Melissa contacted the studio to book a maternity session at the field location. When she called she was concerned because she and her husband were only available on Monday evenings, and she wasn’t sure if we would have an opening.
The good news for Melissa was that weeknights are much more readily available than weekend nights! If you leave work a bit early one day, and can be flexible with scheduling your session for a weeknight you have a better chance of being able to schedule for when you want to! Weekend dates are the first to go and are often fully booked a few months in advance.
Melissa was thrilled to hear that we could schedule her for a Monday, and we arranged for her to come to the studio for a maternity fitting a few weeks later.
Maternity fittings are 20 minutes long and fun! It’s a chance for us to meet, and you can ask any questions you might have. I’ll look at you and assess your skin tone and belly shape and then pull dresses that will work well for you and look perfect in the location you’ve chosen. You’ll try them on, and you’re welcome to take some phone snapshots of yourself in the ones that are top contenders to decide on later. Lots of clients love to get the input of family and friends and poll them for which one they like best. If you don’t plan to use the studio wardrobe, I’d still love to meet you and see what you’re wearing if you have the time in your schedule! I’ve found that clients are so much more comfortable when they’ve had the chance to meet and chat for a bit in advance of being in front of the camera. We have a lot of out of town clients who travel to us for sessions, and I still set aside time before their actual session start to get to know each other.
When Melissa arrived, I asked what she did for a living, and she responded that she was a cardiac ICU nurse. I said, “Which hospital?” She told me the name of the hospital and I immediately asked if she knew two of my other maternity and newborn clients who were ALSO cardiac ICU nurses at the same hospital. She did! What are the chances? Such a small world to have three very specialized nurses on the same floor in the same hospital come to me. I love it!
Melissa decided on her dress choices pretty quickly and loved how they looked on her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted hair and makeup services and asked me to give her more insight into them. She was concerned that because she didn’t wear a lot of makeup that it might be overkill for her. I was happy to share my experience with her! First of all, you should know that I don’t wear makeup at all. I don’t even own any at this present time. (This could change in the future though because I’m considering taking some makeup lessons from my team, so don’t hold me to this if you’re reading this a year after this is posted!) I never wore it in high school or college, but I DO have it professionally applied for my team whenever I am stepping in front of the camera. They do an absolutely amazing job of really enhancing my features while keeping the look very natural and true to me. They will tailor your look exactly to your specifications and comfort level. So if you never wear makeup and want to for a session, they’ll work their magic for the “no makeup” look! After our discussion, Melissa ultimately decided to add on hair and makeup services, and worked with Megan.
We met at the field on the evening of their session and it was completely deserted! (another perk to a weeknight session!) It was a cloudy and overcast evening, but I love these just as much as when it’s sunny. One of the pros to overcast evenings are that the light is soft and diffused, and we can be anywhere we want to be without needing to worry about squinty eyes or harsh light. Melissa had told me they were a bit worried about feeling awkward in front of the camera and not knowing what to do. I reminded her that it was my job to worry about that, and that I would take care of them. I walked Melissa and Josh through their entire session and directed them with prompts for natural interaction, and they were total pros halfway through. My directions are clear and easy to follow, and I have three simple and easy to remember “rules” that we will go over at the beginning of our time together. It’s a stress free and laid back experience, and I promise we’ll have a great time!
After we finished our session and were walking back to our cars, the cloud cover broke through and there was an absolutely amazing sunset sky. I asked if we could take one more image that night, and they readily agreed. They were a little surprised when I laid down on the ground, but they understood why later! I’ll do all sorts of crazy things to capture that perfect image, and it’s always worth it.
Enjoy a few of my favorites from their session!
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.
