I LOVE when I get an email from a client telling me that they’re expecting their second baby! I first worked with Caroline and Blair when they were expecting their daughter, Slade, more than two years ago. You can view their field maternity images by clicking here, and you can view Slade’s studio newborn session by clicking here.
When Caroline emailed, she let me know they were having a boy this time and they wanted to schedule their maternity session in the field again. Their first session took place at the height of summer, so the field looked very different in April as opposed to August. Because they lived in north Alpharetta, I suggested a different field location that was closer to them to make it easier for Slade since the session time was close to her bedtime. They were totally on board with that suggestion, so we scheduled their date.
Caroline knew she wanted to borrow from the wardrobe again, and because I had worked with her before I had a pretty good idea of which dresses would work well for her. When she arrived, my assumptions were confirmed after seeing her belly shape. The shape of your belly will affect which dresses I recommend for you! No two bellies are the same, and every woman will look different in the same dress. We’ll chat about if there are any parts of your body that you would rather have covered. Some women don’t want a sleeveless or strapless dress, and that is totally fine. Others prefer solids over florals. My main consideration is whether the dress works for your skin tone, followed by how it fits. Above all, you should feel beautiful and comfortable in the dress - and if those four things are checked off, we have a winner!
Caroline loved what I pulled for her, and chose two of the dresses. Once she had chosen her options, I pulled out dresses for Slade for her to consider. I wanted to make sure that Slade’s dresses coordinated well with her choices, so that’s why I waited until Caroline’s dress decisions were made. She absolutely loved one of our toddler dresses for Slade that is a peachy pleated dress. It’s so comfortable and actually fits a wide variety of toddler body shapes because of the cut and style. Since I had not seen Slade since her newborn session, I also pulled a backup dress just in case the first choice wasn’t the best color for her skin tone.
Caroline had worked with our lead HMUA, Margaret, for her previous sessions and it was a no brainer for her when it came to whether to add on hair and makeup services again. She absolutely loves working with Margaret, and this time Margaret designed a gorgeous updo for her that showed off her beautiful features and kept her hair up and out of the way. When you’re handling a toddler, or if you get hot easily, an updo can be the perfect solution! Our HMUA’s will discuss your preferences and style in great detail with you and craft a look for you that enhances your best features but keeps you looking like you. We want our clients to recognize themselves in their photographs!
I needn’t have worried - when Slade walked up I was immediately mesmerized by her gorgeous green eyes and peaches and cream complexion. She was a bit shy, and a total daddy’s girl. In fact, so much of a daddy’s girl that she didn’t want to go to Caroline at all. We worked around that as best as we could. When I shoot a family maternity session, I save mom and dad images for the end. I want to make sure we get as many family and child images as we can and once they’re over it, we’ll hand them an activity to occupy them and photograph just the two of you. In this case, they handed her an iPhone with a quick show to watch and that did the trick perfectly. I do caution parents not to let their young children see their phones or to offer them as a reward or bribe because it almost always backfires terribly. I have lots of techniques and tricks, and as long as you’re willing to follow my guidance for natural interaction with your little one(s), we can often distract them and they start having lots of fun… which results in the sweetest and most natural images of your family truly being a family!
When Caroline viewed her proof gallery, she emailed to tell me she was so shocked at how many wonderful images I photographed of Slade. Slade was a typical toddler and running around non stop, so they were a bit concerned that she wasn’t cooperative enough. I hear this at almost every family session, and I reassure parents that everything is going just fine. I have worked with just about every personality type of child (and adults) and can handle just about anything that is thrown at me. And yes, I’ve had literal objects thrown at me (by toddlers mind you - no adults have done that yet!). Kids are small humans with big emotions, and I get it. I have three of my own! If you have a child that’s not into having their photograph taken, or is just having a rough day, don’t stress. I’ll give them the space they need, assess what’s working when it comes to engaging them, and make a plan from there. Just give them your love, patience, and support - and the session will work itself out.
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Caroline’s maternity session! I can’t wait to share baby boy’s newborn session with you here on the blog. Check back to see those next week!
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.
