Saidie contacted us pretty late in her third trimester to inquire about booking a maternity and newborn session. Because she had moved here from California after the birth of her first daughter, she didn’t know of any photographers in the Atlanta area. Saidie looked around online, looked through my website, and fell in love with my maternity sessions in our gardens location, and proceeded with booking her sessions with us. Please note that the gardens are not available on weekend evenings, so if you want your session to take place there, you will need to arrange for your schedule to accommodate a weeknight.
When Saidie came in for her maternity fitting at the studio, I instantly loved her warm and bubbly personality. She is one of those people who is incredibly caring and kind to anyone she interacts with, and so genuine. She told me about her daughter Zoe, and her husband Daniel, and we started looking through dresses. Saidie’s problem wasn’t that she couldn’t find a dress… she loved so many of them that she had such a hard time narrowing them down! I reminded her that she could choose to wear one for her newborn session, and that made her feel better. ;) She chose a sleeveless lace overlay gown and a blush off the shoulder flowy gown. The vast majority of our dresses can be worn for both! Many of our pieces aren’t even maternity specific but accommodate growing bellies. Booked clients are welcome to borrow from the wardrobe as a perk, but not required. We looked through some of our little girl dresses as well and she chose one for Zoe to wear that worked perfectly with her own dress choices.
Their session was scheduled to take place in a couple of weeks, but Atlanta experienced a cold snap… and the weather was breezy and in the mid 70’s. I happened to have a weeknight open, so I emailed Saidie to ask if she’d like to move it up because of how perfect the weather was. She wasted no time in replying, “Yes, let’s do it!”
On the evening of their session, we met at the gardens, and the weather was AMAZING. Saidie had brought along a flower crown and asked what I thought about her wearing it. I’m all for flower crowns if my clients want to wear them, and suggested she wear it with the bohemian dress as it was a better fit for that look. She agreed, and the family all got dressed and ready.
I always start with family and child images just in case they decide they’re over the session and don’t want to participate anymore later on. Zoe was tired and a bit emotional, so we worked around her mood. She did such a great job participating but would lose interest quickly. That’s never a problem! I’ll just photograph mom alone or parents together until the interest picks back up. Trying to “force” a toddler to participate is not possible. It’s best to approach them with a laid back attitude and invite them to join in when they’re ready. Removing pressure and creating a no-stress environment is the best way to engage positively with my little clients, so that’s what I strive for!
There’s lots of variety to be had in the garden setting with tons of areas to shoot in. Backlit photos with the setting sun are not always possible due to tree foliage. We will often be working around other photographers and their clients, so if you’re hoping for seclusion and privacy during your session, this is likely not the best location choice for you. I can assure you that nobody is paying any attention to anyone else as we’re all there for our own sessions!
Daniel, Saidie, and Zoe enjoyed walking around the gardens and playing together. As we walked, we chatted about all sorts of things. One of my favorite parts about being a photographer that works with so many families is getting to know my clients and listening to their stories. I am constantly reminded of what a small world we live in and how much we can have in common with others from my conversations with them.
I LOVED working with this awesome family of three (soon to be four!) and can’t wait to share images of their new daughter’s newborn session later this week! In the meantime, enjoy a few from their maternity 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.
