Que the dang tears, people. This is my very LAST maternity photoshoot EVER. Although that’s a bit bittersweet, I just can’t believe how fast this time in my life has gone. It feels just like yesterday I was scheduling my first one with my family photog, Rachel Nolan for Aden’s pregnancy. Fast forward 6 years, and here we are shooting the last one for my 4th and final baby. A baby GIRL, even. Life is crazy, y’all!!
Being my last one, I wanted to do something a little different and more low-key. I fell immediately in love with Madi Nelson’s photo she posted from her shoot for baby girl and I knew that simple and classic was definitely the aesthetic I wanted to go for. I had already done the Boho vibe with Cason’s last year (you can see that here) and with Aden + Hudson’s I did the familiar “lifestyle” session around Charleston and at our home. For this one, I deliberated on where to get pregnancy photos taken and the first thing that came to mind was a new local space called The White Room – it’s crisp, clean and absolutely beautiful inside! They even had a mini studio set-up with lighting for us to use, so it was pretty much a no brainer.
Capturing my pregnancy has been really important to me. Even though pregnancy itself feels like it goes on forever, this moment really does fly by and I don’t want to forget a bit of it. Pregnancy has made me feel extremely beautiful in my own skin, something I’ve struggled with since a little girl. It’s helped me embody my femininity and own the vessel that works so hard to bring this amazing life into the world. It’s crazy what we’re capable of as women! I never want to forget this time in my life, when my only focus was bringing this precious angel into the world.
How perfect did this space turn out for a maternity photoshoot? I think we may have been one of the first ones to use The White Room for this kind of styled shoot, but I’m pretty positive now that we won’t be the last.
Rachel and I have been working together for years, so at this point in time, she just gets what I want. I can’t stress enough how important it is to communicate with your photographer exactly what you want and exactly what your end result is in your head. Being specific really does help them when shooting. For me, it’s important to click with your photographer’s eye. They’re artists in their own right and each one does it a little differently. You can’t look at their portfolio, hire them based on it, and then request something completely off hand. It just won’t work and you’ll end up with a bunch of photos that look like they’re missing that extra spark. Rachel’s eye is one that I’ve always gravitated towards. She can do no wrong when it comes to having me in front of the camera. Let me tell you how awkward I am… Rachel has always made me look like a complete goddess and I always joked with her that she must have some sort of beer goggles on her lens, because I certainly don’t look like that! She’s seriously SO good and I think at one point in time, she even shot an entire session with one hand while holding her infant in the other and the photos still turned out absolutely amazing. In other words, find yourself your soul photog and you’ll be set for life.
See what I mean?
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I’ll no longer be a boy mom in just 2 short weeks. I’m so excited, but so nervous at the same time. I think I’m just really excited to watch her grow and develop into a little lady becoming her own person and developing her own personality so different from her brothers. So hard to wrap my head around it right now, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that motherhood can be like that. Instinctually it’ll all kick in and I know I won’t be able to imagine how our life was without her. I just want her to be a caring and kind little girl and know that she has a crew of boys that are ready to love on her the rest of her life.
I hope by sharing these photos they have inspired you a little for your own maternity sessions and whatever you decide to do turns out exactly as you envisioned. As with everything in this new life, you’ve got this, mama! Best of luck in the remainder of your pregnancy. ♡
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