When your best friend is a photographer, you enjoy some perks when you book a session with her! Erica and I have known each other since we were six years old and I photographed the birth of her first child, which was the very first birth I ever photographed and how I became a birth photographer! I photographed the birth of her second child as well, but we knew that I would be unable to attend the birth of her third unless he arrived on his due date weekend when I would be in town.
Erica asked if she could come and visit this summer for a little getaway before her baby arrived, and of course I said yes as it’s been a few years since we’ve been able to spend time together without our children. She asked if she could book a studio maternity session while she was in town. I was thrilled to say yes, and she also elected to add on hair and makeup services. The day before her session, I sent her to my favorite nail boutique right down the street - Lark & Sparrow! If you haven’t visited, check it out! It’s so lovely, and the manicurists are amazing!
I do not photograph maternity sessions in two different places. The studio light is best in the morning through early afternoon - and I only photograph outdoor sessions in the hour before sunset. You can see the problem here: there would be an hours long gap between indoor and outdoor sessions, so it’s not possible. The outdoor images you are seeing below are a result of Erica doing me a favor much later that day after her studio session so that I could test out a secondary field location! The photos from it were so beautiful that I decided to include them in this post as well. We have had clients who wanted two locations for their maternity session, and they simply booked two separate sessions.
For her studio maternity session, Erica chose to wear white. Her first dress was a simple grecian style dress that looked gorgeous on her both in color and drape. The second was one of our very fitted lace dresses which shows off more while still keeping mamas somewhat covered. It’s the perfect in between for an expectant mother who wants to show off her belly without having it bare. Our HMUA, Brielle, created a beautiful updo for her with some loose tendrils, and went for a more dramatic eye at Erica’s request. When the dresses are simple, sometimes it’s fun to kick up the makeup a notch!
After the studio session was over, I pulled a dress for her to wear for our location test. She has loved the color purple since we were little, so I knew it would be the perfect choice. A few hours later, we drove out to the location and I fell in love with it! We now officially have two field locations that clients can choose from - when you inquire with us we’ll go over the options you have and you can choose the one that is best for you and fits your preferences.
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Erica’s maternity session! She welcomed a beautiful baby boy just weeks later, and I was fortunate enough to be able to meet and photograph him as a newborn on Labor Day weekend (his original due date!)
If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
