Being pregnant is not an easy thing. Your back hurts, you crave foods that you have never liked before, your feet look like they belong to someone else…that’s if you can even see your feet. Your body changes every day, but you know that it is all worth it, because in the end, there will be a new life that is introduced into this world. At least that is what I’ve come to understand about the experience of being pregnant. I’m a guy after all, and this is just not something that we can experience, and we are probably not equipped to be able to deal with everything that an expectant mother goes through. What I do know is that Toni, the photo wench, loved being pregnant despite all the odd changes to her body. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing and despite what you may think during those months, it is actually a short-lived experience in the grand scheme of life. That makes this the perfect time to have a professional photo shoot done so you will ultimately remember pregnancy for the beautiful time that it really was. I’m here to capture those memories for you to look back on 18 years later to remember that time that you created life.
A recent addition to my portfolio of work is doing maternity sessions. At some point between 28 and 34 weeks, you are probably at the best stage of the pregnancy to have this session done. If you are high risk, or have other concerns, you will want to look at doing this on the earlier end of that spectrum, but for the most part, 30-34 weeks is the sweet spot when your belly is nicely rounded, yet you still have energy and can do some posing for the photos. While I have successfully delivered a plastic baby from a plastic momma in 1999 after watching a training video on VHS, I don’t want to push these sessions beyond that 34-week mark because I might not have done so well on that test and haven’t once used the skills in reality. All joking aside, my forte here will be capturing that short period in history when the mom-to-be is at her most radiant.
These photos can be used as wall art to celebrate the family, birth announcements, cards, or just posting on social media. The current generation is the most photographed in history, so why not start during the actual pregnancy. What I am offering is not a “mini session” with a bunch of quick snapshots and a handful of edited photos. I’ll leave those sessions to volume photographers. My ideal photo session is one where we plan out the event well in advance. We will talk about location, time of day, wardrobe, intended mood, and even some of the poses that will be used. The session will usually last a couple of hours but can go longer if desired. What the client will receive is not a bunch of bulk edited photos, but photos that have been processed and mildly retouched individually with all the love and care that you would expect from a fine art photographer. They can be delivered digitally with a license for their use, or we can do physical prints, or even albums. In fact, I’m happy to look at all options and see what fits your needs the best. My goal is always 100% client satisfaction.
Take a look at a small selection of images from a maternity session that was done just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It lasted right at two hours, and the 64 finished photos were delivered in less than 48 hours from when the session started. I do pride myself in having quicker than average turn-around times, though there will be some cases that will require more time due to special editing considerations, or volume of images.
If this is something that you think you might want to do, let’s get a free consultation scheduled. We can meet in person, by video, or a phone call. We will discuss what types of photos you are interested in and start working out a location for the session. I’ll always defer to the client for places that are special to them because it is much easier for them to get comfortable and relaxed in a place that means something to them. Of course, if there are no preferences, I have several spots in mind and I also have a studio for the utmost in convenience and privacy. In most cases, I like to plan these out about a month in advance so there is plenty of time to get wardrobe selected, any props figured out, and for me to figure out the best time of day for the location.
If you are wondering about prices, my session fees start at $350 with products being extra. I will be able to give you a very close estimate during the initial consultation and will be happy to counsel you as to what options are going to be best for you if you are not sure.
Studio location: Purlear, NC (near Wilkesboro, off of US 421). By appointment only.
Location shoots available: I am conveniently located near the Blue Ridge Parkway, but willing to travel within reason to meet your needs.
Specific services available: Professional headshots, individual and family sessions, maternity photos, couples’ portraits, engagement photos, senior photos, boudoir, figure studies, and other creative or themed sessions.
Contact me for a consultation: 336-681-0220, or email at [email protected]
Privacy Policy: My client’s privacy is of the utmost concern for me. I will not share any images, or client names without prior approval from the client and with a model release signed. All digitally delivered photographs will be done through a secure and password protected method.