Rachel & Josh (and little Blaire) are some of longest Forever Clients. I can’t express how thankful I am to get to see them year after year, milestone after milestone! It all started back in 2013 with their wedding at Laurel Creek Manor. Since then I’ve had the great joy of photographing their pregnancy announcement, first maternity session, Blaire’s newborn & first year! Yes. They are that gorgeous family on the home page of my website! This long term relationship with clients turned friends is my absolute favorite thing about what I do. I love that they trust & want me to be there for each piece of their journey. It inspires me so much & lets my creative juices flow at their fullest capacity. I really feel that I am able to create my best work through these relationships and I am so grateful for that! Scroll for more tips on choosing your location & what to wear for your maternity session!
Take a look back at all of Rachel & Josh’s photos on my blog here!
Wedding // Pregnancy Announcement // First Maternity Session // Blaire Newborn // Blaire 1 Year // Mommy & Me
Choosing Your Location
Rachel & Josh are always down to explore new ideas & locations for their photoshoots. Since we did an urban look for their last maternity session, we wanted to do something a little different for baby #2! I was thrilled when they said they were willing to head to the mountains and play in some snow! We ended up at Alpental Ski Area at Snoqualmie Pass. It is a great spot for meeting people with lots of different backdrop options (and easy parking and bathrooms!) These are all great things to consider when choosing a location for your maternity session.
What to Wear for Your Maternity Session
Maxi dresses are perfect for maternity sessions. They add great movement, and help you feel extra feminine. You can either go the fitted route to show off your bump, or wear something a little more flow-y. Rachel found this gorgeous dress on Amazon & there are also lots of great options at Pink Blush Maternity. Here’s a kicker: I don’t usually reccommend black. The dark color hides shadows around your bump so we have to be more intentional about posing to show it off. Rachel actually made a hilarious little video of herself turning straight on & sideways joking “pregnant” vs “not pregnant” based on the angle of her body. That all being said, Rachel looked absolutely STUNNING for their shoot. The black was a perfect contrast for the bright white snow. She looked so elegant! So while I may not reccommend something, this is a perfect example of just going with what you feel good in!
Bring a second outfit!
You are also welcome to change halfway through your maternity session & put on a separate look! Rachel wore a more casual leggings & tunic outfit for the second half and I loved that as well. Wearing two different outfits for your maternity session gives you lots of variety in your final gallery!
Maternity Photos for 2nd Baby
A lot of moms I know skip doing maternity photos when they are having their second baby. Either they are too busy, or they don’t think it’s quite as important/necessary as the first time around. But let me tell you, I think it is the sweetest thing to have the older sibling loving on baby belly! Rachel told me that she got emotional looking at these photos & thinking about how they would be the last ones they took as a family of three. What an incredible moment to get to remember through beautiful photos forever! Having your first baby in your arms, and your body making magical things happen for your second, is one of the most powerful images of motherhood I can imagine!
“I have never felt more confident and beautiful as I do when she takes my photo.”
“Meredith is such a talented photographer, but also a kind and genuine person. We found Meredith through a company called George Street Photography and immediately (without even meeting her) knew she had to photograph our wedding! Once we met her we hit it off immediately. We had so much fun with her at our wedding and she captured EVERY MOMENT, I mean she literally didn’t miss a thing. We’ve been married for almost 5 years and I look through our album and remember it was yesterday. Since our wedding we have done countless shoots with Meredith, our pregnancy announcement, maternity, newborn, and we even participated in a super sweet Mother’s Day shoot she had at her studio. The #1 reason I will never have anyone else take my photo is because Meredith not only looks at the overall structure of the photo but she focuses on the subject, getting you in the best light, position, angle. I have never felt more confident and beautiful as I do when she takes my photo. I am currently pregnant with my second little girl and I am anxiously awaiting our maternity and newborn photos. Meredith is our LIFELONG photographer and friend!” – Rachel
