Daniela contacted me to schedule a maternity session at the gardens location in January. We scheduled her date, and she came into the studio a few weeks later to try on dresses. We had a ton of fun together looking at options and trying things on.
One of the first things I ask a client before we get started at a maternity fitting (if they’re married) is what the neckline of their wedding dress was. The answer to this question tells me what a woman really loves on herself, and I pull options that are the same neckline as her answer. For Daniela, her wedding dress was a sweetheart, and she ended up choosing a white split front gown with a sweetheart neckline and a gorgeous slightly off the shoulder mauve gown with a v-neckline - very similar to sweetheart! Both dresses looked amazing with her skin tone, and she was so excited to have found options she loved so much that she didn’t have to go out and buy. Before she left, we discussed what Chris could wear to the session. She explained that Chris was a casual guy, and I told her to embrace who he was. I don’t believe in dressing anyone to be the opposite of who they are, and I want them to look and feel 100% comfortable.
Update: Why we don’t offer sessions at our popular gardens location anymore
Please note that as of January 15, 2020 we do not offer sessions at the gardens anymore due to the gardens management changing how things are done there. Previously, sessions were not limited time wise and the gardens were available when not rented as a wedding venue. Donations were encouraged to help maintain the property.
The new policy changed sessions to 15 minutes. It also required the client to reserve their session time block in advance online and remit a $50 venue rental fee. In addition, they adopted an extremely rigid and inflexible rescheduling policy if there is inclement weather. Their inclement weather policy for sessions is basically this: if it rains on your scheduled date, too bad. You’ll have to pay another reservation fee for another date and try again. While I completely understand that a rental for a wedding event still must go on regardless of weather, I do not agree that this is a fair policy for a photography session. I absolutely will not stand out in the pouring rain to photograph a session and risk a pregnant client slipping and falling on wet surfaces or damaging my equipment by exposing it to water. Additionally, if I have a client with a family who falls unexpectedly ill and needs to reschedule, they would be stuck having to schedule and pay for another venue rental fee.
Our portrait sessions have a 1 hour time allotment, not a mere 15 minutes. Can I shoot a session in 15 minutes? Absolutely. WILL I shoot one in 15 minutes? Only when forced to in unusual circumstances (ie: client is involved in a fender bender on the way and arrives late to a session with inability to reschedule, leaving me with only 15 minutes to shoot). To shoot a maternity session in 15 minutes would mean rushing my clients and it would be an extremely unenjoyable experiences for all. After phone calls and conversations with management discussing things, we made no headway and they were unwilling to budge. We simply cannot in good conscience support this system or put our clients through the uncertainty, so we have ceased to offer sessions there. If their policy changes to be a fair one in the future, we will consider scheduling sessions there again. For those who had hoped for a session in the gardens, we’re sorry! We have plenty of other location options to consider that have similarities, so definitely give us a call to discuss.
Even though we don’t offer the gardens as a location anymore, this session was just too beautiful not to share!
WHAT WE DO WHEN IT’S FREEZING COLD OUTSIDE
It can be cold in the winter in Georgia, and the evening of this session was in the low thirties, with a brisk wind making it feel even colder. We were all cold, but when you look at the images, you’d never guess that! I did check with Daniela to ask if she wanted to reschedule for the next week when it would be warmer, but she declined. If the weather is going to be below 35 degrees, I will always check and ask my client if they want to continue. If the weather is going to be below freezing, we either move it into the studio, or we reschedule. Below freezing is not smart for the health and safety of all involved: and camera equipment tends to not work so well when it’s that cold. The focus of the camera can be slower, which means your session may take longer.
Since Daniela wanted to proceed despite the cold weather, I marched down to my basement and broke out my ski gear. I’m not even kidding - I showed up wearing Bugaboo boots, long johns, ski pants, base layer, and outer ski jacket, as well as a hat and scarf
During the colder months, I encourage mamas to bring a winter coat with them if they have an outdoor session and we will take breaks as needed to warm up in between. I promise to work very quickly and efficiently, so it'll be over before you know it! Braving the cold is absolutely worth it for the final resulting images since winter light is some of the most beautiful there is. Since outdoor sessions always begin one hour before sunset, winter sessions begin in the late afternoon since the sun sets in the 5 o'clock hour. If you hate the cold and just can't deal with it, come to the toasty warm studio instead for an indoor session!
THE TWO MAJOR PROS TO shooting in COLD WEATHER
There are actually a couple of big positives to shooting when it’s cold!
Everyone else that was planning to come out to that location on that date will likely chicken out because they don’t want to be cold, so we might be the only people there. This makes for a quiet and intimate session in what might otherwise be a crowded location with people everywhere.
When it’s cold, it tends to be crystal clear outside, which means BEAUTIFUL sunlight. This session is an absolutely perfect example of that!
so…..WAS IT WORTH IT?
So, was it worth it? 1000 times yes. When Daniela & Chris arrived, I could see the concern on their faces that maybe they had made the wrong decision to proceed. Daniela was super tough though - she didn’t complain about being cold once, and claimed that it “wasn’t so bad” once she started moving around. I have no idea if this was actually true or not or if she said that to make me feel better, but her lips and fingers never turned blue… so maybe it really wasn’t! ;) We took breaks for her to put a coat on and warm up as needed, but as the session progressed she asked for fewer and fewer breaks.
About halfway through the session when I was photographing Daniela alone, Chris gestured towards the gorgeous sunlight pouring in from behind the trees and said “I have to admit, I didn’t think this was going to work out, but now that I can see how beautiful this is…. it’s totally worth it.” Keep in mind that he said this before he’d even seen a single image from his session. I told him he was absolutely right and that this kind of light was the kind of light that every natural light photographer swoons over. I also let him know that when they shared the photographs later, nobody would be able to tell that it was freezing cold that day just by looking at them.
While I allot an hour for sessions, we photographed this session in about 35 minutes including the time it took for them to change into their starting outfits and midway through, and I kept them moving a bit more than I ordinarily do to keep them heart rate up and hopefully help keep them a little bit warmer!
At the end of the session, we packed up and hustled to our warm cars, and I sent off the proof gallery the next week. Daniela and Chris were absolutely in love with their gallery and thanked me for being willing to shoot in colder weather.
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this January 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.
