Sarah and Stephen are close friends of my husband Tim and I’s. We met them when we were living in Asheville, North Carolina and hit it off instantly. They called us to let us know they were pregnant with their first sweet baby and I was THRILLED. I was so honored when they asked me to photograph their maternity session. They made the drive from Asheville to our home in Florence, Alabama just for me to photograph them – I mean, I felt pretty special.
We decided on an open field filled with wild high grass for their session. The sun was out and shone perfectly on the expecting couple. I’ve photographed Sarah and Stephen before and they are honestly some of my favorite people to work with. They put so much trust in me and my direction during a session. They are so clearly in love with each other and that shows in every image we captured together. They have the ability to get silly and playful in one moment, then more loving and intimate in another. I appreciate that they are so trusting of my direction and vision for their sessions.
People often explain to me that they feel extremely nervous and uncomfortable leading up to their first session in front of the camera. I always tell try to comfort them by explaining how incredibly common this is! My biggest advice? Focus on your partner and be in the moment. I mean, REALLY be in the moment. Reflect on your relationship. Think about how fortunate you are to have that person in your life. If you’re expecting new life, imagine what your child will look like. What their interests and favorite color will be. Being in the moment is so vital, whether it be a maternity session, engagement session, or even you wedding or elopement day. If you’re unsure what to do – look to your partner. Just live in this special moment together as a couple. At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. Capturing the moments between you two.
If you’re feeling unsure and would like to read some more tips, feel free to check out my blog post on preparing for an engagement session (but don’t worry, these tips apply to all couples sessions!).
