie Movie was on all of our minds though, as we had just seen it separately, but were busy quoting some of the lines while also discussing some of the struggles with pregnancy and motherhood. Haley was appalled to learn that her hair will start to fall out in clumps when she's a few months postpartum.

Our golden hour shoot was quickly fading into what's known by photographer's as 'blue hour' when the sun is past the cusp of the horizon. I turned Haley around to face the sun so as much light as possible illuminated her and her gorgeous baby bump. The river was low enough that Haley opted to get into the water for a few shots. I love the way she is cast in the reflection of the running water. It's almost a subtle nod that things are both staying the same, as well as moving along.

Once Haley's baby is born, I vowed to be on standby for any and all photo sessions once the little family of three is back in Iowa. But knowing Haley and Mama Dee, I know there will be so many photos! I loved celebrating Haley and her journey into motherhood. She's one of the greats and I cannot wait to see what an amazing and kind human she grows. Love you, Hale.